The South Stack Lighthouse is built on the summit of a small island off the north-west coast of
Holy Island, Anglesey
Holy Island ( cy, Ynys Gybi, 'the island of (Saint) Cybi') is an island () on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, Wales, from which it is separated by the Cymyran Strait. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. It was built in 1809 to warn ships of the dangerous rocks below.
History
The lighthouse has warned passing ships of the treacherous rock below since its completion in 1809. The -tall lighthouse on
South Stack
South Stack ( cy, Ynys Lawd) is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales.
Geology
South Stack is an island known as a sea stack. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once conne ...
was designed by
Daniel Alexander and the main light is visible to passing vessels for , and was designed to allow safe passage for ships on the treacherous
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
–
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...
–
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
sea route. It provides the first beacon along the northern coast of Anglesey for east-bound ships. It is followed by lighthouses, fog horns and other markers at
North Stack
North Stack ( Welsh: Ynys Arw, meaning "rugged island") is a small island situated just off Holy Island on the north-west coast of Anglesey. The area has been an important location in the development of traditional climbing in Britain and has s ...
,
Holyhead Breakwater
Holyhead Breakwater is situated at the north-western end of Holyhead in Anglesey in North Wales. The Victorian structure, which is long, is the longest breakwater in the United Kingdom. The breakwater, which is accessible in good weather, has ...
,
The Skerries,
the Mice,
Point Lynas
Point Lynas Lighthouse ( cy, Goleudy Trwyn y Balog) is located on a headland in Llaneilian Community, on the north-east corner of Anglesey in North Wales (at ). A pilot station was established on the point in 1766, to guide ships entering and l ...
and at the south-east tip of the island
Trwyn Du. The lighthouse is operated remotely by
Trinity House
"Three In One"
, formation =
, founding_location = Deptford, London, England
, status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity
, purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons
, he ...
.
It has been visited by the team at ''
Most Haunted
''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. Following complaints, the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, ruled that it was an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, and "should not be taken ser ...
''.
Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse and tour the engine room and exhibition area. The lighthouse is open seasonally.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Wales
This is a list of lighthouses in Wales. The list runs anticlockwise from north-east to south-east Wales.
__TOC__
Active lighthouses
In this table, the 'focal height' is the height of the light above water level whilst 'nmi' signifies nautical ...
References
External links
Trinity House
Lighthouses completed in 1809
Lighthouses in Anglesey
Museums in Anglesey
Lighthouse museums in the United Kingdom
Maritime museums in Wales
1809 establishments in Wales
Grade II listed lighthouses
Grade II listed buildings in Anglesey
Trearddur
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