Photographic copy of drawing showing section of through the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house including detail of the internal staircase.

Description Photographic copy of drawing showing section of through the lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house including detail of the internal staircase.

Date 30/5/1889

Collection Records of the Northern Lighthouse Board, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number E 25955 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copy of DC 8983

Copies SC 783932

Scope and Content Photographic copy of section through tower and house, Point of Ayre Lighthouse, Isle of Man This shows a section through the tower showing the spiral staircase which allows keepers to reach the light at the top to clean the lenses and glass, and to maintain the lamp. To the right of the tower is a dwelling house for the keeper, with fireplaces on each of the two floors and an underground store beneath. This is shown full of large tanks or barrels, and was probably intended for use as an oil store. A lighthouse was established on the Point of Ayre to protect shipping using the west coast channel, an undertaking funded by loans from the West India Association, The Ship owners Association of Liverpool and the Trade Association of the Clyde, who all benefited from the establishment of the light. A smaller lighthouse was built in 1878 close to the fog signal tower. Point of Ayre Lighthouse, on the northern tip of the Isle of Man, was built in 1818 to designs by engineer Robert Stevenson (1772-1850). The white tower stands 32m high and features two red bands which serve as a 'daymark' to identify the lighthouse during daylight hours. Its light flashes four times every 20 seconds, and has a nominal range of 31km. The lighthouse was automated in 1993. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Medium colour negative

Accession Number 1987/10

External Reference C/62/21

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/744160