In Cornwall, at the southwestern most point on the English mainland, lies a rock-strewn cape known as Land’s End. Tourists have flocked here for centuries to experience the mild climate, breathe the pure salt air and take in the breathtaking scenery. Roughly 1¼-miles from the cliffs at Land’s End, a chain of small islands rise up from the water. Resembling a fleet of ships, locals call the place Longships. Standing regally atop Carn Bras, the largest of these rocky islets, is one of England’s most famous landmarks–Longships Lighthouse.
Recognizing the dangers posed to ships by the islands and submerged rocky shoals, Lieutenant Henry Smith secured a private license from Trinity House to build a lighthouse on the Longships in 1795. Mr. Smith intended to pay rent to the government while earning a living collecting fees from passing ships. His tenure, however, was not long at this difficult post, and Trinity House soon took over the operation. Standing just 40' high atop the highest point on Carn Bras, the original light cast its beacon from 880' above sea level. The heavy seas near Longships often produced waves that broke higher than the lighthouse, sometimes damaging the station seriously. By 1870, it was clear that Longships needed a larger and sturdier sentinel. After 3 long years, the 127' magnificent brick tower was completed a few feet from the other lighthouse. Timing seemed just about perfect. In 1874, the rock upon which the original light had stood for 78 years split and plunged into the ocean!
Work at this lonely outpost was hard and often dangerous. When keepers were given occasional relief, they returned by boat to their families living in the cliffs at Land’s End. From the upper windows of the cottages, keepers’ wives would plainly see the lighthouse on a clear day. To communicate, husbands and wives would send each other messages by semaphore, aided by telescopes. Standing in front of the lighthouse’s white door, husbands would return messages of importance and comfort.
On a clear night on November 10, 1898, the steamship S.S. Bluejacket ran aground at Longships just a few feet from the lighthouse. Thanks to the quick thinking of the lightkeepers and the boatman at nearby Sennen Cove, all 22 crewmen were saved.
Although automated since 1967, Longships Light remains an important aid to navigation. Today, helicopters can land on the tower’s heliport, enabling quick and easy access to the station. Flashing its electric beacon white for 18 miles towards the sea and red for 15 miles towards land, mariners can rest assured that their journey will be a safe one.
Trinity House update (04/2021): Longships Lighthouse was built by Trinity House in 1875 to replace a shorter tower built upon rocks at the extreme southwest of Britain’s mainland
Built in 1875, it is 115' (35m) tall and 115' (35m) above sea level. Automated in 1988, its optic is a 1st-Order dioptric; has an intensity of 14,400 candles with a range of 15 nautical miles.
Around the cliffs of Land's End, during storms, the motion of the seas can be described as an “entire disorder of the surges”—wrote Victorian art critic John Ruskin—“when every one of them, divided and entangled among promontories as it rolls in, and beaten back part by part from walls of rock on this side and that side, recoils like the defeated division of a great army, throwing all behind it into disorder, breaking up the succeeding waves into vertical ridges, which in their turn, yet more totally shattered upon the shore, retire in more helpless confusion; until the whole surface of the sea becomes one dizzy whirl of rushing, writhing, tortured, undirected rage, bounding, and crashing, and coiling in an anarchy of enormous power."
The headland is encircled by rocks upon which countless ships have been lost in heavy seas or during poor visibility.
In 1790 the area was devoid of aids to navigation and the coast dwelling communities were said to gain some benefit from salvaging the contents of vessels driven on to the rocks, a practice known as ‘wrecking’.
On June 30, 1791 Trinity House obtained a patent after lodging a petition from seafarers and gave a lease to Lieutenant Henry Smith by which he would erect a lighthouse on the Longships; the 50 year lease fixed the rental at £100.
A tower was soon established on Carn Bras, the largest of the Longships Rocks which rose almost 40' (12m) above high tides. The circular tower, designed by Trinity House architect Samuel Wyatt, had three storeys; the lowest contained water tanks and stores, the next formed a living room, and the lighthouse keepers used as a bedroom the top story under the wood and copper lantern. The lantern was elevated 79' (24m) above the sea, and held 18 parabolic metal reflectors and Argand lamps, arranged in two tiers; metal sheets blocked the windows in the landward direction.
Soon after lighting the tower on September 29, 1795, Smith was declared "incapable of managing the concern." Trinity House took it over and remitted the profits to his family through the Court of Chancery. The lighthouse keepers on the Longships led a modest existence, cooking their meals in the lantern by the Argand lamps. The lighthouse was manned by four men, two of whom were on station at any one time, working one month at a stretch. They received £30 per annum and free food at the lighthouse, but when ashore they provided for themselves and had to take what additional employment they might find.
In 1836 the Corporation was empowered to buy out the nation’s remaining private lighthouses, and duly bought out the lessees for £40,676 ($5,014,304 in 2021) inclusive of life rents.
From the terrific seas which swept over the rock during storms, the lantern was so often obscured by water that the character of a fixed light could not be determined with certainty. This eclipse by the waves was the reason given for the replacement of Wyatt's tower by the present circular tower of grey granite built by Sir James Douglass, Trinity House’s Engineer-in-Chief, in 1875.
Longships Lighthouse was automated in 1988 and is now monitored and controlled from Trinity House’s Planning Centre in Harwich, Essex.
MEASUREMENTS: L = 5½” x W = 4” x H = 6¼”
CONDITION: Very good. Displayed for a short time in glass-enclosed curio cabinet.
Piece will be double boxed and packed for a 30' drop should that occur in handling. Shipper only insures first $50 valuation at no additional cost. PLEASE NOTE: I will only refund this amount ($50) if damage occurs unless buyer has purchased additional insurance. If buyer wishes additional insurance, the cost associated with additional insurance will be calculated and buyer will pay additional cost. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT INSURANCE OF THE PURCHASE PRICE PRIOR TO MAKING PAYMENT.