150th anniversary of Corbière Lighthouse

Ports of Jersey is  launching its celebrations to mark the 150^th anniversary of the lighting up of Corbière Lighthouse. Since April 1874, it has guided seafarers to safely navigate Jersey’s treacherous waters.

A number of events have been arranged to mark the milestone, including the unveiling of a plaque by the Lieutenant Governor, gold floodlighting of the tower, a three-D scan of the inside of the tower which will be uploaded onto Ports of Jersey’s website, and a limited number of tours of the lighthouse.

Corbière was the first lighthouse in the British Isles to be built of concrete and followed designs by renowned civil engineer, Sir John Coode. It was first lit on 24 April 1874, with four keepers working two-day shifts. The keepers were also required to signal to St Helier when approaching ships came into view.

The lighthouse is still used by mariners as a navigational aid today, both as a painted day mark, and as a night-time warning sector light. Routine inspections and general maintenance are carried out throughout the year, and a full paint and maintenance programme is carried out, in line with Trinity House recommendations, approximately every seven years.

Today the site also houses a radar station which is critical to modern navigational management.

Ports of Jersey’s CEO, Matt Thomas, said: “It’s an honour for Ports of Jersey to be entrusted with the care of one of Jersey’s most photographed landmarks, which is still used as a navigation aid to this day. Corbière Lighthouse marks hazards for seafarers on the south and west coasts, both as a painted day mark and a night-time warning light. We take our responsibility seriously and carry out regular inspections to maintain the critical service the lighthouse performs, and to keep the original brass fixtures and fittings polished.

“In preparation for this year’s anniversary, the lighthouse has had a fresh coat of paint both inside and out, and we look forward to celebrating this special birthday with Islanders.”

The original audible fog warning was a manually operated bell, until the advent of electricity enabled the installation of the fog horns. Both the foghorn and the original bell are still in working condition.

Many of the original brass fixtures and fittings remain inside the tower and the generator room and are maintained by lighthouse caretakers on behalf of Ports of Jersey.

Background

The lighthouse tower is 19m (62 ft) high and the lamp stands 36m (119 ft) above high-water spring tides. The beam has a reach of 25 km and was fully automated in 1976.