Strumble Head Lighthouse

Strumble Head Lighthouse stands on Ynys Meicel, a rocky island off the northwest corner of Pencaer in northern Pembrokeshire. The island lies five miles west of Fishguard and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. The lighthouse itself is a circular stone tower built in 1908, replacing an earlier light-vessel stationed in the south of Cardigan Bay. Its design resembles Skokholm Lighthouse, and it was among the last major lighthouses constructed in Britain. The tower rises 55 feet and still holds its original lantern with a Fresnel lens made by Chance Brothers. A mercury bath once helped the lens turn with little friction, and the light switched from paraffin to electricity in 1949. The lighthouse has seen several key changes since it was built. Electricity fully replaced oil lighting in 1965, and automation arrived in 1980, with monitoring now handled from Harwich. A plaque in the lantern room quotes Psalm 127, and a rainwater tank once stored water for the keepers’ use. Fuel and supplies used to cross by iron bridge and pipe, though an electric fog-signal replaced explosive charges in 1969. Stores now arrive by helicopter, landing on a helipad to the west. The name Strumble also appears in aviation, as it gives its title to a transatlantic VOR navigational beacon. Visitors reach the lighthouse by walking the narrow causeway from the mainland. The site sits within Llechdafad Cliffs, a Site of Special Scientific Interest known for its rugged coastal scenery. The tower’s lantern room offers wide views over the Irish Sea and the surrounding headland. Nearby, the cliffs drop sharply to the water, creating dramatic contrasts with the open sea. The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation but welcomes those who come to see its sturdy stone form and the wild beauty of the Pembrokeshire coast.