Chumbe Island
Chumbe Light, Zanzibar, December 2010
Flickr Creative Commons photo by sheyneg https://www.flickr.com/photos/53473544@N00/5279774613/
Chance Brothers Lighthouse
-
Date of lens manufacture
1898
-
Date of lighthouse construction
1904
-
Country
Zanzibar
-
Commissioning body
Unknown
-
Order of lens
4th order
-
Fixed or revolving lens
Revolving
-
Active/Inactive
Active
-
Describe the character of light
Fl W 11s
-
Describe the lighthouses daymarks
34 metre high 5 stage unpainted square stone tower with lantern and gallery.
-
Which aspects of the lighthouse (other than the lens) were manufactured by Chance brothers
None Known.
-
Describe the history of the lighthouse
This is probably Tanzania's best known lighthouse according to the information I have found however I have been unable to find much history about the lighthouse. The lighthouse has the original 4th order lens which appears to still be in use. This is lit by an AGA acetylene system introduced in 1926. The lens was supplied by Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham and appears on their order books back in 1898. There is a lighthouse keepers house and a small mosque built for the keepers nearby. The keepers house now includes a restaurant and a small museum. The lighthouse deteriorated after years of automation and was partially restored by Chumbe Island Coral Park who operates the restaurant and some accommodation on the island. They also offers day tours to the island and guided tours of the lighthouse.
-
Current management body/ ports authority
Chumbe Island Coral Park.
-
Historical preservation societies/manager/operator
Chumbe Island Coral Park.
-
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?
Unknown.
-
Is the site open/closed to the public
Open
-
Is the tower open/closed to the public
Open
-
Latitude and Longitude
-6,280011 39,1771
-
On-site bookable accommodation available
yes -
Associated web addresses
https://www.ibiblio.org/lighthouse/tza.htm chumbeisland.com
-
Other details
ARLHS ZAN-001; Admiralty D6704; NGA 31416.
-
Which resources did you use to research this lighthouses?
Online research.
Where?