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15 extreme lighthouses in dangerous locations
Lego for Lighthouse fans
Recently I’ve got great gift for my birthday – lighthouse from Lego collection. I would like to share few pictures how does it look like.
Danish Rubjerg lighthouse moved inland
For 120 years, the Rubjerg Knude lighthouse has been perched on a sand dune on the northern Danish coast, but coastal erosion from North Sea winds threatened to topple it into the sea.
Now the 720-tonne structure has been saved, in an operation to lift it up and move it 70m (230ft) inland “like skates on rails”.
Within hours, the lighthouse was transported to its new position. (BBC)
Daymarks for navigation
Daymarks have no light , but they have their meaning in mariners navigation beside lighthouses or bouys.
Bob Trapani Jr. has performed a great website for daybeacons and daymarks.
I will add in this blog some pictures of uncommon daymarks around the world.
Germany, Cuxhaven, Kugelbake
Kugelbake is the logo and symbol of the town Cuxhaven, erected about 1703. Todays height 28,4 m, wooden tower and the most northern point of Lower Saxony.
Ireland, Westtown, Metal Man Beacons
built 1823, 10 m tall, never lit
Netherlands, Texel, Kaap Oosterend
erected 1854, 15 m tall, never lit
France, Charente- Maritime, Fanal de Beaumont
Date unknown, 9m tall conical stone tower, maybe a fire was lit inside
Laos, Luang Prabang, Mekong River
About 1894, French colonizers built in the Mekong daymarks for navigation
Australia, South Australia, Robe Obelisk
1852, never lit, 12 m high, Admiralty Q2123
USA, Long Island, Sands Point, maybe was earlier lit, USCG 1-21470
Ireland, Baltimore Beacon, 1849, never lit
Germany, island Neuwerk, often destroyed and reerected, 27 m tall
England, Gribbin Head, 1832, 25 m stone tower, never lit
England; Portreath Beacon, never lit, 7,5 m tall
France, Tour du Gardour, 1952, 12 m steel skeletal tower at the highest point of Charente coast
Italy, Golfo di Trieste, Punta Sottile, 18 m daybeacon, never lit
Denmark, West Jylland, Lökken
Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Kleines Kaap; 1872, 11,7 m high
Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Großes Kaap, 1872, 23,4 high
Germany, Niedersachsen, Borkum, Oostbake, 1872, 7,3 m high
France, Brittany, Trieux estuary, near Bodic
Estonia, Laulasmaa, 1951, 44 m high
United States, Connecticut, Saybrook, 7m high, USCG 1-22510
United States, Maine, Stage Island Monument, 19m high, USCG 1-7960
Germany, Schleswig-Holstein, Goemnitzer Tower, 9m high, 1826/1827
Denmark; Christiansø Island / Kongens Bastion
Churches serve as navigation aid
Till now churches serve as navigation aids. I will try to collect some examples in this blog.
Most churches are Range Rear lights.
But some churches were daymarks and never lit.
Estonia, Tallinn, St.Olaf’s Church, built in the 12th century, never lit, 125 high.
Uruguay, Montevideo; Catedral Metropolitana, was lit from 1882 -1910
England, Burnham-on-Sea, St. Andrew’s Church, Range Rear, A5572.1
Portugal, Faro, Santo Antonio do Alto Church, D2214.1
Latvia, Riga, White Church, served as daybeacon first, later lit, C3547.2
USA, Massachusetts, Beverly, First Baptist Church, ARLHS USA-390, J0290.1
Portugal, Fuzeta, Igreja Matriz da Fuzeta, ARLHS POR-074, D2230.1
Morocco, Casablanca, Mosquée Hassan II, D2573.5
Denmark, Koge, St. Nicholas Church, a latern was hung from the tower
Spain, Valencia, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles, not active since 1918, ARLHS SPA-347
Estonia, Mattiase Kirik, active light, Madise Range Rear, ARLHS EST-078
Estonia; Kihelkonna Church, Range Rear, inactive since 1998, ARLHS EST-067
France, Normandie; Abbey Mont Saint-Michel, inactive light since 1904, ARLHS FRA-760
Netherlands, Brielle, St.- Catherines Church, the light on the tower was a rear light with Stenen Baken, inactive since 1850
Netherlands, Reformed Church Goedereede, used as lighttower from 1708 – 1912, ARLHS NET-039
Italy, Barletta, Chiesa dei Monaci, inactive at least since 2015, ex-Admiralty E2263.5
Netherlands, Texel, Den Hoorn, Hervormde Church, Range Rear, ARLHS NET-035
Finland, Helsinki, Church of Soumenlinna, Range Rear, ARLHS FIN-063
France, Southern Finistere, Beuzec, Eglise Saint-Budoc, Range Rear, ARLHS FRA-197
Germany; Cuxhaven-Altenbruch, St. Nicolai Church, twin towers were used in 16th century for navigation on river Elbe ( Foto by Ralf Poppe )
France, Normandy, Portbail, Église de Notre-Dame, Range Rear, ARLHS FRA-763
Poland, Church of St Adalbert, Frombork, Range Rear, ex C3213.1
Poland, Church of St James the Apostle, Tolkmicko, ex C3220.1
Poland, Ustka, St. Nicolas Church, existed until the end of 19th century, day and night beacon
Italy, Porto Civitanova Marche , Chiesa del Cristo Re, E2337.6
France, Dieppe, Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, not active, ARLHS FRA-849
France, Ouistreham , Feu Posterieur, Église Saint-Samson, inactive since 1888, ARLHS FRA-687
France, Plouguerneau, Northern Finistere, Eglise de St.Pierre et St.Paul, inaktiv, ARLHS FRA-783
Portugal, Porto, Igreja de Sao Joao Baptista da Foz Douro, D2047.1
IALA 2018 Exhibition
On May 2018 International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities made conference in Incheon, South Korea. During the conference lighthouses heritage exhibition was organized, so it was possible to see very good collection of various lighthouses stuff.
Visit of Mamelles lighthouse in Dakar
Mamelles lighthouse (D3004) is strategically important light, one of the most powerful African lighthouse. It was build in 1864 and passed through many modernizations. Lighthouse is still operating, inside you can find museum.
Phare les Mamelles located not far from Dakar Center and very close to popular hotels area Ngor. You can easily get there by taxi:
Very close to lighthouse there is another famous landmark : African Renaissance Monument.
The lighthouse is located in the top of the hill and can be easily spotted from any side:
Stormy days in Taiwan
Lighthouse on video is 23 meters tall
A lighthouse in the middle of a Buddhist temple
According to Admiralty Thailand has 68 lighthouses. It’s not too much regarding the long coastline and many islands.
Thai lighthouses are no beauties, not to compare with well known American or British lighthouse beauties. Keeper houses are unknown. Most of Thai lighthouses are made of concrete, white and about 10-12 m tall. Taller lighthouses are square pyramidal skeletal towers, mostly on islands.
Most interesting Thailand lighthouse I have seen in Songkhla, Southern Thailand. It’s situated at the north end of the temple complex Phra Chedi Luang, the royal pagoda at the top of Tang Kuan Hill and now the symbol of Songkhla City.
The construction of lighthouse was finished 1897 and it seems to be one of the oldest Thailand lighthouses.
It remains unclear, if the caged lamp has any relation to the lighthouse! The information table in front of this lamp describes the historic lighthouse of Pharos and Alexander the Great ( personal information)!
Isle of Man lighthouses
Isle of Man is self-governing British Crown Dependency in Irish sea. It has rich lighthouse traditions, so i would like to share some pictures made during my trip.
On approach to Douglas (central city) you could see Douglas Head lighthouse:
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