Falling Down the Thames Blog 43, 07^th January 2015

Lighthouse Spotting

Lighthouses fascinate me. They always have. Perhaps it is because they signify safety and from that all things good. But there is also something about their appearance, solitary and noble, confident yet reassuring. They are buildings like none other. To me they signify adventure, and in its lifespan each must have many stories to tell.

As Glen and I paddle down the Thames, we will be passing sixteen lighthouses between the City of London and our final destination of Richborough in Kent. It appears that many active lighthouses in Britain are owned and operated by The Crown (Trinity House), while others are operated by the local port authority.

Here is a summary, in chronological order, of what we can expect to view:

Trinity House Lightship 93 (1939-2002) Royal Victoria Dock, London. Inactive. 134 ft tall red steel tower, which is currently owned by a photographer and is used as a studio. In 2014, it was relocated from Blackwall to its current site.

Trinity Lightship 95 (1939-2004) Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. Inactive. 134ft tall red steel tower. Currently privately owned and used as a music studio.

Blackwall (1863-1988) Trinity Wharf, Blackwall. Inactive. Brown hexagonal brick tower with black lantern. Was used for training by Trinity House Lighthouse Depot. Owned by Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Crayford Ness (1981- ) South bank of Thames, east of Erith. Active. 62ft tall square metal skeletal tower.

Northfleet Upper (1972- ) Active. White, red or green light. Red lantern on roof of building. Operated by Port of London Authority.

Northfleet Lower (1883- ) South bank of Thames at India Armes Wharf, Northfleet. Active. Red or white light. 53 ft tall red circular metal skeletal tower. Oldest lighthouse on the River Thames. Operated by Port of London Authority.

Gravesend Tower Pier (1830s? – ) Gravesend Town Pier, Gravesend. Active. 23 ft tall white post on square base.

Gravesend Royal Terrace Pier (? – ) Royal Pier Road, Gravesend. Active. Red light. Brown tower and white lantern on roof of building.

Shornemead (1913-2004) Denton Pier, Gravesend. Inactive. 36 ft tall hexagonal skeletal tower.

Shornemead 2 (2004- ) Offshore near south bank of estuary, Gravesend Reach. Active. White, red or green light. 49 ft tall red-with-white-band cylindrical tower. Operated by Port of London Authority.

Isle of Grain (? – ) Eastern end of Isle of Grain. Active. White, red or green light. 66 ft tall red triangular skeletal tower on wooden room. Leading lighthouse for ships entering River Medway.

Herne Bay (? – ) Offshore, Herne Bay. Active. White light. 49 ft tall octagonal lantern on octagonal building.

St Mary’s of Reculver (12^th century) Near the beach, Reculver. Inactive. Day beacons on twin church towers.

Margate Pier (1954- ) Breakwater Pier, Margate. Active. Red light. 66 ft tall octagonal stone tower.

North Foreland (1691- ) NE corner of Kent. Active. White light. 85 ft tall white octagonal stone tower. Indicated start of Thames Estuary and Port of London. Operated by Trinity House.

Ramsgate West Pier (1842- ) Ramsgate Pier, Ramsgate. Active. 36 ft tall cylindrical granite tower with red lantern. Operated by Port of Ramsgate.

- Krista

Photo credits: Trinity House Lightship 93 photo by Phillip Perry – www.geograph.org.uk; Gravesend Pier lighthouse – listoflights.org; North Foreland lighthouse – www.worldwidelighthouses.com