Portishead Point Lighthouse

Lighthouse in Somerset, England

Lighthouse

51°29′41″N 2°46′25″W / 51.494626°N 2.773586°W / 51.494626; -2.773586TowerConstructed1931Foundationconcrete baseConstructionmetal skeletal towerHeight9 metres (30 ft)Shapesquare pyramidal tower enclosed with balcony and lightMarkingsblack tower, white basementOperatorBristol Port Company^[1]LightFocal height9 metres (30 ft)Lens4th-order dioptric^[2]Range16 nautical miles (30 km; 18 mi)CharacteristicQ (3) W 10s.

Portishead Point Lighthouse, which is more commonly known as Battery Point Lighthouse, in Portishead, Somerset, England was built in 1931.

History

The 9-metre-high (30 ft) lighthouse was built at Battery Point by the Chance Brothers of Smethwick. It was established in 1931 as an unwatched automatic light.^[3] It consists of a black metal pyramid on a concrete base.^[4]

Originally it had been intended to provide Portishead Point with a diaphone fog signal, but in response to local unrest at the prospect the decision was taken to commission a fog bell instead.^[2] The two tonne bell was cast by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon in 1938,^[5] and installed the following year.^[2] Due to structural concerns the bell was removed in 1998; later, following public campaigning for restoration, the bell was acquired by Portishead Town Council and returned to the town in 2012.^[6] It is installed in Wyndham Way close to the High Street.^[7]

The lighthouse is maintained by the Bristol Port Company.^[8] The light was refurbished in 2012.^[9]

Gallery

Close-up of the lighthouse.
Irene sailing past Portishead Point.
The bell, displayed on Wyndham Way.
The lighthouse

References

^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Western England". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cooper, F. W. (1979). Twenty Years in Lighthouses (PDF). United States Lighthouse Society. pp. 100–101. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
^ "Progress in Illuminating Engineering". The Illuminating Engineer (The Journal of Good Lighting). 24: 307. December 1931.
^ "Portishead Point Lighthouse". Worldwide lighthouses. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ "Battery Point Lighthouse" (PDF). Portishead and North Weston Town Council Newsletter. September 2010. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ "Old lighthouse bell hasn't tolled yet for town". This is Bristol. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ Fowler, Tracey (17 April 2012). "Lighthouse bell to return home". Weston, Worle and Somerset Mercury. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ "Portishead Point A5484 – Bristol Channel, UK". The Lighthouse Duo. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
^ "Notice to marners (No 32 of 2012) Portishead light refurbishment". The BRistol Port Company. Retrieved 23 September 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}