-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
Bell Rock Lighthouse
- built: 1811
- location: Scotland
- 11 miles off coast
- detailed information available on the website
- Instructions for the Bell Rock Light-keepers (1823)
- Life in the Bell Rock Lighthouse (1865)
- A Keeper's Account (1980s)
- usual crew: 3 keepers
- Maják na Bell Rock - Sedm divů technické civilizace (documentary)
- Dimensions
- side (closed): http://www.nls.uk/media/906029/bell-rock-lighthouse-2.png
- side (cut): http://www.nls.uk/media/906073/lighthouse-floors.png
- side (cut, 1964): http://www.flickr.com/photos/billynxn/8099409022/sizes/l/in/photostream/
- side (cut): http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_stats_2.gif
- side (closed): http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_stats_1.gif
- side: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_construct_trans.gif
- top: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_39.gif
- top: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_57.gif
- side (artist): http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_tech_kitchen.gif
- top: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_66.gif
- top: http://www.nls.uk/media/906078/fourth-storey.png
- side: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_construct_cornice.gif
- top: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_75.gif
- side: http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_lightroom_full.gif
- side: http://www.nls.uk/media/906048/lightroom.png
- top (balcony): http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_86.gif
- top (chandelier): http://www.bellrock.org.uk/images/lighthouse_course_90.gif
On Sept. 3, 1987, the lighthouse went on fire. A fuel pipe had overflowed inside the building, and, as the gas was on in the kitchen, the fumes ignited. The kitchen was gutted and the light room and control room were extensively damaged, but the lower floors only suffered smoke damage.
During the Second World War the Bell Rock was machine-gunned by enemy aircraft on 31 October 1940, 30th March 1941 and on 5th April. No-one was injured on these raids, and the damage consisted of 9 bullet holes through the dome, 14 lantern panes broken, 4 lens prisms damaged, 6 red shades smashed, 1 balcony tank and rail damaged and 1 astragal damaged.
Also on 1st April 1941, a bomb was dropped which exploded about 10 yards from the base of the tower, fortunately doing no damage.
During the First and Second World Wars, the lighthouse only exhibited its light when Allied shipping were expected to pass the Bell Rock. On the 27th October 1915, the captain of HMS Argyll (10,850 tons) one of the Devonshire Class Armoured Cruisers, sent out a routine message to the Admiral Commanding at Rosyth, requesting the Bell Rock be lit on the night of 27/28th October. The message was never received as the lighthouse had no radio, and all messages had to be delivered by boat. Heavy seas had made this impossible. The “Argyll” struck the west side of the reef and became lodged within 420 feet of the base of the tower.