21615

 

II*  

Designated  

26/03/1999  

17/07/2002  

Trwyn Du, or Black Point, Lighthouse  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Llangoed  

 

Trwyn Du  

264143  

381498  

 

Situated in the strait between Black Point, or Trwyn Du, Penmon, Anglesey and Puffin Island, close to the shore but accessible only at low tide.  

Maritime  

 

The lighthouse was built to mark the north entrance to Menai Strait, and the passage between the two islands, in 1835-38. It was designed by James Walker, consultant engineer to Trinity House. The lighthouse was manned until 1922 when it was automated and converted to gas power. It was converted to solar power in 1995 and solar panels fitted to the gallery. The gas power equipment remains on station.  

Ashlar, painted in broad bands of black and white. A circular tower 96 feet high (29.26m), on a stepped base, stepped in height at the half-way point, and with crenellated parapet corbelled out; cast iron lantern with conical roof surmounted by ball finial carrying arrow weather vane. Doorway in lower stage above the stepped plinth with Trinity House arms in relief above it, and small windows aligned with it in upper stages, which also have other intermittant windows. All windows are small-paned sashes, the openings apparently originally triple glazed. Lantern has grid of glazing bars, obscured on the landward side. One fog warning bell is suspended from the parapet. 'No Passage Landward' in large painted letters facing to either end of the strait.  

Basement in the stepped plinth of the tower holds water tanks which were designed to receive rainwater gathered on the roof. Store room to ground floor, with shallow domed ceiling. Enclosed stone stair winding against the external walls. First upper level has former keeper's living room, wth built-in dresser, cast iron range (with enriched ironwork), pump and sink. Single rooms on each of the two levels above each retain small decorated cast-iron fireplaces. The original curved panelled doors remain throughout. Service room at top level below lantern has inscribed stone, 'Except the lord build the house....Psalm MCXXVII', and cast iron baluster to stairway to lantern. Fixed lens of first order catadioptric type, carried on a cast-iron platform which supports the braced cast-iron base of the optic.  

A remarkably complete early C19 lighthouse, which is of particular note for the exceptional survival of many of its original internal fittings.