In 1566 Good Queen Bess empowered an organisation called Trinity House to set up "so many beacons, marks and signs for the sea whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped and ships the better come unto their ports without peril."
While the first proper quay to be built at Whitehaven was the Old Quay in 1633, it is not thought to have had guidance lights at that time. It was at nearby St Bees Head that the first proper lighthouses started to give ships some vital help at night.In 1718, Trinity House obtained a patent for the building of a lighthouse on the cliffs and in turn leased it to a private individual Thomas Lutwige, for ninety-nine years at an annual rent of £20. Lutwige undertook to erect the tower and maintain a light at his own expense. To provide him with an income, dues were levied at a rate of three-half pence a ton on cargo carried by vessels calling at the nearby ports of Whitehaven, Maryport and Workington.Mr Lutwige built a sandstone tower with a large metal grate into which the keepers tipped loads of coal. Work was strenuous particularly on windy nights and the keepers were rewarded with a weekly wage of seven shillings.The small grate led to continual complaints from shipowners because on windy nights the light was variable in intensity and often shrouded in thick smoke.In 1822, the tower was destroyed by fire and Trinity House decided to substitute the coal light for oil, (St. Bees was the last coal-fired lighthouse in Britain). The old tower was replaced by a circular lighthouse built to the design of Joseph Nelson. This tower, which cost £2,322, it is still in use today. Its beam can be seen 21 miles out to sea and send out a 134,000 Candela light (equal to that many candles!)
Whitehaven's former Harbourmaster David Allan described the lighthouses on the harbour piers.
Contrary to what many may assume he says the sandstone tower on the Old Quay "was never a lighthouse! It was the harbours' signal station used in days of yore to communicate, by international code flags, with approaching vessels giving them authority to enter the harbour and/or arrange a pilot for entry. Built around 1730 (as depicted on a cast iron plaque attached to the lower part of the tower) it also has a sun dial (permanently giving the GMT time)."
He adds that the Old New Quay or the Sea Cadets pier was a lighthouse many years ago and was actually painted white in the early part of the last century.
The first West Pier Lighthouse was built in 1832. Almost unbelievably the Harbour Commissioners at the time were reluctant to build it. Only the shipmasters constant demands finally changed their minds.
Mr Allan added: "West Pier: Finally completed around 1839 with the final build completion of the West Pier extension as we know it today. The characteristic of the light there has changed several times since inception. Currently it is a flashing green light every five seconds with a range of 13 miles.
"North Pier: Completed in 1841 when the North Pier's construction was completed in the form we know it today (In times past the North Pier had been built in a differing direction to its existing direction, and extended over the centuries). The navigation light displayed from it - a vertical pole atop the truncated tower - is two fixed red lights with a range of nine miles. The Harbour Commissioners are responsible to Trinity House to maintain these harbour lights for the benefit of mariners."Back up on the cliffs, the St Bees Lighthouse was automated in 1987 and sends out its two white flashes every 20 Seconds.
PICS harbourmemories/
BEFORE the days of modern street lighting the Cumbrian coast must have been a dark and worrying coast for mariners. The only guidance for a ship's captain out in a stormy night sea would be the rare pinprick of the early lighthouses. And to make matters worse one of the earliest lighthouses serving Whitehaven was of course coal powered and often gave out more smoke than light!In 1566 Good Queen Bess empowered an organisation called Trinity House to set up "so many beacons, marks and signs for the sea..whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped and ships the better come unto their ports without peril."
