Description

David and Thomas Stevenson, 1858, with additional buildings of circa 1905. Lighthouse complex including original 3-stage tower and keepers accommodation to S, later engine house and offices to N, and fog horn house to W. Harled walls with droved ashlar margins, all painted.

TOWER: 3-stage tower comprising battered circular shaft on base course and circular concrete plinth; 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber entrance door with 2-pane fanlight centred to N and narrow 3-pane fixed lights centred to S at each lower stage. Droved sandstone string course at upper stage, bold corbels above, supporting balcony with cast-iron handrail around cylindrical murette surmounted by lantern comprised of triangular-paned glazing with arrow weathervane vent to dome above.

KEEPER'S ACCOMMODATION: single storey, 5 x 2-bay building of double- pile plan with M-gables. Base and eaves courses, margined corners and windows with projecting cills. Irregularly fenestrated S elevation with later concrete-roofed porches projecting at centre and left. Irregularly fenestrated E gable; regularly fenestrated N elevation except blank in bay at outer left. Small flat-roofed stugged ashlar toilet block with base course and vertically-boarded timber door adjacent to NE corner of keeper's accommodation.

ENGINE HOUSE AND OIL TANKS: single storey, with asymmetrical 7-bay elevations to N and S and blank end elevations. Base course, blocking course at eaves; long and short quoins to corners and windows. Rivetted cast-iron tanks on concrete bases adjoining SW corner. Glazed brick walls, tiled floors and 4-panel doors to interior.

STORE: single storey, 3-bay symmetrical store building with base course; vertically-boarded timber door in each bay of S elevation, regular fenestration in N elevation.

FOG HORN HOUSE: single tier tower comprising battered semi-circular plan shuttered concrete plinth with vertically-boarded timber door; exterior wall enclosing stair and works, surmounted by cogged track (horn now replaced by modern radar).

3-pane fixed-lights to tower; modern glazing to keeper's accommodation, some timber sash and case windows comprising 6-pane upper sashes over 2-pane lower sashes surviving at engine house. Green slate M-roof to keeper's accommodation with cast-iron gutters and downpipes with decorative hoppers; formal arrangement of coped, stugged sandstone and cement-rendered stacks with circular cans to apexes of W gables, ridges, and valley; cement-rendered skew copes. Flat roof to engine house; cast-iron downpipes with hoppers; 2 flue cement-rendered stack with circular cans, at centre of roof. Purple-grey slate roof to store with cast-iron gutters and downpipe with decorative hopper.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: flagstone rubble boundary walls, harl- pointed and whitewashed on inner face. Stugged sandstone gatepiers with pyramidal caps at entrance gate to NE.

Statement of Interest

A landmark on Bressay that is particularly prominent when approaching Lerwick by Sea. The modern glazing of the keeper's accommodation is out of character, the original glazing perhaps matched the 12-pane pattern of the earlier buildings at Sumburgh Head Lighthouse (see separately listing). It is unfortunate that the horn of the famous "Bressay Coo" has been removed from its plinth, but the interior and oil tanks of the generator house remain as an interesting survivors from the early 20th century improvements.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17850774

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)