History in Structure

Lightkeeper's House Old Lighthouse

A Grade II* Listed Building in Clovelly Bay, Devon

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.1673 / 51°10'2"N

Longitude: -4.6732 / 4°40'23"W

OS Eastings: 213204

OS Northings: 144290

OS Grid: SS132442

Mapcode National: GBR GTVL.S5B

Mapcode Global: VH2S3.YXBJ

Plus Code: 9C3Q588G+WP

Entry Name: Lightkeeper's House Old Lighthouse

Listing Date: 7 October 1991

Grade: II*

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1326646

English Heritage Legacy ID: 91983

Also known as: The Old Lighthouse, Lundy
Old Light Lighthouse, Lundy
The Old Light, Lundy
Old Light

ID on this website: 101326646

Location: Torridge, Devon, EX39

County: Devon

District: Torridge

Electoral Ward/Division: Clovelly Bay

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Church of England Parish: Lundy

Church of England Diocese: Exeter

Tagged with: Lighthouse

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Description


LUNDY

SS14SW Old Lighthouse and Lightkeeper's
1938-0/2/9 House

II*

Disused lighthouse and keeper's house. 1819 by Daniel Asher
Alexander engineer, and Joseph Nelson builder for Trinity
House on 1787 foundations, new lantern at base of tower added
in 1829.

Granite ashlar cavity-wall construction, first stage of tower
has granite galleting. Keeper's house has rag slate roof
with lead rolls to ridge and hips and granite axial stack
with cornice. Circular lighthouse at south west end and
keeper's house attached on north east side by covered
passage-porch.

Tapering Exterior: Tall round tower, its deep plinth with
weathered courses, string near top projects as canopy on west
side over partly blocked window (originally for fixed
lantern). Large moulded cornice at top with balustrade of
railings with moulded cast iron standards and large cast iron
glazed lantern with conical roof with ball finial and
weathervane. Projecting at base of tower on south west side a
lantern room added in 1829, also granite ashlar with curved
multi-pane window, but now roofless.

Keeper's house attached on north east by covered passage
serving as porch, solid granite roof, panelled double doors
with flanking lights. 2 storey house with pedimented gable
facing tower supported on square detailed corner piers and
with large round-headed recess and 2-light window. Granite
stringcourse at first floor cill level slaps the corner
piers. Granite band below eaves supports large exposed rafter
ends. NW and SE side elevation of 3 bays have projecting bay
to right and left respectively and 2 and 3-light granite
mullion windows. North east end is blind. All windows
sashes with glazing bars.

Interior: Stone spiral staircase with 147 steps. Central
room of Keeper's house was seen, a large granite segmental
arch fireplace with granite mantel shelf and similar but
smaller fireplace at back of stack in the 2 small north east
end rooms.

Historical note: In 1786 a group of Bristol merchants offered
to build and maintain a lighthouse at their own expense.
Foundations were laid in 1787 but the lighthouse was not
built until Trinity House obtained a 999 year lease in 1819.
It cost 36,000 pounds and the tower is 97 feet high. There
was a fast-revolving light in the main lantern and a fixed
light in a window under a canopy 9 metres below. Both lights
were often obscured by fog so a new lantern room was
installed at the base. Because the site is 407ft above sea
level (highest in Britain) the fog problem was not solved and
The Fog Signal Battery (qv) was built in circa 1861 but
eventually the lighthouse was abandoned in 1897 when the
North and South Lundy Lighthouses (qv) were built.
(Lighthouses, Their Architecture, History and Archaeology:D B
Hague and R. Christie; Lundy:A and M Langham; Trinity House).


Listing NGR: SS1320444290

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