Gorleston South Pier Lighthouse

Gorleston South Pier Lighthouse

Gorleston South Pier Lighthouse and Coastwatch station.
Location	Gorleston, Norfolk, England
Coordinates	52°34′20″N 1°44′17″E / 52.5721°N 1.7380°E / 52.5721; 1.7380Coordinates: 52°34′20″N 1°44′17″E / 52.5721°N 1.7380°E / 52.5721; 1.7380
Year first lit	1955
Construction	square 2-story brick and concrete building with two galleries
Tower shape	rectangle
Height	26 feet
Current lens	focal plane 11 m (36 ft) red flash every 3 seconds
Characteristic	Coastwatch station

Gorleston South Pier Lighthouse and Coastwatch station is located in the town of Gorleston in the English county of Norfolk.^[1] The lighthouse and station is located at the end of the south pier of seaport on the south side of Great Yarmouth.

History

The first lighthouse was established here in 1852 was an octagonal brick tower of similar height to the present lighthouse building. The building tody was built in 1955 and was also the harbormaster's office, later re-located.

Operation

The light of today is mounted on the roof along with communications equipment, harbor control lights, and the fog horn that would gives, when used, three blasts every 60 seconds. The lighthouse is operated by the Great Yarmouth Port Authority. The watchtower is now home to the Gorleston Branch of the National Coastwatch Institution which has over 60 Volunteer members and act as the eyes and ears of HM Coast Guard. They man watches from 0800hrs to 1900hrs in the winter and to 2130hrs in the summer, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year.^[2]

References

1. ^ Ordnance Survey (2005). OS Explorer Map OL40 - The Broads. ISBN 0-319-23769-9.
2. ^ "NCI Gorleston". National Coastwatch Institution. http://www.nci.org.uk/gorleston/. Retrieved 20 December 2010.