Bamburgh (Black Rock Point), Northumberland
Category of lighthouse: coastal Position: 55° 36'.97 N, 01° 43'.35 W Status: active aid to navigation Date: 1910/1975 Designer: not known Tower height: 39 feet Construction: stone Colour scheme: red with broad, white, horizontal band Focal plane height: 29 feet Characteristics: white, red, or green light, (directional), occulting twice every 8 seconds. Foghorn: none Google map view: link here |
At the date this site was set up, this was the farthest north lighthouse in England that I had visited. The small, boxy looking, square tower with its black lantern stands just above the high water mark on the beach about a mile and a half north west of Bamburgh Castle. The original light, consisting of a skeletal iron tower was originally situated close to the building in the photos which, originally, was used as a carbide store. In 1975 the original tower was demolished and the lantern moved to the top of the old store. I love the "faces" on the present structure. There are no problems with access (although the tower and its immediate surroundings are not open to the public). A short walk from the public road take you on to the beach and you can walk round the entire site in just a couple of minutes. This means that, at any time of the day, you should be able to find an angle that suits the light. The image below was taken from the public road that passes to the south of the lighthouse and gives a better overview of the site. Good shots of Bamburgh Castle can also be obtained from this same location but that will be more heavily dependent on the time of day and the light.