Trwyn Du Lighthouse

Trwyn Du Lighthouse stands on a narrow headland between Penmon Point and Puffin Island at the eastern tip of Anglesey. It marks the narrow channel that separates the mainland from the island, guiding ships safely past the dangerous sands. The first tower was built in 1838 after the wreck of the Rothsay Castle in 1831, when 130 people died on nearby Lavan Sands. The present lighthouse, completed in 1838, was designed by James Walker as his first sea-washed tower. Its stepped base was meant to reduce the force of waves that had damaged earlier structures. The tower has black bands on a white background and the words “NO PASSAGE LANDWARD” on two sides. Walker gave the tower a plain, square shape with a crenellated parapet instead of iron railings. Inside, the light originally came from a four-wick Argand lamp in a fixed catadioptric optic made by Isaac Cookson & Co. The beam showed a fixed red light to warn vessels away from the rocks. One keeper, Joseph Steer, born in 1831, served here in the 19th century. The lighthouse was automated in 1922 and converted to solar power in 1996. Today its 15,000 candela light flashes every five seconds and can be seen up to 22 kilometres away. A short walk from the toll road leads to the lighthouse, where visitors find open headland and views across to Puffin Island. Nearby Dinmor has a café, shop and toilets, and the area is popular for fishing. The old lifeboat station, built in 1832, closed in 1915. Trinity House still tests new equipment at the site, including a trial fog horn in 2019. The stepped design and austere walls make the tower stand out against the sea and sky.