North Foreland Lighthouse
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A light was exhibited on the North Foreland in 1499, but the first real lighthouse was built by Sir John Meldrum in 1636. It's two-story Octagonal Tower was made of timber, lath and plaster with an iron, coal burning grate on the top. This lighthouse burnt down in 1683 and a temporary, but unsatisfactory replacement was a candle in a glass lantern suspended from a long pole.
A new lighthouse, 34 feet tall, made of brick, stone and flint, was built in 1691. 99 years later two stories of brick were added to the tower and the coal fire was replaced by 18 Argand oil lamps, with circular wicks emitting a steady and reliable light. John Rennie described this light in his diary in 1789.
"This is an octagonal building about 25 or 30 feet dia, and as I was told 62 feet high to the Chausser which is placed on a platform about 5 or 6 feet less than inside. There is on one side of the building a well hole for raising coals from the Coal Yard and on the other side a winding stair to the top.
The Platform has a room below for the keeper that attends during the night and from thence is a stair up to the Platform where is the Chaser. At the head of which is a Large stone facing the head above 3 feet distant-beyond this stone and near about the Center of the Platform stands a Chaser which is a grate about 26 inches wide, 24 inches broad and 21 inches deep. The back part, viz that stands on 4 legs about 18 Inches high."
In 1890 a separate room, known as the lantern house, was built onto the top of the tower to house the light itself and forty years later the light was electrified.
Although the sites of the lighthouse outbuildings have changed since 1820, old plans show that the site of the tower has not. Indeed the present tower is on the same site as the one built in 1691, a fact proved by the existence of a ring of masonry about halfway up the present tower marking the summit of the 1691 building. The present North Foreland lighthouse tower is 85 feet high to the top of the lantern house, and is whitewashed to make it conspicuous from the surrounding landscape.
The light is 78 feet above the ground and 188 feet above the High Water Mark of the sea. Two 3,000 watt bulbs emit a light of the power of 175,000 candles which can be seen at a distance of 20 miles. A time switch ensures that the light comes on at sunset and goes off at sunrise. The light is powered from the mains electricity circuit and there is a back-up generator on site in case of a power failure. If this fails as well, an acetylene gas light cuts in automatically.
The light flashes five times in 7 seconds and there then follows a period of darkness lasting 13 seconds before the sequence is repeated. It is a sector light - shining white in all directions except to the North where it shines red to mark out the banks known as the Margate Sands.
*LANBYS ( large automatic navigation buoys ) carry a much more powerful light than ordinary buoys and their power is supplied by a diesel generator which only needs refueling once every six weeks. The North Foreland lighthouses controls two LANBYS, namely the Galloper, which is 30 miles North-East of the lighthouse, and the F. 3 which is 20 miles East.
In March 1980 an experimental radio lighthouse service, specifically designed to help pleasure crab and inshore fishing boats determine their exact location, was initiated at the North Foreland. It operates over a range of 20 miles.
Designated a building of historical interest in 1950, the North Foreland lighthouse is open to the public between Easter and October, from 1.00pm to one hour before sunset, Monday - Saturday.
Taken from 'Lighthouses and Lightships of East Kent' published by the East Kent Maritime Trust.
**This information is presently out of date as North Foreland is now a candidate for automation
which will be completed during early November 1998