Where
49° 57’. 612 N 005° 12’. 128 W – or near the village of Lizard, Cornwall, on the most southerly point on mainland Britain.
What
“A museum and heritage centre inside a 1752 working lighthouse, with accommodation and the giant engine room being added in the late-19th century,” says Neil Jones, the records manager. The lighthouse is one of over 60 lighthouses run by Trinity House, the lighthouse authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.
It has been automated since 1998, when the last live-in keepers moved out. The engine room was converted into the main exhibit for the Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre when it was opened in July 2009.
“The permanent exhibit focuses on the social history of lives led on lighthouses and light vessels, as well as the history of lighting, fog signal development and safety at sea,” says Jones. There are also temporary exhibitions and tours of the operational west tower.
Collection
Photographs; two light-vessel optics, each about 12-foot high; semaphore flags; and fog-signalling equipment. There are items associated with the time when keepers lived in the lighthouse, including what Jones describes as “slabs of horrible yellow soap”.
Help at hand
Two people are in full-time daily management, plus a part-timer and six volunteers.
Highlights
Two 40-foot high gunmetal doors from Bishop’s Rock on the Isles of Scilly that were smashed during a storm in 1994. “They ended halfway up a 150-foot tower,” Jones says.
Budget
The annual turnover is £35,000 with income from admission (£6 adult) and the museum shop. The heritage centre was refurbished using £400,000 of match-funded Heritage Lottery Fund support.
Visitors
12,850 in 2011.
Sticky moment
“At the grand opening in July 2009, it looked as if the wind would take the Trinity House flag off a commemorative stone and wrap itself around HRH the Princess Royal, who was opening the lighthouse in front of a large gathering of children and retired lighthouse keepers. Thankfully, the flag stayed put, and the unflappable Princess Royal enjoyed her day.”
Survival tip
Diversify. The lighthouse’s management team are working on tie-in events and cross-promotional ticketing with the National Trust, National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Geevor Tin Mine.“We are developing a Lighthouse Passport for families with the itch to see more lighthouses at a discounted rate,” Jones says.
Future plans
Staff are gearing up for May 2014, when Trinity House celebrates its 500th anniversary of incorporation by Henry VIII with a series of exhibitions and events.
“The 10 lighthouses we open to the public will be a great way to engage with people, and, as our flagship visitor centre, the Lizard centre will be key to this,” Jones says.
www.lizardlighthouse.co.uk
49° 57’. 612 N 005° 12’. 128 W – or near the village of Lizard, Cornwall, on the most southerly point on mainland Britain.
What
“A museum and heritage centre inside a 1752 working lighthouse, with accommodation and the giant engine room being added in the late-19th century,” says Neil Jones, the records manager. The lighthouse is one of over 60 lighthouses run by Trinity House, the lighthouse authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.
It has been automated since 1998, when the last live-in keepers moved out. The engine room was converted into the main exhibit for the Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre when it was opened in July 2009.
“The permanent exhibit focuses on the social history of lives led on lighthouses and light vessels, as well as the history of lighting, fog signal development and safety at sea,” says Jones. There are also temporary exhibitions and tours of the operational west tower.
Collection
Photographs; two light-vessel optics, each about 12-foot high; semaphore flags; and fog-signalling equipment. There are items associated with the time when keepers lived in the lighthouse, including what Jones describes as “slabs of horrible yellow soap”.
Help at hand
Two people are in full-time daily management, plus a part-timer and six volunteers.
Highlights
Two 40-foot high gunmetal doors from Bishop’s Rock on the Isles of Scilly that were smashed during a storm in 1994. “They ended halfway up a 150-foot tower,” Jones says.
Budget
The annual turnover is £35,000 with income from admission (£6 adult) and the museum shop. The heritage centre was refurbished using £400,000 of match-funded Heritage Lottery Fund support.
Visitors
12,850 in 2011.
Sticky moment
“At the grand opening in July 2009, it looked as if the wind would take the Trinity House flag off a commemorative stone and wrap itself around HRH the Princess Royal, who was opening the lighthouse in front of a large gathering of children and retired lighthouse keepers. Thankfully, the flag stayed put, and the unflappable Princess Royal enjoyed her day.”
Survival tip
Diversify. The lighthouse’s management team are working on tie-in events and cross-promotional ticketing with the National Trust, National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Geevor Tin Mine.“We are developing a Lighthouse Passport for families with the itch to see more lighthouses at a discounted rate,” Jones says.
Future plans
Staff are gearing up for May 2014, when Trinity House celebrates its 500th anniversary of incorporation by Henry VIII with a series of exhibitions and events.
“The 10 lighthouses we open to the public will be a great way to engage with people, and, as our flagship visitor centre, the Lizard centre will be key to this,” Jones says.
www.lizardlighthouse.co.uk