Pier Head Lighthouse (Harbour Arm, Folkestone)
Chance Brothers Lighthouse
-
Date of lens manufacture
1902
-
Date of lighthouse construction
1860
-
Country
United Kingdom
-
Commissioning body
Trinity House
-
Order of lens
4th order
-
Fixed or revolving lens
Revolving
-
Active/Inactive
Active
-
Describe the character of light
Fl(2) 10s
-
Describe the lighthouses daymarks
The pier Head Lighthouse in Folkestone is a pale granite tower two storeys high, raised on a low granite plinth, topped with a metal and glazed lantern and a weather vane. It stands at 13m high. Has 'Weather is a third to place and time'. Home to the Lighthouse Champagne Bar.
-
Which aspects of the lighthouse (other than the lens) were manufactured by Chance brothers
--- -
Describe the history of the lighthouse
The current Pier Head Lighthouse in Folkestone was built between 1897 and 1904 and is Grade II listed. It replaced an earlier, more elaborately designed lighthouse at the end of the pier.
The harbour had been acquired by the South Eastern Railway Company and a new line reached Folkestone in 1843 with the harbour branch line constructed soon afterwards. This provided the Victorians with easier access to Folkestone, which at that time also ran ferry services to France. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1847 to assist the increased number of sea-going traffic entering the harbour. Over the next 50 years, Folkestone was to become one of the most fashionable coastal towns.
After an 1877 storm damaged the original pier (built between 1861-63), it was rebuilt and extended between 1881 and 1883. The pier now stood in deeper water to accommodate larger vessels in low water. A further extension followed in 1897 at which point the current lighthouse was constructed. Despite a 2014 redevelopment of the Folkestone Harbour Arm, many of the original platforms and features of the pier, including the lighthouse remain.
The lighthouse bears an inscription, quoting a poem by Ian Hamilton Finlay, to remind us of the importance of weather to all who work at sea:
’Weather is a Third to Place and Time’.
-
Current management body/ ports authority
Trinity House
-
Historical preservation societies/manager/operator
Folkestone Harbour Company
-
Is the site vulnerable to coastal erosion?
no -
Have you experienced any affects of climate change on the lighthouse?
--- -
Observations on the condition of the lighthouse?
--- -
Is the site open/closed to the public
Open
-
Is the tower open/closed to the public
Closed
-
Latitude and Longitude
51.076000° 1.194833°
-
On-site bookable accommodation available
no -
Associated web addresses
-
Other details
Folkestone Pier: ARLHS ENG-216; Admiralty A0892; NGA 1228.
-
Which resources did you use to research this lighthouses?
---
Where?
