- ** Bidston
Hill (2)
- 1873 (station established 1771). Inactive since 1913 (a decorative light
is often displayed). 21 m (69 ft) round cylindrical sandstone tower with lantern
and gallery attached to 1-story stone keeper's house. Peter Craine's photo
is at the top of this page, Brian Sayle has a closeup photo, Wikimedia has several photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Bing has an aerial view. Bidston Hill is more than a mile from the sea, but as the highest
hill in the Liverpool area it was the natural site for a landfall light
for the Mersey. This famous station played an important role in British
scientific history. An astronomical observatory was established here in
1864, and the two telescope domes survive although the instruments have
been removed. Meteorological observations began in 1869. In 1924 the Liverpool
Tidal Observatory, now the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, was moved
to the site. Sometime in 2004-05 the laboratory moved to a new site in
Liverpool. In 2006 the lighthouse was put up for sale, and in 2011 it was sold to private buyers for £160,000. The new owners have a web site for the lighthouse. Located atop the hill in Bidston, just west
of Birkenhead. Site and tower generally closed but open for guided tours every Saturday afternoon April through August. Owner: private. Site manager: Bidston Lighthouse
. ARLHS ENG-009.
- * Perch
Rock (New Brighton)
- 1830. Inactive as an aid to navigation since 1973; the traditional characteristic of two white flashes followed by a red flash is shown, but only over the land. 28.5 m (94 ft) tapered granite tower with lantern and
gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. The design of the lighthouse imitates the
well-known Eddystone Light in the English Channel. The lower portion
of the tower is solid granite; access requires a ladder to reach
the doorway 7.5 m (25 ft) above the base. Lesley Mitchell's photo appears
at right, Stephen Entwistle has a 2007 photo,
Wikimedia has numerous photos, Marinas.com
has aerial
photos, Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The name Perch Rock comes from a perch, a tripod platform
carrying a fire, built on the rock in 1683 and frequently repaired
or replaced over the years. In the 1820s, the City of Liverpool
tired of replacing the perch and decided to build the present
lighthouse. After deactivation the lighthouse was sold to Norman
Kingham, who offered it for a time as a honeymoon accommodation. Lighthouse
Digest has Jeremy D'Entremont's August 2001 feature
story reporting on a restoration being carried out in
that year as a Millennium project. As part of this project,
the light was briefly reactivated, displaying a variety of Morse
code messages. In late 2015 the New Brighton Coastal Community Team secured £6,000 to reactivate the lighthouse using solar panels, and the tower was relit in April 2016. Located just offshore from the Fort Perch Rock, also a privately owned attraction, at
the west side of the entrance to the Mersey estuary at New
Brighton. It is possible, with caution, to walk to the lighthouse
at low tide. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager:
private. ARLHS ENG-084; Admiralty A4946.
|
Perch Rock Light, Wirral, February 2011
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Lesley Mitchell |