While the first proper quay to be built at Whitehaven was the Old Quay in 1633, it is not thought to have had guidance lights at that time. It was at nearby St Bees Head that the first proper lighthouses started to give ships some vital help at night.In 1718, Trinity House obtained a patent for the building of a lighthouse on the cliffs and in turn leased it to a private individual Thomas Lutwige, for ninety-nine years at an annual rent of £20. Lutwige undertook to erect the tower and maintain a light at his own expense. To provide him with an income, dues were levied at a rate of three-half pence a ton on cargo carried by vessels calling at the nearby ports of Whitehaven, Maryport and Workington.Mr Lutwige built a sandstone tower on top of which was a large metal grate into which the keepers tipped loads of coal. Work was strenuous particularly on windy nights and the keepers were rewarded with a weekly wage of seven shillings.The small grate led to continual complaints from shipowners because on windy nights the light was variable in intensity and often shrouded in thick smoke.In 1822, the tower was destroyed by fire and Trinity House decided to substitute the coal light for oil, (St. Bees was the last coal-fired lighthouse in Britain). The old tower was replaced by a circular lighthouse built to the design of Joseph Nelson. This tower, which cost £2,322, it is still in use today. Its beam can be seen 21 miles out to sea and send out a 134,000 Candela light (equal to that many candles!)
Whitehaven's former Harbourmaster David Allan described the lighthouses on the harbour piers.
Contrary to what many may assume he says the sandstone tower on the Old Quay "was never a lighthouse! It was the harbours' signal station used in days of yore to communicate, by international code flags, with approaching vessels giving them authority to enter the harbour and/or arrange a pilot for entry. Built around 1730 (as depicted on a cast iron plaque attached to the lower part of the tower) it also has a sun dial (permanently giving the GMT time)."
He adds that the Old New Quay or the Sea Cadets pier was a lighthouse many years ago and was actually painted white in the early part of the last century.
The first West Pier Lighthouse was built in 1832. Almost unbelievably the Harbour Commissioners at the time were reluctant to build it. Only the shipmasters constant demands finally changed their minds.
Mr Allan added: "West Pier: Finally completed around 1839 with the final build completion of the West Pier extension as we know it today. The characteristic of the light there has changed several times since inception. Currently it is a flashing green light every five seconds with a range of 13 miles.
"North Pier: Completed in 1841 when the North Pier's construction was completed in the form we know it today (In times past the North Pier had been built in a differing direction to its existing direction, and extended over the centuries). The navigation light displayed from it - a vertical pole atop the truncated tower - is two fixed red lights with a range of nine miles. The Harbour Commissioners are responsible to Trinity House to maintain these harbour lights for the benefit of mariners."Back up on the cliffs, the St Bees Lighthouse was automated in 1987 and sends out its two white flashes every 20 Seconds.
The first quay to be built was the Old Quay in 1633. This was for the export of salt & coal.
· All the Quays within the Harbour are set on a foundation of squared oak.By 1832 the outer harbour had been built at a cost of £150,000, a fraction of the cost today for such prominent walls. Both piers took 25 years to build.
The West Pier Lighthouse was built in 1832. Almost unbelievably the Harbour Commissioners at the time were reluctant to build it. Only the shipmasters constant demands finally changed their minds.
West Pier: Completed around 1839 with the final build completion of the West Pier extension as we know it today. The characteristic of the light has changed several times since inception. Currently it is FLASH (GREEN) 5 SEC. RANGE 13 MILES. The Harbour Commissioners are responsible to Trinity House to maintain the light characteristic as such for the benefit of mariners.North Pier: Completed in 1841 when the North Pier's construction was completed in the form we know it today (In times past the North Pier had been built in a differing direction to its existing direction, and extended over the centuries). The navigation light displayed from it - a vertical pole atop the truncated tower - is two FIXED RED 2m APART RANGE 9 MILES. Again the Harbour Commissioners are responsible for maintaining this navigation light for the benefit of mariners.Old Quay: The tower here was never a lighthouse ! It was the harbours' signal station used in days of yore to communicate, by international code flags, with approaching vessels giving them authority to enter the harbour and/or arrange a pilot for entry. Built around 1730 (as depicted on a cast iron plaque attached to the lower part of the tower) it also has a sun dial (permamently giving the GMT time).Old New Quay (or the Sea Cadets pier): This tower WAS a lighthouse many years ago and was actually painted white in the early part of the last century. I believe it was built integral with Old New Quay when that pier was the outer pier of the harbour many, many years ago (pre-1839). Sadly it is in state of dereliction and would not serve any beneficial navigational purpose today. In 1998 or 1999 English Heritage surveyed it but as far as I know have not taken it upon themselves to renovate the tower.

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