Gunfleet Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Gunfleet Lighthouse
is a screw-pile lighthouse
lying in the North Sea
, six miles off the coast at Frinton-on-Sea
in Essex
constructed in 1850 by James Walker
of Trinity House
. It is 74 feet in height and hexagonal in plan; mounted on seven piles forming a steel lattice and originally painted red. The living accommodation comprises a living room, bedroom, kitchen/washroom and storeroom.
It was abandoned in 1921 though still in use as an automated weather station by the Port of London Authority
, and marks the northern limit of their jurisdiction.
In 1974 an attempt was made to use the lighthouse as a base for a pirate radio station 'Radio Atlantis
' but this was thwarted by the authorities.
Gunfleet Lighthouse
Gunfleet Lighthouse is a screw-pile lighthouse lying in the North Sea, six miles off the coast at Frinton-on-Sea in Essex constructed in 1850 by James Walker of Trinity House. It is 74 feet in height and hexagonal in plan; mounted on seven piles forming a steel lattice and originally painted red...
is a screw-pile lighthouse
Screw-pile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse was built by blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell...
lying in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, six miles off the coast at Frinton-on-Sea
Frinton-on-Sea
Frinton-on-Sea is a small seaside town in the Tendring District of Essex, England. It is part of the Parish of Frinton and Walton.-History:...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
constructed in 1850 by James Walker
James Walker (engineer)
James Walker, FRS, was an influential Scottish civil engineer of the first half of the 19th century.Walker was born in Falkirk and was apprenticed to his uncle Ralph Walker in approximately 1800, with whom he gained experience working on the design and construction of the West India and East India...
of Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
. It is 74 feet in height and hexagonal in plan; mounted on seven piles forming a steel lattice and originally painted red. The living accommodation comprises a living room, bedroom, kitchen/washroom and storeroom.
It was abandoned in 1921 though still in use as an automated weather station by the Port of London Authority
Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority is a self-funding public trust established in 1908 by the Port of London Act to govern the Port of London. Its responsibility extends over the Tideway of the River Thames and the authority is responsible for the public right of navigation and for conservancy of the...
, and marks the northern limit of their jurisdiction.
In 1974 an attempt was made to use the lighthouse as a base for a pirate radio station 'Radio Atlantis
Radio Atlantis
Radio Atlantis was a Belgian-owned offshore pirate radio station which operated between 1973 and 1974 from the coast of The Netherlands. Belgium had passed a law outlawing offshore broadcasting in 1962, but because its neighbour The Netherlands had not yet passed a similar law, there was nothing...
' but this was thwarted by the authorities.