Holyhead Mail Pier Lighthouse

Holyhead Mail Pier Lighthouse stands on Salt Island in Holyhead, Anglesey. It is an inactive lighthouse designed by civil engineer John Rennie in 1821. The lighthouse was built early in the 19th century to guide ships into the new harbour, now called the Port of Holyhead. This harbour served as the end point for packet boats carrying mail between England and Ireland. It is the last remaining of three lighthouses once located on Salt Island. The lighthouse is important because it is one of John Rennie’s few surviving works. Rennie was a leading engineer during the first Industrial Revolution. The lighthouse originally used gas lighting, which was unusual for its time. A gas works on the island once supplied fuel not just for the lighthouse but also for the piers and parts of Holyhead. Though no longer in use, the tower remains intact and is still used as a navigation point by sailors. The tower is a Grade II listed building, recognised for its role in Rennie’s harbour design. Nearby is the Grade II* Admiralty Arch, built to mark King George IV’s visit in 1821. The King was meant to sail to Ireland but bad weather forced him to travel by steam packet instead. The lighthouse and arch form part of a historic harbour scheme that still stands today.