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Lighthouse Database » Europe » England
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St. Catherine's Lighthouse
Niton, Isle of Wight, England,
England
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| Average Rating: |
| 7.0 (1 review) |
Recommended By: 100% of reviewers
General Information
Date Established: 1840
Height of Tower: 85 ft.
Height of Focal Plane: 135 ft.
Location
Distance from You:
Open to Public?: Yes - sometimes
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Description
The current lighthouse was designed by James Walker. The lighthouse was built of ashlar stone with dressed quoins and was carried up from a base plinth as a 3 tier octagon, diminishing by stages
It was first lit in March 1840.
The original elevation of the light proved to be too high, as the lantern frequently became shrouded in fog. 1875 it was decided to lower the light 13 metres by taking about 6 metres out of the uppermost section of the tower and about 7 metres out of the middle tier, which destroyed its beauty and made it appear squat and mis-proportioned.
A fog signal was installed in a separate building in a separate building on the cliff edge in 1868. It was driven by a coke-fired caloric hot-air engine and an additional keeper was needed to run the fog signal.
In 1888 the station was converted to electric and the fog signal replaced by a siren.
By 1932 the fog signal building was so threatened by erosion that is had to be removed. A smaller copy of the main lighthouse was built in front to house the new fog signal. The locals promptly christened this new pair of towers "Cow and Calf". The lighthouse was automated in 1997
Today the lighthouse is open to the public and you can stay in the keeper's cottages for your holidays!
| Submitted by: Lighthouse Duo |
Date of last review: Sat May 12, 2007
| Views: 1900
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Author
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Lighthouse Duo
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Sat May 12, 2007
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Would you recommend the lighthouse? Yes |
Rating: 7
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Pros:
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The lighthouse is maitained real well
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Cons:
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It is a bit difficult to find
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You can stay in the keeper's cottages for a holiday. And the tower is open to the public and there are guided tours. But I am not sure about the details.
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;)
;)
