Find Skerries Lighthouse, Protecting Ships off Anglesey Coast
View PDF | Print View
by: DavidPhillips | Total views: 154 | Word Count: 549
Yachtsmen and women across the Irish Sea will probably have sailed past Skerries Lighthouse in Holyhead Bay, off North West Anglesey, Wales at some time or other in their sailing career. Whether they approach, from Dublin in the west, Port St Mary, Isle of Man to the north or nearby Pwllheli, Skerries rock and light soon comes into view. In fact the white flashing light of this modern automated 23 m high Trinity House lighthouse can be seen 22 miles away.
And Skerries rock is also home to one of the largest tern colonies in the world, which are monitored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) who occasionally send a team out to the rock. But just go back over 200 years in history and there was barely any navigational help on this treacherous Anglesey coast. Then in 1713 Irishman William Trench took out a 99 year lease on the rock from local landowner William Robinson, and events soon took on a new dynamic.
Mr Trench was a determined man and his efforts paid off and when in 1716 the first Skerries Lighthouse started operating. Compared to todays modern lighthouse it was only a 35 foot high tower with an open grate, and a coal burning flame for a light. To make it worth his efforts, William Trench used his business skills and charged a fee on all passing ships except the British Navy based on their tonnage.
William Trench was succeeding in getting annual income of as much as $2,200 from the lighthouse levies, a very high sum for the period. As the years went by these fees increased significantly, hitting $23,000 in 1828. Ownership of the lighthouse changed a few times over this time and in 1841, Trinity House Corporation secured the freehold for a huge sum of $990,000.
Sailing through the gap between the Skerries Rock and Carmel Head on Anglesey, known as Langdon Ridge, can be a tough challenge for sailors even in fine conditions. In fact, some yachtsmen choose not to go through this channel at Langdon, especially at night because of the strong currents and closeness of the rocks. A full flood tide from Holyhead can push your boat along quickly towards Cemlyn Nature Reserve and Wylfa Power Station. These waters have now attracted the interest of tidal energy companies wanting to provide green, alternative energy.
Sailing around Anglesey can be great fun. And you can enjoy marine wildlife - cormorants, puffins, dolphins and puffins -either from the sea or the coastal path. When you pass Skerries Lighthouse just try to imagine the struggles of William Trench all those years ago, and how now these Anglesey Lighthouses protect ships and yachts. Kayak enthusiasts sometimes kayak to Skerries from Church Bay, and they have to measure the wind and tide to avoid missing their destination in these tidal waters.
So over 250 years ago William Trench started the Skerries Lighthouse story and it has been a colourful one since. The rock witnessed the end of sail and advent of steam, and the lighthouse keepers would have admired famous ships like the Great Eastern and Royal Charter, as well as seen numerous wrecks. Yachts and kayaks sometimes visit the rock and this Anglesey Lighthouse, while a large tern colony exists on the rock.
About the Author
The author, David Phillips, comes from sunny Anglesey island, North Wales, and owns a local information website. Learn more about the fascinating Lighthouse on Skerries off the wild North West Anglesey Coast.
Rating: Not yet rated
Login to vote
