Lighthouses of England, Wolf Rock Lighthouse, Cornwall. mid 1990's 

Thank you Simon, yes the raw power of nature that the Wolf was renowned for, take care

Thank you for your kind words and glad you found my channel. Yes indeed, maybe you were, take care and stay safe

I was intrigued by fastnet island lighthouse and couldn’t find any video inside the lighthouse on RU-vid but googled it and there was an excellent tour video from the heli pad all the way up to the top by a maintenance worker from about 2010 on Vimeo. Seems a lot bigger inside than wolf rock.

Thanks for that, luckily I joined when it was month on and month off and done by helicopter. Yes, in the boat relief days the "Tower Rock" men were a special sort of Lighthouse Keeper.

Hi Alexander, Keeper or Technician?, best job I ever had as well, stay safe

@@PeterHalil Keeper. Was wonderful, should never have left but circumstances forced me to.

@@alexander7440 Sorry about that, yes it was a wonderful life and I agree with the best job bit, stay safe, take care.

Glad you like them thankyou. Stay safe

Thank you David, cheers.

Yes indeed and all built without a slide rule or computer in site! They knew how to build them then. Cheers and stay safe.

Thank you Robin, Glad you like the videos, much appreciated, cheers and stay safe

Cheers Jack, Yes the Wolf always delivers, stay safe

Thanks Dave, I bet it would have been a lot worse during storm Eunice that we had yesterday, cheers

Thank you Caroline, glad you were able to put some sort of substance into your book you were reading. I shall have to Google that one cheers, stay safe

That’s what brought me here too 😁 fantastic book and these videos are truly bringing the book to life.

@@PeeweeM80 Thank you Wendy, glad you found my site, take care and Happy New Year

Thanks Samuel, glad you liked it, cheers.

Thank you for that, yes a great feat of Victorian engineering, I'm glad I got to experience some of it cheers.

Thank you Anthony, glad you liked the video, cheers

Hi Simon, yes, in the middle of nowhere and could be ferocious most seasons I've been told. I never served on board, so never saw the bad winters that some Keepers told me about, cheers

I've got a feeling that the only way to do that now is to work for Trinity House (if in UK) as a mechanic or electrician from one of the depot's as maintenance crew, then you will get to sleep on there as well! cheers. Thank you.

@@PeterHalil Or attendant

Cheers Matt, It was breathtaking, and I was dead lucky with the storm arriving as it did I@m not sure which tower got done 1st but this one would have been tricky what with waves not unknown to come right over the top.

@@PeterHalil A bit of research is required. I honestly can't imagine just how difficult it was to get on and off without a helipad. You'd be saying your prayers on an anything less than glass smooth day for sure! My son wanted to know if anyone has ever died working at a lighthouse. I had to say I wasn't sure but I know that people certainly did loose their lives building them over the centuries. Sparking an interest in an 11yo lad these days takes at least a bit of death and gore it seems!

The first eddystone, flanagan isles and first smalls

@Stellvia Hoenheim No, Never! Ha Ha, cheers

Thank you very much for your kind comments. I was lucky enough to have experienced a job that very few get to see or do. So when Trinity decided to automate it all, I was determined to log as much as possible with video, to leave something behind for posterity. Cheers and stay safe

Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it. Take care and stay safe

Thank you David, glad you liked it. Stay safe.

Cheers David, very interesting, and what will I do when I run out of Lighthouses is something that I've been wondering too. Still I reckon I have another years worth or more before I'm done.

@@PeterHalil Is their a particular lighthouse you have never visited but would like too? Anywhere in the world?

@@craiggilchrist4223 Not thought of that one, I'm still trying to negotiate getting around the 3 or 4 that I missed doing before the redundancy caught up with me.

I haven't a clue what they did with the Mercury, if they updated the lenses when they automated. Yes the sea is hypnotic when it is like the sequence that I filmed, I always felt safe in the Victorian Lighthouses, incidentally I'm not too good with heights, but you have to hurt a bit if you want some good video. Cabin fever I've seen, especially on someone going through a divorce!

Hi John, I was appointed to 9 different lights during my career, and did different bits of duty on about 17 others. Then with the help of Trinity House, they sent me to as many of the others to try and finish my filming work, during my time off etc. I didn't manage to finish before redundancy caught me up, but recently I was allowed to do Caldey & Flatholm, it looks unlikely that I will get permission for 2 others that were missed. Cheers and stay safe

I haven't ever seen anyone replace panes but that's what they were for, every lighthouse I've visited have them. I would guess they would only be done in lighter winds etc and if it was going to take a while before anybody could come out to do the job properly, then the Keepers would have to do it themselves. The Keepers in the past seemed to do a lot more hands on jobs then.

Thank you Ian, glad you liked the videos. No none of our Lighthouses have collapsed but I expect the helipads on those out to sea would have some damage of sorts. Cheers, you stay safe too.

Thank you Tapabrata Chakraborty.

