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All About Lighthouses All about Lighthouses What Is a Lighthouse? • A building that gives out light. • It helps to keep boats safe. resting F te ac In t The oldest working lighthouse is in Spain. History of Lighthouses lightning rod • The first lighthouse lamp was built in Egypt over lantern 2000 years ago. room gallery • The first British lighthouse deck was built in Devon. • The light used to come from lamps burning oil or candles. • They now use electricity. A Lighthouse There are over 100 lighthouses around the UK. Photo courtesy of James Cull (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution Page 1 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Questions 1. Tick the word which means the same as ‘away from harm’. danger safe problem 2. Where was the first British lighthouse built? Tick one. Devon Derby London 3. How long ago was the first lighthouse built? Tick one. 100 years 1000 years 2000 years 4. Lighthouses use electricity. Tick one. true false 5. Tick one thing you would find in a lighthouse. lamp boat fish Page 2 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Answers 1. Tick the word which means the same as ‘away from harm’. danger safe problem 2. Where was the first British lighthouse built? Tick one. Devon Derby London 3. How long ago was the first lighthouse built? Tick one. 100 years 1000 years 2000 years 4. Lighthouses use electricity. Tick one. true false 5. Tick one thing you would find in a lighthouse. lamp boat fish Page 3 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses What is a Lighthouse? A lighthouse is a building that gives out light. It helps to keep boats and ships safe by warning them where land is. History of Lighthouses Before the first lighthouse, boats were guided by fires on hilltops. The idea of a lighthouse came after these fires were raised upon platforms. The first lighthouse was built in Egypt over 2000 years ago and was called ‘The lighthouse of Alexandria’. In Britain, the first lighthouse was built in Devon because the Eddystone Rocks were a hazard for boats and ships. The light seen from a lighthouse now comes from electricity rather than burning oil or candles. ing rest Fa te c n t lightning rod I It took 12 years to lamp complete the lantern lighthouse in Egypt. room gallery A Lighthouse deck There are over 100 lighthouses around the UK. Only some of these are still in use. Lantern Room – A room with the lamp and lens in. Lightning Rod – A copper rod which stops lightning causing too much damage. Gallery Deck – A platform that circles the lighthouse just below the lantern room. Page 4 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Questions 1. Tick one. A lighthouse warns cars and trains. true false 2. Find and copy one other word which means the same as ‘danger’. 3. Tick one. In modern times, the light in a lighthouse comes from: oil candles electricity 4. Complete the following sentence. The first lighthouse was called . 5. How long did it take to complete the first lighthouse? Tick one. 12 weeks 12 years 12 days Page 5 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Answers 1. Tick one. A lighthouse warns cars and trains. true false 2. Find and copy one other word which means the same as ‘danger’. hazard 3. Tick one. In modern times, the light in a lighthouse comes from: oil candles electricity 4. Complete the following sentence. The first lighthouse was called The Lighthouse of Alexandria. 5. How long did it take to complete the first lighthouse? Tick one. 12 weeks 12 years 12 days Page 6 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses What Is a Lighthouse? A lighthouse is a building or structure which projects light to warn ships and boats. They highlight coastlines and reefs and can also assist with navigation. They are usually found on cliffs, at the entrance to a harbour and in the water on a raised stand. History of Lighthouses Lighthouses have changed somewhat since they were first invented. The first warning system used fires on top of hills, which warned sailors of land. By raising the fires on platforms, they were more easily seen and this led to the invention of the lighthouse. Initially, lighthouses were there only to warn of harbours rather than rocks or reefs underwater. The first known lighthouse was next to the island of Pharos, Egypt. It was eventually destroyed by an earthquake. In Britain, the first lighthouse was built at the time when stronger and more weatherproof lighthouses were being invented. The ing rest Fa te c Eddystone Rocks were a shipwreck hazard n t I Some for those sailing through the English countries Channel and the first lighthouse there was still call a lighthouse an octagonal wooden structure. It was the a ‘Pharos’. first tower to be exposed to open sea. It has been rebuilt three times. Photo courtesy of Fæ (@flickr.com) - granted under creative commons licence - attribution Page 7 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses A Lighthouse There are over 100 lighthouses around the UK. Only some of these are still in use due to the expensive upkeep they require. Other navigational systems have also been invented meaning there is less purpose for a lighthouse. However, many seafarers still see a lighthouse as a symbol of hope. lightning rod Lantern Room – A room at the top of the lamp lighthouse housing a lamp and a lens. It has lantern glass windows so the light can project out. room gallery Lightning Rod – Lighthouses are often deck subjected to storms. A copper rod on the top of the structure aims to take the lightning straight to the ground, to avoid damage. Gallery Deck – A platform that circles the lighthouse just below the lantern room. It allows the lighthouse keeper to clean the windows as well as enabling them to look out to sea. Lamp – Where the light comes from. In the past, this may have been oil burning or a candle. Technological advances have provided electricity supplies to lighthouses. Lighthouse Keeper – A lighthouse keeper was somebody who tended to the lighthouse, ensuring the light kept burning and the windows were cleaned. The last manned lighthouse in the UK was in 1998. Page 8 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Questions 1. Why do you think lighthouses are sometimes on a raised stand? 2. Find and copy another word which means sailor. 3. Why do you think some countries call a lighthouse a Pharos? 4. ‘The first lighthouse was an octagonal structure’. What does the word ‘octagonal’ mean in this sentence? 5 . H o w a r e s e a f a r e r s w a r n e d o f d a n g e r ? 5. In your opinion, why do some seafarers still view l i g h t h o u s e s a s a s y m b o l o f h o p e ? Page 9 of 10 visit twinkl.com All about Lighthouses Answers 1. Why do you think lighthouses are sometimes on a raised stand? I think lighthouses are sometimes on raised stands so the light is higher up and will travel further. It will then be seen more easily. 2. Find and copy another word which means sailor. Seafarer 3. Why do you think some countries call a lighthouse a Pharos? I think some countries call a lighthouse a Pharos because they are naming it after the place where the first lighthouse was. 4. ‘The first lighthouse was an octagonal structure’. What does the word ‘octagonal’ mean in this sentence? The word octagonal means eight-sided. 5 . H o w a r e s e a f a r e r s w a r n e d o f d a n g e r ? Lighthouses warn seafarers of danger by using a bright light. 5. In your opinion, why do some seafarers still view l i g h t h o u s e s a s a s y m b o l o f h o p e ? Answers may vary. I think seafarers still view lighthouses as a symbol of hope because if they are in danger, they know they are close to land. Page 10 of 10 visit twinkl.com.
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