The Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse is one of several

lighthouses in Gibraltar Most of the lighthouses in Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory on the Iberian Peninsula, are located at Gibraltar Harbour. Perhaps the most notable exception is the Europa Point Lighthouse at Europa Point, a st ...

, the

British Overseas Territory The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remna ...

at the southern end of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

. Also referred to as the Gibraltar "D" Head Lighthouse, its cast-iron tower is painted black. The active

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 ...

west of the

Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar (from the Arabic name Jabel-al-Tariq) is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the British territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, and near the entrance to the Mediterr ...

is positioned on the Western Arm of the North Mole at

Gibraltar Harbour The Port of Gibraltar, also known as Gibraltar Harbour, is a seaport in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was a strategically important location during the Napoleonic Wars and after 1869 served as a supply point for ships travelling ...

, and is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority.

History

Gibraltar Harbour ''(pictured)'', also known as the Port of Gibraltar, is on the west side of the British Overseas Territory of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, at latitude 36º09'N, and longitude 05º20'W. In addition to the natural protection provided by the Rock, there is a set of man-made defences. These include three

breakwaters A breakwater is a permanent structure constructed at a coastal area to protect against tides, currents, waves, and storm surges. Part of a coastal management system, breakwaters are installed to minimize erosion, and to protect anchorages, h ...

: the North Mole with its Western Arm, the Detached Mole, and the South Mole. The port has north and south entrances. The northern entrance is between the Western Arm of the North Mole and the Detached Mole. The southern entrance is between the Detached Mole and the South Mole. The Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse ''(depicted on map)'' is located at the south end of the Western Arm of the L-shaped North Mole of the Port of Gibraltar. It is positioned at the "D" head of the North Mole; hence, its alternate name. The lighthouse and harbour are north of the eastern end of the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medi ...

and its access to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, and west of the Rock. The Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse is a black, octagonal tower constructed of cast iron, with a height of 17 metres (56 feet). The skeletal tower has a central cylinder. The original lantern and gallery platform were exchanged for a square skeletal tower and new lantern and gallery platform to elevate the light source. (A similar tower at the north end of the South Mole of the harbour differs in that it retains its original gallery.) The Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse is operational and is utilized as an

aid to navigation In international relations, aid (also known as international aid, overseas aid, foreign aid, economic aid or foreign assistance) is – from the perspective of governments – a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. Ai ...

, particularly in and near the port. The

light characteristic A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...

is a quick, flashing red light, and the range is five

nautical miles A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today t ...

. The active lighthouse has a focal plane of 18 metres (59 feet). Both the tower and the site are closed to the public. The lighthouse is operated by the Gibraltar Port Authority. The

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is the UK's agency for providing hydrographic and marine geospatial data to mariners and maritime organisations across the world. The UKHO is a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and is ...

Admiralty Digital List of Lights (ADLL) number for the Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse is D2448. Its United States

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is a combat support agency within the United States Department of Defense whose primary mission is collecting, analyzing, and distributing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) in support of national ...

(NGA) number is 4236. The

Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society Founded in 2000 by Jim Weidner, K2JXW, the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amate ...

(ARLHS) number is GIB-005.

References

External links

Photograph of the Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse (Trabas)

Photograph of the Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse from the Rock of Gibraltar

Satellite view of Gibraltar North Mole Lighthouse
{{Authority control Lighthouses in Gibraltar

History

See also

References

External links