U.S. Lighthouse Society ~ Lighthouses of the United Kingdom

Sark Island Lighthouse

(Sark Island, Channel Islands)

History

Sark is the smallest of the Channel Islands, and, despite being Crown Property, is ruled by a Seigneur (feudal lord of manor). It is a mere 3 miles long and 2 miles wide, the north and south parts being almost separate islands joined only by a narrow strip of land. Mervyn Peak described the outline of Sark as being ʺwasp wastedʺ in his novel set on the island, ʺMr. Pyeʺ.

The lighthouse, which stands on Point Robert in the north east of the island, was built by Trinity House in 1913. The light is elevated at 65 metres above sea level giving an indication of the steep

A NON-PROFIT HISTORICAL & EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY U.S. Lighthouse Society ~ Lighthouses of the United Kingdom rocky nature of the coastline which makes landing on the island almost impossible apart from at the tiny stone harbor at Le Creux.

The white, octagonal tower of the lighthouse rises from the flat roofed service rooms and dwellings, the whole complex clinging to the steep face of the cliff which rises high above. The only means of access to the lighthouse is a flight of steps down from the top of the cliff. The buildings, which are made of stone and surrounded by a high retaining wall, are of the sort usually found at onshore stations however Sark is classed as a rock lighthouse. The main function of the station is to guide vessels, passing through the Channel Islands, away from the pinnacle of Blanchard Rock, several miles to the east of Point Robert.

In Sark Parish Church the front pew, reserved for the Seigneur, possesses a tapestry cover made by the former Principal Keeper, Mr. H.S. Taylor. This was installed for Easter 1980.

Sark Lighthouse was automated in 1994 and is now monitored and controlled from the Trinity House Operations and Planning Centre at Harwich in Essex.

Specifications

Established 1913

Height Of Tower 16 Metres

Height Of Light Above Mean High Water 65 Metres

Automated 1994

Lamp 100 Watt Twin Filament

Optic 2nd Order Catadioptric 4 Panel Symmetrical

Character One White Flash Every 15 Seconds

Intensity 45,000 Candela

Range Of Light 20 nautical miles

Fog Signal Character Nautophone Giving 2 Blasts Every 30 Seconds

A NON-PROFIT HISTORICAL & EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY U.S. Lighthouse Society ~ Lighthouses of the United Kingdom

Location

A NON-PROFIT HISTORICAL & EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY