Penzance Quay Lighthouse
by Terri Waters
Title
Penzance Quay Lighthouse
Artist
Terri Waters
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
In the past Penzance and Newlyn were rival ports situated in Mount's Bay Cornwall and through out history they were competing for economic dominance of the bay.
Penzance developed from a small fishing community to be the largest port in Mount's Bay in the 18th century.
There are early references to Penzance being used for landing of fish in 1327, however the first quay was not constructed until 200 years later. On March 16th, 1512, Penzance received a charter from King Henry VIII, granting profits from all ships visiting the Harbour.
Fortunate to be situated within the small sandy headland at Battery Rocks it became the centre for the export of Cornwall's tin. In 1745 the quay was rebuilt and in 1782 it was lengthened so that it could harbour more ships.
Penzance Lighthouse is a cast iron construction and can be found at the end of South Pier. The beam is flashed every two seconds. There are two red sectors in the beam, warning about the rocks on either side of it.
The first pier, called the Old pier, was built in 1766. In 1817 the Corporation obtained a Local Pier Act with the authority to light the harbour and placed a small lighthouse on the end of the quay to replace a lantern which had been washed away in a great storm in January of that year. This lighthouse was first lit in 1818 but a second great storm on February 22nd - 23rd 1824 caused the top of the lighthouse to be carried away and part of the structure removed from its base destroying the lighthouse.
After the new South pier was completed in 1855 a cast iron lighthouse was erected at its seaward end at a cost of cost �318 and the lantern and apparatus a further �219.80. The height of the white painted tower was 34
The light went into service on 1st August 1855 and was visible for 9 miles at a height of 33 feet above high water.
Today The 'Scillonian III departs from Lighthouse Pier every morning through the summer months ferrying passenges to the Isles of Scilly and returns to dock in Penzance every evening. The journey takes just under 3 hours each way
Uploaded
September 4th, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 511 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/25/2024 at 5:51 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet