St. Catherine's
Point A0774 - Isle of Wight, UK
Latitude 50 Deg 35.5 Min N
Longitude 1 Deg 17.8 Min W
Station established c.1323
Height of tower 26 meters
Elevation 41 m
Character Fl W 5s
Range 26 M
This is the lighthouse in 2000 from the seaward side and from the land side (below)
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 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!
To the west and 7 meters below the main light a fixed red light warns mariners about the Atherfield Ledge.
They even have a spare lens for this red light.
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