Thank you Geoffrey for that, I shall now have to google Sylvia Plath. Thanks again and stay safe

Hi Mohd Azri, glad to learn that some Lighthouses are still manned, thanks for that news.Fuel and water used to be delivered in barrels by boat and go up the winch, then when the Helipad was built all of that went as underslung loads and delivered to the helipad by helicopter where it was gravity fed down to its appropriate tanks.

@@PeterHalil Don’t forget British Columbia and the Bailey. Seems to be good for remote locations and security

Interesting to see Malaysia has some commitment to keeping everything ship shape and hopefully higher light dues

Thank you VV, Trinity House have technicians visiting these lights from time to time, but I don't know how often. As regards how they automated them your best bet would be to contact Trinity House or perhaps the A.L.K. may know, the ALK is the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, I will try and link both below.alk.org.uk/ www.trinityhouse.co.uk/contact/website-enquiries

Previously it was sun valves

Thank you IKS, much appreciated.

Hey Iks is in the house 👋🏻

Thank you for your kind words, much appreciated, stay safe

Thank you John, All that I can think of off the top of my head would be the 1st Eddystone that got washed away in a big storm, complete with the crew and designer, but that was wooden.

@@PeterHalil An Ironic way to go

Hi, the pepperpot device on the landing was put there by the Trinity House Engineer James Walker in 1848 to mark the reef, before they got round to being able to put a Lighthouse there. I t was basically just a day marker i guess.

@@PeterHalil Thank you, Peter. Presumably, if you could see it, you could avoid it, and if you couldn't see it, you'd see the breaking surf... Scary times for seamen in wind driven vessels.

I thought you were referring to the 'peepot' device. I can't imagine what its use is!

I may be wrong, but I think it's part of a previous marker/structure.

It was the second attempt to mark the reef. Peter explains the history of the rock at the beginning in writing @1:54 then explains the 2nd attempt @2:26

@@chunt5073 Yes. The sound is iffy on my laptop ATM. And it's covered in the book- Seashaken Houses.

Yes to all those comments , it was the 2nd attempt to mark the reef before the tower was built.

Brave man if you did!!!

Hi, thanks, and yes I filmed from the safety net attached to the Heli deck.

The cone was the 2nd attempt at marking the reef before they put up the tower, cheers

Hi Linda, I filmed to leave some sort of record behind and hoped that perhaps Trinity House (my bosses) would keep copies to enable others to be able to view them. Although when I started they were very interested and helped a great deal by sending me all over the place during free from duty times as well as on duty times to enable me to film; fast forward 20 plus years and it is an all new lot of people in trinity house that don't have the same enthusiasm as when I served. The Greenwich Maritime Museum wanted them, but only if I signed all the rights over to them! so no thank you. So for the time being at least, You Tube fits the bill OK. The Lighthouses aren't water tight, and during a big blow the keepers were constantly mopping up. It used to be 2 men on some stations but at the Smalls in the early 1800's one keeper died and as they were seen to be arguing when they went out, the other kept the body to show that he hadn't murdered him. When the relief was eventually done, well over due, they found one dead keeper and one mad one, so three keepers ever since. Finally, there is no choice or rhyme or reason to who you are sent out on a Lighthouse with. cheers and stay safe

might not of been this light house, but in one of the interviews, they speak about a light house being notorious for damp and water running down the walls, and how the rayburn helped cure it when they installed it, or even the reverse the removal of the rayburn caused the issue

Hi, I think they all would have had Rayburn or Cornish ranges going back and on the Needles they fought tooth and nail to keep theirs up to when they were automated. It was standard practice on boat reliefs etc to top up the coal reserves as well as water etc, and yes it was great for less or no condensation.

Peter Halil does the Rayburn still exist in the needles. Or have removed everything that mad them inhabitable

@@mintysgt I don't know the answer to that for sure but the normal thing they do when they automate is renew the kitchen, so it should have gone. The places have to be habitable because of the visiting technicians doing the servicing of equipment from time to time.

Peter Halil I had wondered if they were still inhabitable for that reason. Would think like you say brought a little up to date in side. Have you been to a rock tower in recent years ? Or did that pleasure all stop

Cheers Tony, that was my videoing without my thinking brain switched on. It wasn't unknown for the waves to go right up an over! Yes the place trembles when a big wave hits and you get a gentle shake if you are in bed. Also, the wave engulfing the tower can compress the air inside, so your ears "pop", like when you drive up a very steep hill too quickly. The cone with the holes in on the landing was one of the original ways that they tried to mark the reef, and is still there going strong, cheers and take care

I google map the location is it on the Celtic sea. What year what the light house built. I wish I was the to experience the trembles and think how amazing to built out on rocks in the middle of nowhere.is it hard to be a lighthouse keeper.

@@tonybrincat1745 Built 1869, yes they class it as the Celtic sea. As regards being a Keeper, it depended on you as not many people could put up with being shut in a tiny tower surrounded by the sea and all it could throw at you, cheers

@@PeterHalil it sounds perfect honestly. Some books, peace of mind. Some of the waves in this video looked quite powerful. Were you ever genuinely scared or concerned? If you don't mind me asking so, what was the scariest bit and/or the biggest storm you experienced? It would be amazing to read your book, i hope you write it someday.

