Orfordness Lighthouse, Orford, Suffolk

Description

230/0/10001
26-JUN-08

ORFORD
ORFORDNESS LIGHTHOUSE

Lighthouse; 1792, designed by William Wilkins for Lord Braybrooke of Audley End. Built of brick, rendered and painted in broad bands of red and white; cast iron interior fittings.

EXTERIOR: Orfordness Lighthouse is a round tapering tower surmounted by a lantern with trellis glazing bars. The lantern is surrounded by a platform with iron railings. The tower has a basement and five main stages, and there are irregularly spaced openings at each stage. There are five raised string courses in the upper two thirds of the tower. The entrance is through a square porch; above the door is the date 1792 in Roman numerals.

INTERIOR: The ground floor is divided into two spaces. The smaller of the two, reached through a door directly opposite the main entrance, now contains the batteries that run the light, while the main room contains electronic equipment. Two staircases rise from either side of the main entrance curving against the wall. The steps are concrete and both staircases have cast iron balustrades with stick balusters set into the tread ends, and with a handrail terminating in a spiral and a newel post with foliate decoration at its base. On either side of the room, set under each staircase is a recess which once contained a door connecting to the keepers' cottages, demolished in 1959: one of these now contains a small sink. To the side of each recess is a door under the stairs and steps down to the basement. This is divided into four separate spaces around a central supporting column, linked by openings: each space has a chute or opening set into the walls.

The shaft of the lighthouse is open to the final stage, with a single staircase continuing to spiral round the outer walls connecting platforms at each of the main stages. A central cast iron column rises the height of the tower; this contained the original clockwork mechanism which caused the rotation of the light. Either side of the platform at the first stage are doors which originally gave direct access from the keepers' cottages. Halfway up the tower is a sculptural arrangement of two large lenses on cast iron stands which reflect the beam of a fixed light through red and green shades: these are the sector lights.

The final stage of the tower contains a fitted cupboard and sound tubes and whistles which enabled the keepers to call from tower to cottages: these are marked respectively AK and PK. The light itself consists of three lenses mounted on a circular platform which floats on a trough of mercury: the lenses revolve around the lamp at a speed to produce a flash every five seconds.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: To the north-east is a small single storey brick building oriented north-west to south-east, originally the oil store. It has stone quoins, raised parapets to the gables and pitched slate roof, and is painted white. Its entrance in the centre of the south-east gable end has a label mould over: above is a small circular vent, also with label mould over. The north-west gable end contains a circular window. Inside the walls curve inwards to a pointed arch: a low bench runs around two sides.

There is a second small single storey brick building to the east of the lighthouse, possibly a survivor of the range of service buildings. It also has raised parapets to the gables. There are two windows to its south elevation and a porch to the north.

HISTORY: The first lighthouses were built on Orfordness in the mid C17 when a patent was granted to Alderman Gore for the construction of two timber lighthouses: by aligning the two lights vessels were guided through the treacherous sand and shingle banks. These early timber towers were unstable and vulnerable to the sea, and often had to be replaced. Following a storm in 1789 the new owner, Lord Braybrooke of Audley End, repositioned the low light further back: this is the tower that survives today. It was designed by William Wilkins and constructed in 1792. Lit by fourteen oil lamps set in silver plated reflectors, this was one of the first lighthouses to use oil rather than coal. This became the high light, while the second tower became the low light.

In 1836 an Act of Parliament gave Trinity House the right of compulsory purchase and it took over the running of Orfordness Lighthouse. Two trained keepers manned the light and were able to live with their families in the cottages at either side of the base of the tower, from where they had direct access to the interior of the lighthouse. A plan of 1938 shows the cottages and their yards wrapped around the north-east of the tower, with a range of domestic service buildings striking off to the east; these contained a wash house, coach house, stable and pig-sties. One isolated element of this range seems to survive, possibly the coach house and stable. A separate oil store also survives. The cottages, gardens, ancillary buildings, yard and services were all enclosed by a wall.

In 1887 the low light was lost to the sea and major alterations were made to the high light to compensate for the loss. These included fitting green and red shades to form sector lights (removing the need for a second aligning light) and making the light occulting (as the beam rotates it is briefly blacked out on each turn). In 1914 a new revolving lens was installed which is still in operation. At the same time the sector lights were moved half way down the tower.

The next phase in the history of the light began with its conversion to electricity in 1959, which allowed for the introduction of automation and the eventual loss of the keepers and of the cottages. Demolition of the cottages also began in 1959. In 1960 a standby generator was installed, as well as remote control equipment. In July 1964 the lighthouse became fully automatic, under remote control from the Trinity House depot in Harwich, and in 1965 the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn. The light is now run by batteries charged from the mains.

SOURCES: Jean and Stuart Bacon, 1992. Orford and Orford Ness
Trinity House website. http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk

REASON FOR DESIGNATION DECISION:
Orfordness Lighthouse is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is of special historical and architectural interest as an early masonry lighthouse, and as one of the earliest lights to be fuelled by oil.
* Although the keepers' cottages were demolished in 1959, ancillary buildings survive, including the oil store and part of the service range.
* Much of the original interior detail survives intact, including the spiral stair.
* Lighthouses are iconic structures which are a significant reminder of Britain's maritime history.

Reasons for Listing

Orfordness Lighthouse has been designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is of special historical and architectural interest as an early masonry lighthouse, and as one of the earliest lights to be fuelled by oil.
* Although the keepers' cottages were demolished in 1959, ancillary buildings survive, including the oil store and part of the service range.
* Much of the original interior detail survives intact, including the spiral stair.
* Lighthouses are iconic structures which are a significant reminder of Britain's maritime history.

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

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Orfordness Lighthouse

A Grade II Listed Building in Orford, Suffolk

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Description

Reasons for Listing

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