Flamborough Head Lighthouse

Flamborough Head Lighthouse stands on the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It is an active lighthouse guiding deep sea vessels and coastal traffic towards Scarborough and Bridlington. The first lighthouse here was built in 1674 by Sir John Clayton from chalk but was never lit. The present lighthouse, designed by Samuel Wyatt, was completed in 1806 at a cost of £8,000. It introduced the first use of red glass in a lighthouse light, distinguishing it from others. Trinity House, the lighthouse authority, installed a new paraffin lamp in 1872, the first of its kind in their lighthouses. The lighthouse’s lighting apparatus was innovative. George Robinson designed a revolving vertical shaft with 21 argand lamps and parabolic reflectors. One side used red glass to create a distinctive light characteristic: two white flashes followed by one red flash. In 1872, a first-order dioptric optic replaced the old system, increasing the light’s range to 21 nautical miles. The optic was driven by clockwork and later updated to give a flash every fifteen seconds. Automation arrived in 1996, ending the need for keepers, though the lighthouse remains in use today. Visitors find a Grade II listed building with a modernised light system. The decommissioned optic is displayed in the on-site visitor centre. Nearby stands the old fog signal station, built in 1859 with an 18-pound gun fired every fifteen minutes in fog. Later, explosive rockets and a fog siren were installed, powered by Hornsby oil engines. The compound now houses a DGPS signal station. The cliffs offer sweeping views of the North Sea, and the site remains a working aid to navigation.