Shine a light

Marie often posts photos of beautiful lighthouses and I said previously that I should show off our local ones, so here we are.

Closest to me is Mumbles lighthouse.

At low tide it's possible to walk out to the island.

It first shone its coal-fired light in 1794, though the braziers were soon replaced by oil lamps. The lighthouse was manned and the keeper and his family lived on the island. The last lighthouse keeper retired in 1934 when the lighthouse was automated. It was electrified in 1969, and since 1995 has been solar-powered.

But the really interesting stories are about the people who lived on the island. I've written more about some of the most famous inhabitants here. And on the History of Mumbles website a local historian has written about the families including the Aces, grandfather, father and son, who were appointed lighthouse keeper in turn.

At the other end of Gower we have Whiteford Point and lighthouse.

This 61' tall lighthouse, built in 1865, is believed to be the last sea-washed cast iron lighthouse in Britain although others can be found in the Netherlands, Vermont and Jamaica. It was last in use in 1933, and is another one you can walk to at low tide. That is once you've walked the two-mile long beach to get there. 

There are rooms inside accessible by a now removed eternal ladder, but it's unlikely a keeper lived there.

So those are my two local lighthouses. Scanning through my files I find I have a pre-occupation for photographing them. Wherever we go we have a lighthouse photo!