Douglas Head Lighthouse is a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
at
Douglas Head
Douglas Head (Manx: ''Kione Ghoolish'') is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey.
General
Until 1870, the headland was owned by The Nunnery Estate when Sir ...
on the
Isle of Man
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, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
located between
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
The lighthouse was established in 1857, although the vicinity was under the control of the
Isle of Man Harbour Board from 1832.
It was made by the engineering brothers David and Thomas Stevenson with a total elevation of . The white tower is in height and its base is at an elevation of .
The lighthouse staircase has 71 steps and the light has an average range of .
The lantern is composed of eight brilliant reflectors made of pure
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
built in 1831. The light flashes white every ten seconds.
History
Structural problems required the lighthouse to be rebuilt in 1892.
The lighthouse became automated in 1986.
Recently, a new public footpath was constructed by the Commissioners from the top of Port Skillion down to the Lighthouse for the benefit and enjoyment of tourists and sightseers.
Ownership
After the establishment of the new lighthouse in 1857, jurisdiction transferred from the Commissioners of Douglas Harbour to the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouse. The lighthouse is still run to this day by the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouse, who also operate the Northern lighthouse on the Isle of Man.
Etymology
The name Douglas means 'Blackstream' (''Dubh'' -black and ''Glais'' -stream. Some
Manx people
The Manx (; gv, ny Manninee) are an ethnic group originating on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea in northern Europe. Their native culture has significant Norse-Gaels, Norse-Gaelic, Celts, Celtic, and English people, English influences.
The M ...
believe the name was derived from two rivers, the Dhoo and the Glass, the black and green streams of the Greu river.
Specifics of the light
The high light has two double banked units of twelve lamps mounted facing in opposite directions, rotated by an AGA PRB21 Gearless Drive Unit operating at three revolutions-per-minute, thus giving a flash in any given direction every ten seconds.
Only eight out of the twelve lamps on each face are used in normal operation. They are rated at 30
volt
The volt (symbol: V) is the unit of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). It is named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827).
Defi ...
s 200
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s, but run at 25 volts 150 watts to provide increased service life. The other four lamps are 6 volts 28.5 watts and are used only as emergency lamps. Such emergencies may be loss of mains electric power or, far less likely, the complete failure of the main lamp banks. The four lamps in each of the two main banks are connected in series, which gives each unit the same intensity; however, if one lamp fails, all four in that bank go out. The four emergency lamps on each face are also connected in series in sets of two. Power is provided by emergency batteries. The emergency light is a lantern mounted on the balcony rail.
Monitoring and general conditioning
Fully automated since 1986, the light is monitored by the
Northern Lighthouse Commissioners at their Northern Lighthouse Board Monitoring Centre. Initially after automatation an attendant from the Northern Board would visit the lighthouse on a fortnightly basis to test system procedures and the general physical condition of the building.
However, since September 2004, the Retained Lighthouse Keeper of the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
has replaced the attendant and visits now on a monthly basis.
In addition, lighthouse technicians visit the Douglas Head Light once or twice annually to modify and update the system equipment if necessary.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in the Isle of Man
This is a list of lighthouses in the Isle of Man which is located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland.
Lighthouses
See also
* Registered Buildings and Conservations Areas of the Isle of Man
*List of Northern Lighthouse Board lighthous ...
References
External links
Isle of Men
{{Authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1857
Lighthouses in the Isle of Man
1857 establishments in the British Empire
Registered Buildings of the Isle of Man