Corsewall Lighthouse, Kirkcolm, Dumfries and Galloway

Entry Name: Corsewall Lighthouse

Listing Name: Corsewall Lighthouse, Lighthouse Keepers' Houses and Enclosure Walls

Listing Date: 20 July 1972

Last Amended: 17 December 1979

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 342259

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB9923

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200342259

Location: Kirkcolm

County: Dumfries and Galloway

Electoral Ward: Stranraer and the Rhins

Parish: Kirkcolm

Traditional County: Wigtownshire

Tagged with: Lighthouse

Description

Robert Stevenson, 1815; circular lighthouse and block of 2-storey keepers' houses. D A Stevenson, 1889; engine house, and additions and alterations to houses.

LIGHTHOUSE: 6-stage tower. Painted rubble; painted ashlar dressings. Raised margins. Modern glazing in windows, except in quatrefoil. Projecting crenellated course between 2nd and 3rd stages. 3 band courses between upper stages. Quatrefoils to N, E, S and W at 6th stage, blinded except to W. Window to remaining stages to W, blinded at 1st stage. Window to 3rd stage and blinded window to 5th stage to E. Corbelled gallery, with diamond-patterned metal railing. Domed lantern, with 3 rows of triangular framed glazing. Single storey corridor adjoined to E, linking tower to keepers' houses.

INTERIOR spiral stair; cast-iron balustrade with timber handrail. Brass fittings. Original clockwork machinery.

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS' HOUSES: 2-storey, with basement to S and with cellars; contains 3 houses, 2 at ground floor, 1 at 1st floor. Painted rubble; painted droved ashlar dressings. Rusticated quoins. Band course between floors. Raised margins. Base course. Flat-roofed, with eaves cornice and blocking course. Corniced and shouldered wallhead stacks at centre to N and S. Sash and case windows; 8-pane glazing to W, 2-pane glazing at 1st floor and 4-pane glazing at ground floor to E and N.

E ELEVATION: 3-bay main block. Outer bays advanced, with tripartite windows to both floors. Door (modern) at centre at 1st floor (enlarged from window); winding forestair up (1889), with door to N return and small windows to E and S, and with decorative polygonal piers at base; (originally window at ground at centre). Single storey wings (1889) flanking to left and right; window to wing to right.

S ELEVATION: single storey and basement wing adjoined to right; window to W; panelled door to left and window to right below at basement; wallhead stack to S. Door into cellars to left of wing.

N ELEVATION: blinded window at centre at 1st floor. Wing adjoined to left, with wallhead stack; wing enlarged and slightly recessed to right, with bipartite window; extended beyond elevation to right, with chamfered angle, to clasp W elevation.

W ELEVATION: 5-bay. Linking corridor adjoined at ground at centre. Window above and in remaining bays at ground and 1st floors.

CORRIDOR: linking tower and keepers' houses. Similarly detailed; double-leaf boarded doors. Door to left and window to right to S; engine house adjoined to left. Door to left to N (original entrance to all 3 houses); modern harled block adjoined to right, with 3 windows to N.

ENGINE HOUSE: adjoined to lighthouse and linking corridor to S. Painted brick. Flat-roofed, with blocking course. Metal-framed small-pane glazing. Segmental-arched openings. Bays recessed by pilaster strips. Door to right, and window to left and centre to W. Machinery door to left and window to right and centre to E. 2 windows to left to S; lower block (originally workshop and store), surmounted by tank, adjoined to right with 2 windows to S, window to W and door to E.

Single storey building to S. Enlarged in brick to E and S (1889).

Similarly detailed. Door and flanking windows to right to N, to

original section; blocking course slightly raised above door and

inscribed "1815". 2 later segmental-arched doors to left. Enlarged as lean-to (originally containing ash pits) to S, with door and 2 windows.

Foghorn (D A Stevenson, 1889) situated to W. Set on raised concrete platform, continued round base of foghorn engine house.

ENCLOSURE WALLS: painted rubble walls. Crenellated wall to N of lighthouse; pillar well in wall. Wall continued to form cultivation enclosure to E.

Former milkhouses to E. Former byre further E.

Statement of Interest

Corsewall Lighthouse is permanently manned. A plaque in the lighthouse is inscribed "Designed by Messrs Stevenson, Civil Engineer, Edinburgh and constructed by M M Soutter Harle, Paris and Messrs James Dove & Co,

Edinburgh". According to the NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT the foundation stone was laid on 17th June 1815, and the lighthouse came into use on 15th September 1816. The cellars of the houses originally contained a washing house and storage for supplies and coals. The engine house originally contained an engine house, workshop and store. Petroleum and lighthouse oil stores, built in 1889 and adjoined to the houses to the SE, have been removed.

External Links

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