Scarborough Pier Lighthouse
Scarborough Pier Lighthouse is an active
History
In 1732, an Act of Parliament was passed 'to Enlarge the Pier and Harbour of Scarborough, in the County of York'. Twenty years later, the work to extend the old pier, which dated from the 14th century, was undertaken by an engineer named William Vincent (whose name subsequently came to be linked to the new structure).
19th century
The earliest reference to a light being shown from Vincent Pier is from 1804, and by 1806 it is definitively described as having a lighthouse on it, designed and built by a surveyor named Nixon: a circular brick building with a flat roof, on top of which is a coal-fired brazier.[3] It operated as a tide light (being lit only 'from half flood to half ebb').[4] Before long, the brazier was removed and the light was instead provided by six tallow candles, placed in a light-room within the tower, from which they were displayed through an oblong window.[5] Initially a tin lining enhanced the flame; by 1818 a copper reflector had been installed.[3]
Substantial improvements were undertaken in 1843, when the tower was increased in height by 17 ft (5.2 m) to a total height of 51 ft (16 m); at the same time, new accommodation was provided alongside for the
20th century
By the time of the First World War, the lighthouse had been converted to electric power.
The adjacent lodgings were vacated by the harbour master in 1937;[3] since 1952 they have served as the headquarters of Scarborough Yacht Club.[9] In 1940, responsibility for managing the light was transferred from the Harbour Commissioners to the Borough Council.
References
- ^ Historic England. "Lighthouse (Grade II) (1259819)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ "Historical info on lighthousedigest.com". Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g Jones, Robin (2014). Lighthouses of the North East Coast. Wellington, Somerset: Halsgrove.
- ^ Norie, John William (1818). New and Complete Sailing Directions for the East Coasts of England. London: J. W. Norie & co.
- ^ a b Young, Faith. "A History of Scarborough Lighthouse". Faith Young: Writer. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
- ^ Norie, J. W.; Hobbs, J. S. (1846). New and Extensive Sailing Directions for the Navigation of the North Sea. London: Charles Wilson. p. 56.
- ^ "Lighthouse management : the report of the Royal Commissioners on Lights, Buoys, and Beacons, 1861, examined and refuted Vol. 2". 21 December 1861. p. 358.
- ^ Bruce, Malcolm (2016). The Bombardment of Scarborough 1914. Scarborough: Farthings Publishing.
- ^ Scarborough Yacht Club: about the club