Trwyn Du
53° 18’.80 N 04° 02’.40 W
Photo by Peter Williams
History
The island of Anglesey, off the coast of North Wales, must be rounded by coastal shipping making the passage up or down the western seaboard, and as a consequence of its position in a busy seaway has several major lights. Skerries was built first, followed a century later by South Stack and Point Lynas, the latter after the wreck of the "Rothesay Castle" on Puffin Island at the entrance to the Menai Strait in 1830.
The Liverpool master pilots had already been consulted about the necessity for a light on the shore at Black Point, or Trwyn-du, but no action was taken until late in the 1830s when Trinity House built the present station at a cost of £11,589. The lighthouse is situated on a low-lying rock surrounded by shingle beaches about half a mile south of Puffin Island. The circular stone tower is distinguished by three black bands.
The lighthouse was originally manned by two keepers, however these were withdrawn in 1922 when the lighthouse was converted to unwatched acetylene operation.
Trwyn Du Lighthouse was converted to solar power in 1996, work to modernise the station included the development of a unique operating mechanism to work the 178 Kg fog bell.
Specifications
| Established | 1838 |
| Height Of Tower | 29 Metres |
| Height Of Light Above Mean High Water | 19 Metres |
| Automated | 1922 |
| Lamp | 35 Watt Halogen |
| Optic | Tideland Ml300 Lantern |
| Optic | 1st Order Catadioptric Fixed Lens |
| Character | White Flash Every 5 Seconds |
| Intensity | 15,000 Candela |
| Range Of Light | 12 nautical miles |
| Fog Signal Character | |
| Fog Signal Range | Bell Sounding Once Every 30 Seconds |
Gallery
