Description

Alan Stevenson, 1851. Single stage with lantern, circular-plan short tower standing within rectangular-plan court to N of single storey, 7-bay rectangular-plan symmetrical Egyptian-style keepers' accommodation block with coal- and dry stores to left (S). Tower: stugged sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. Base course; wide cavetto band course below cast-iron railings around balcony to lantern. Keepers' block: stugged sandstone ashlar. Base course; blocking course. Massive, tapered, raised door surrounds with band course below cavetto cornice; raised central panel to blocking course above.

TOWER: massive raised door surround with tapered pilasters supporting cavetto cornice with shallow pediment to S side of tower at 1st stage; part-glazed 2-leaf timber-panelled doors; window (blocked ) to N at 1st stage. Boarded door to S side of lantern; small occuli around lantern base; triangular glazing to lantern ; domed roof above.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998.

KEEPERS' ACCOMMODATION: E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: window in bay to centre. 2-leaf boarded doors with small-pane fanlights in raised bays flanking. Window in recessed penultimate bays flanking. Window in each raised bay to outer left and right. W (REAR) ELEVATION: window in each of 2 recessed bays to centre. Window in each raised bay to outer left and right. N AND S (SIDE) ELEVATIONS: blank. STORES: single bay dry store with boarded door to E abutting main block to S. Single storey, 2-bay coal stores with 2 evenly disposed boarded doors to N, sited at right angles to dry store, to S of main block.

12-pane timber sash and case windows. Platform roof; tall, tapered stacks with band course and cavetto cornice, grouped 2-4-2; tall cans; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998.

BOUNDARY WALLS: court defined by low stugged ashlar sandstone wall with ridged ashlar cope; rubble wall enclosing large rectangular-plan garden around court; square-plan corniced, stugged sandstone ashlar gatepiers to E of keepers' accommodation block; store with 2-leaf boarded doors incorporated into garden wall to S; cast-iron tapered, fluted sundial base in garden.

Statement of Interest

Standing at the west end of the island, Hoy Low, as its name suggests, is a good deal shorter than its towering partner which stands on Graemsay's east coast. Its existence, however, is vital as it forms one of a pair of 'leading lights' which, when lined up, provide a safe course through the Sound into Stromness harbour. The light at Hoy Low is described as 'isophase' white every 3 seconds, and despite the tower's relatively low height of 12 meters at an elevation of 17 meters, its range is 15 miles. As at Hoy High, the Keepers' accommodation block is constructed from fine sandstone ashlar and is almost identical, if smaller, in plan and elevation. The east side consists of a row of 4 bedrooms with 2 kitchens flanking a visiting officer's room to the west. Stylistically it bears identical massive door surrounds with cavetto cornices and blocking courses, reminiscent of Egypt or of Assyrian temples. The tall, tapered stacks are grouped identically to those at Hoy High and achieve a similarly dramatic effect. A 2nd World War defensive battery was subsequently erected adjacent to the group. Hoy Low was automated in 1966.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827175

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

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)