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25/08/2013

Longstone Lighthouse - holiday roundup

A story in pictures.

In the distance, Inner and Outer Farne Isles
A rather small fishing boat and a rather long queue of people waiting to get on.
Fat seals sunning themselves on isolated rocky outcrops far out to sea.
Lazily we are stared at by glossy-coated labrador-eyed seals.
Longstone Lighthouse, perched on the edge of a small rocky island that almost completely disappears under the sea twice daily.
A dark stone built sea wall - even this sometimes failed to keep out the angry sea as waves lashed and washed through the lower level of the lighthouse, forcing it's keepers to retreat to the upper floors for safety.
A slender ribbon of concrete leads from the boat to the lighthouse as it meanders over the bare rock.
Huge cast iron wheels languish in a sea filled gully.
Entering the lower level through the sea wall felt like entering a prison.
A silently rotating lens keeping watch over the lurking danger in the waters.
Bespoke curved cupboards, all that remains of family life in the light house.
Window that Grace Darling watched the SS Forfarshire tear apart on the rocks in the year 1838.

Stairs, stairs and more stairs, the final flight almost vertical.
A retreating view.
The lighthouse on Inner Farne with guano covered cliffs.

I was grateful the crossing was smooth and now there was solid ground beneath my feet.
Phew - back on terra firma.


For more details about the Longstone Lighthouse read HERE about Grace Darling read HERE - her story is really worth the time.


5 comments:

  1. What a lovely lighthouse; I think I could live there! If I did, I'h have to ensure all my wool and fabric and other treasured stashes were not stored on the lower floors! Than again would there be internet access???

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  2. Imagine the picture of the queue to embark in black and white....doesn't that remind you of the evacuees leaving Guernsey and Jersey during the war. But back to colour, they are beautiful pictures. There is something about a pile of lobster pots that cries out for photographs to be taken.

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  3. I have always wanted to see seals in person and in the wild, as you did. What an experience that must be. And I just adore that picture that you took of the lighthouse on the cliff. I grew up right next to the Hudson River and miss that beautiful lighthouse that was just down the road from us.

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  4. Lovely photographs! We were only there recently as you know but we didn't stop off at the Longstone as we chose to take the trip that stopped at the bird sanctuary. I went to the lighthouse on a school trip as a girl but couldn't remember much about it. Your photographs have just jogged a lot of memories :-)

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  5. Beautiful well captured pics Hawthorn, and whoa - climbing all those steep steps would be a huge challenge - full marks for courage!
    Joy x

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