Still to come...

The lighthouse that has an outdoor swimming pool
The lighthouse where I saw a whale breach next to it
The lighthouse that is trying to be saved
The lighthouse near one of Bono's houses
The lighthouse on a world famous golf course
The lighthouse that's got two sisters

and that's just a few of them, hopefully by the end of 2010 I will have blogged on 50 of them.

(Pictured: Gay Head Lighthouse)

(4) Nobska

This lighthouse is on the South Western tip of Cape Cod, New England in a town called Wood’s Hole. This is one of the main towns that acts as a ferry link to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, infact you can see the lighthouse whilst taking that ferry.

Nobska lighthouse was first built in 1828 and today looks a well kept station. I first visited in 2004 and returned again in June 2010. It’s not very well signed so you have to go looking for it but it’s worth it.

(3) Gay Head

In 2004 I went to Cape Cod in New England and took the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. On that visit I saw only one of the island’s five lighthouses – Gay Head. Six years later I would return to see another three just leaving the remote and difficult to get to Chappaquiddick Lighthouse for another trip.

Martha’s Vineyard is a beautiful island, home to writers, artists and musicians and the vacation destination of choice for Presidents Clinton and Obama.

The interestingly named Gay Head was the name of the small town where the lighthouse is near, until 1998 when it was changed to Aquinnah to better reflect the heritage of the Native American residents in the area.

The lighthouse is really distinctive with its red brick coloured tower with a rotating beam of an alternating red and white light.

I didn’t get up close to this lighthouse and was happy enough to take different views of it, using the coastline and countryside to give the tower some perspective and show how it stands out against the landscape.

This photograph was taken on my 2010 visit.

(2) The Needles

In April 2003 I went in my friend Steve’s boat to the Isle of Wight. This was a really exciting moment seeing the stunning lighthouse at the end of the Needles.

Taking this photograph was not easy; the boat was going up and down at a fast rate in the rough swell. This was as close as we could get but the scene looked absolutely stunning.

You really need to view this lighthouse by air or sea to get a proper close-up look of it as the view from land is obstructed by the three rock needles that it is there to warn against.

The lighthouse was built in 1859 and work in 2010 strengthened the chalk base which was crumbling.

The Needles are located on the South West part of the Isle of Wight which is just off of the Hampshire coast in Southern England.

(1) Smeaton's Tower

Located in Plymouth, Devon, England.

Built in 1759 Smeaton’s Tower was originally the third lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef which is 9 miles south west of Rame Head in Cornwall.

It was first lit by candles and was in operation until 1877 when it was found that the rocks that it was built on were eroding. When large waves hit the lighthouse it moved from side to side like a wobbly tooth.

The upper part of the lighthouse was moved to its present site on Plymouth Hoe in 1882. Now it is a listed building and serves as a tourist attraction.

Plymouth Hoe the piece of land that the lighthouse is on is world famous. Sir Francis Drake played bowls on the Hoe before going off to beat the Spanish Armada.

This photograph was taken from the hotel that I was stayed inand shows the view across the Hoe including the war memorial and of course Smeaton's Tower. Beyond the lighthouse a cruise ship and naval vessel share Plymouth Sound demonstrating the two big industries of the city - tourism and the navy.

I really like Plymouth, I lived in Devon for 4 years and I always enjoy going back to visit the area.

I went to Smeaton's Tower on the 30th July 2000 and this is the first lighthouse in my collection.

Welcome

This blog is a record of all the lighthouses that I have been to and photographed, at least it will be when I have got it completely up to date. As of now I have visited 47 and the task before the end of 2010 is to get this blog up to date and to visit a few more so I can get up to a nice round total of 50.

I am drawn to lighthouses for where they are as much as what they are. The locations are often in wild and remote parts of coastline and the view of that landscape put into perspective by the lighthouse often creates a dramatic picture which I have tried as best as I can to capture as a record of my visit.

Many of the lighthouses that I have been to are in romantic sounding geographic extremes on the world map – the south westerly point of Africa, the most southern tip of Australia, the most westerly point of mainland Britain etc. (that lighthouse is Ardnamurchan in Scotland and is shown abouve). Lighthouses are often difficult to get to, maybe that adds to the fun. I have been on many long and interesting journeys to find them, although some offer a complete contrast, appearing in an urban landscape in cities like Cape Town, Sydney and Vancouver.

For each lighthouse I will generate a blog with some pictures of it and facts as well as the story of how I got to it. Interestingly I have only been inside one of them; I am more into the view of them shown against the sea and the stories of their history.

I hope that you enjoy this ever expanding travelogue of my lighthouse visits and please add in your comments and stories, particularly if you have visited any of the featured lighthouses.
I have another website of images http://www.paulphoto.co.uk/