Maughold Head Lighthouse, Coastal lighthouse in Maughold, Isle of Man.
Maughold Head Lighthouse is a 23-metre masonry tower painted white with a black lantern and gallery, standing on the headland at the southern end of Ramsey Bay on the Isle of Man's east coast. Its keepers' accommodation sits on the headland level with the lantern, reached from the tower by 127 steps. The original first-order Fresnel lens from Chance Brothers of Smethwick is still in use.
The lighthouse was built in 1914 by engineers David and Charles Stevenson to protect ships from hazards near Whitestone Bank. Its construction responded to maritime safety concerns that had emerged from shipping incidents in the area.
The light's characteristic is three white flashes every thirty seconds, a rhythm sailors have watched for since 15 April 1914. The station's fog signal, the reason Lord Inverclyde pressed for a light here, gave a single blast every 90 seconds until it was switched off in 1987. The first-order Fresnel lens supplied by Chance Brothers of Smethwick is still the one in use.
The tower stands 23 metres high, with the keeper's accommodation on the headland level with the lantern, linked by a flight of 127 steps. The light shows three white flashes every thirty seconds from a focal height of 65 metres, giving a nominal range of 15 nautical miles. The fog signal was deactivated in 1987 and the station was automated in 1993.
Keeper's cottages once stood near the tower and required climbing many steps to reach them. These buildings were later converted into private homes and reveal how lighthouse keepers and their families lived.
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