Withernsea Lighthouse facts for kids

The Withernsea Lighthouse is a special lighthouse that stands right in the middle of the town of Withernsea. This town is in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It's unusual because it's not right by the sea!

This tall lighthouse is about 38 meters (127 feet) high. It took 18 months to build, from 1892 to 1894. A group called Trinity House of London used to own and run it. But on July 1, 1976, it stopped working as a lighthouse. Now, it's a fun museum you can visit!

Why Was Withernsea Lighthouse Built Inland?

When the lighthouse was built, it was about 400 meters (a quarter of a mile) away from the sea. There were only sand dunes between it and the water. People were worried about the coastline wearing away, which is called coastal erosion. So, they built the lighthouse further back to keep it safe.

The very top part of the lighthouse, called the lantern, and the special lens inside it were not new. They came from an older lighthouse at High Whitby. That lighthouse had just stopped working before Withernsea's was built.

How Did the Light Work?

At first, the lighthouse used a lamp with eight wicks that burned paraffin. This lamp was inside a large, fixed lens. This type of lens is called a Fresnel lens, and it was made in 1858.

The light was an "occulting light." This means it would go dark three times quickly every minute. A clockwork machine made the light turn off and on. Later, in the early 1900s, they started using a lamp that burned petroleum vapor. The light still went dark three times a minute until 1936.

When Did the Lighthouse Get Electricity?

In 1936, the lighthouse became electric! They put in a powerful 1500-watt light bulb. This bulb was inside a new, spinning lens with eight sides. This new system made a white flash every three seconds. You could see the light from about 31 kilometers (17 nautical miles) away.

Withernsea was the first lighthouse in the North of England to switch from oil to electricity. It used power from the main electricity supply. If the main lamp ever stopped working, a special system would automatically turn on a battery-powered lamp. This was a very new idea for lighthouses at the time!

The big lens weighed two tons, which is like two small cars! It floated in a bath of mercury, a liquid metal. A clockwork system made it spin around. This lighting system and lens were used until the lighthouse closed in the 1970s. Before it closed in 1976, a couple lived in the nearby cottage and took care of the lighthouse.

What Can You See at the Lighthouse Today?

The bottom part of the lighthouse has interesting displays. You can learn about the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and the HM Coastguard. There are models and old photos that show shipwrecks in the area. You can also see how the Withernsea lifeboats and their brave crews saved 87 lives between 1862 and 1913. The museum also tells the story of the lifeboats from nearby Spurn.

There's also a room about local history. It has photos from the Victorian era and Edwardian times. You can see pictures of the town's old pier and railway. Plus, there's a special display for Kay Kendall, a famous film star from the 1950s who was born in Withernsea.

You might notice some antennae on the lighthouse. These are used to help with mobile phone service in the area.

Can You Go to the Top of the Lighthouse?

Yes, you can! Visitors can climb the 144 steps to the lamp room at the top of the Withernsea Lighthouse. From there, you get amazing views! There isn't a lamp there anymore, though. The original lamp was moved to St Mary's Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear. You can still see it there today.

The lighthouse and the houses next to it, where the lighthouse keepers used to live, are very important buildings. They are listed as Grade II listed buildings, which means they are protected because of their history and special design.

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See also

• List of lighthouses in England