- **** Gibbs
Hill
- 1846. Active; focal plane 108 m (354 ft); white flash every
10 s; tower also carries a flashing red aviation hazard light
atop the lantern. 40.5 m (133 ft) round cast iron tower with
lantern and gallery; revolving 1st order Fresnel lens (1904).
Entire building painted white. D.B. King's photo is at right, Kate Webster has a photo,
a view of
the station is available, Wikimedia has photos, Tim Conway has a 2008 photo,
Huelse has a historic postcard
view, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is not the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the
world, as is claimed in Bermuda, but it is the second oldest
cast iron lighthouse in the Americas (Jamaica's Morant Point
Light was built in 1841). The 1-story keeper's house is occupied
by a resident caretaker. There is a tea room and gift shop in
the neighboring building, a former British Army signal station.
The light station is a very well known tourist attraction. Lighthouse
Digest has a September 1999 feature article on
the light station and second article in
July 2006. In September 2003 the lighthouse was damaged by Hurricane
Fabian. The Fresnel lens was taken out of service, removed in
February 2004, and returned in May after restoration and replacement
of the mercury flotation with ball bearings. In 2005 the tower
was reported to be in need of renovations and visitors
were banned from the gallery due to safety concerns. In September 2012 the government announced it would soon begin a restoration of the lighthouse, and after some delays the repainting and refurbishment was carried out in the spring of 2014. In October 2014 Hurricane Gonzalo heavily damaged the roof of the signal station building, but it was repaired and reopened in March 2015. Located
on the highest point of the island in Southampton Parish, southwest
of Hamilton. Site and tower open daily year round except closed in February. Operator:
Bermuda Department of Marine and Ports Services. Site manager: Gibbs
Hill Lighthouse. . ARLHS BER-010; Admiralty J4550; NGA 11668.
- * Hamilton Princess Marina Southwest Corner
- Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); green light, pattern unknown. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round tower mounted atop a 1-story storage structure. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located at the elbow of the breakwater protecting the Hamilton Princess Marina. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Hamilton Princess. Admiralty J4501.7.
- [Hogfish Beacon]
- Date unknown. Active; focal plane 5 m (16 ft); two yellow flashes
every 10 s. 5 m (16 ft) masonry tower, painted
white with a black band at the top. The tower also carries a
decorative weather vane. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, another photo is
available, a postage
stamp shows the structure (stamp on the left), and Google
has a satellite view. This beacon marks the northwest end of a dangerous
reef a short distance east of Bermuda's main entrance channel.
Located in Great Sound about 5 km (3 mi) north of Gibb's Hill
Light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS
BER-013; Admiralty J4494; NGA 11704.
|
Gibbs Hill Light, Warwick, July 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by D.B. King |