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Email: enquiries@trinityhouse.co.uk
Web: www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/trevose-head
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Trevose Head Lighthouse is a shore station, 90 feet tall, built by Thomas and Jacob Olver of Falmouth in 1847, and was first lit on 1st December 1847. After many shipwrecks along this part of the coast, and when first opened it showed two white lights and had no fog horn and a crew of two men. It is located about 4.5 miles from Padstow and is signposted from St. Merryn.
A complete revamp of the lighthouse in 1882 resulted in a single rotating white light and a crew of three men. And another modernisation in 1912 altered the light to a flashing red.
Trevose Lighthouse was automated in 1995 and the keepers were withdrawn on 20th December. The existing optic was retained but the rotation speed was slowed to alter the character to one flash every 7.5 rather than every 5 seconds. The red screens were removed to give a white light. The lamp was changed to 35 watt metal halide in a two position lamp-changer. A Tideland ML300 lantern mounted on the lantern gallery hand rail gives an emergency ten sea mile light. The air fog signal was replaced by an electric omnidirectional signal controlled by a fog detector. The light is controlled by a photocell mounted on the lantern murette. Telemetry equipment was also installed for remote monitoring and control from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre at Harwich in Essex.
Cornish Lighthouses Cornwall's Shipwrecks Padstow St. Merryn Trevose Head The Coastal Footpath