Needham's Point Lighthouse, Lighthouse in Saint Michael, Barbados
Needham's Point Lighthouse is an octagonal masonry tower painted white with a black lantern, built in 1855 at the southern end of Carlisle Bay, southwest of Bridgetown. Its focal plane stood at 13 m above sea level during active use, but that is the height of the light, not the tower.
The tower was constructed in 1855 and functioned for many years as a navigation aid for ships entering southwestern waters. It was one of several beacons built along the coast to help mariners reach safety during their journeys.
The lighthouse stands within the UNESCO-listed Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, inscribed in 2011. Its black lantern contrasts with the white masonry tower, and the Hilton Hotel now owns the structure and surrounding grounds. It is the second-oldest of Barbados's four surviving historic lighthouses.
The lighthouse can be viewed from the outside at Pebbles Beach, which sits near the Hilton Barbados Resort area. The interior is closed to visitors, but the exterior structure is clearly visible from the beach side.
The original half-red, half-green lens is no longer in use: the inactive 1855 tower was replaced by a 9 m metal mast with a red beacon, flashing white and red every 8 seconds at a focal height of 13 m, visible 14 nautical miles for white and 10 for red.
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