@@gaiuspliniussecundus1455 No, never really scared as such, more apprehensive during my first storm. The biggest storm was the one I filmed on the Wolf I guess. My book, if I ever get it done, was more of journals that I did when out to sea doing extra duties. like the Hanois and the Christmas tape. I tried to put everything down, even my thoughts on my companions, and even my shopping lists for going out there. Anyway, thanks for your comments. Take care and be safe.

Yes most seem to be old, the modern ones from the 60's type era would be Tater Du and Dungeness I guess, cheers.

Thank you, I've no idea about what you are asking as such, but I was led to believe that the only entry into Tower rocks was via the top after automation. They would all be sealed shut against the seas and weather. A definitive answer should be from enquiries@trinityhouse.co.uk cheers

Likely as to stop people breaking in

Hi, This was not my station, I was only visiting to video so no idea to your 1st question. At the end I will give a link to the Association of Lighthouse Keepers who are a much better fount of knowledge than me, and will no doubt have access to Keepers that served on the Wolf. As regards dams to build the Tower rocks, no, they scrambled on the reefs in between tides to build them as far as I'm aware. A very good book to try and find that describes this in detail is "The red rocks of Eddystone" by Fred Majdalany. Yes I know it isn't the Wolf, but it gives a good idea of how it was done. alk.org.uk/

Hi yes , I went out onto the gallery after the lantern bit, passing a couple of fog horn emitters.

Way back they would have had Keepers and families on a lot of the Island lights, so they were all involved. There were some Keeper & Wife stations when they started to automate. The diet was as varied as anyone elses but if you go back before fridges they boiled up their meat into jam jars and sealed them with the fat to preserve and ate that. All fresh fruit & veg were consumed in the first few weeks then a lot of tinned till the next supply of fresh could be delivered or even grown if on an island light, oh and all the fish and crabs they could catch. Hobbies, they fished ,even with kites out to sea, some gardened on islands, rug making, painting ,reading, model making, ships in bottles and Lighthouse bulbs was a favourite, one of us even made videos!

Peter Halil Thank you Peter. It seems a really good life for people who could adjust to it. It’s amazing the things we find to do to pass the time.

@@PeterHalil The filiaments and mantles were/are quite big

Hi, The offshore Rock lighthouses were built in the shape of a tree, with a hefty base and tapering towards the top. This was I believe, to encourage the waves to pass up the building with less resistance than a straight solid object. The lighthouses did move in big storms when big heavy waves struck, just like a tree does, but obviously no where near as severe, just a quiver that gave you a gentle shake in your bed and rattled some crockery. Cheers and stay safe.

@@PeterHalil Thank you very much, sir, for offering those intriguing observations. Goodness, it must have been quite something to be inside that "vessel" during the heat of a storm. I suppose one must possess a certain strength of mind to endure it. Perhaps like a submariner. ....Looking forward to reading "The Red Rocks of Eddystone". I've found a copy. Best regards, RL

@@richemontlewis7333 Cheers, Hope you enjoy the book, take care.

@@PeterHalil Thank you! Best wishes from stormy Cornwall.

I'm assuming that the newer ones would have come by helicopter, and maybe broken down into parts then rebuilt inside, but way back everything had to come by boat!

Hi Paul, Yes they did move. A gentle twitch or sway, nothing too violent experienced by me. Other Keepers were in bigger storms, so they may say different. Stay safe

@Peter Halil Really loving these, but it saddens me too, seems a tragic loss, this way of life. I don't think people realise the amount of necessary areas and parts needed. I imagined them tranquil, but they're quite noisy inside. I want a banana bunk 😂

@@paulwilliams2663 Banana Bunks, Brilliant! Yes it seems like I've shattered lots of peoples views of tranquil lighthouses, reality sucks. Cheers Paul, stay safe

Just the generators, but nowadays, probably all solar. The Needles was put on undersea cable during my time there. cheers.

@@PeterHalil Thanks.

Thank you very much, glad you liked it. Take care and stay safe

Lots of Keepers were very keen fishermen on all sorts of Lighthouses, in my interviews some mention it,they even fished with kites.

@@PeterHalil Thanks. I am slowly working my way through your vids. I really appreciate the effort you went to filming these light houses. Knowing the equipment & batteries are nothing like todays kit

Hi Ashley, When they built these lighthouses out to sea, it all had to be done at low water, in calm weather and not many hours to be able to do anything at all. They chiselled out an area first, then the blocks of granite they built the tower out of would have something like dovetail type joints, which would lock it into the cut outs done in the reef and also lock it into the next block to either side of it and above. So when the lighthouse was eventually completed, all the blocks were so locked to each other, it became like one solid structure. cheers.

That I do not know because, last I heard they were solar powering almost everywhere.

@@PeterHalil Personally pefer the light off the engined ones

@@oscarosullivan4513 more reliable if off engines

@@vikingsmb And not as likely to be damaged look at what they did to Fastnet. What was the carbon foot print of all lighthouses globally

It was built in 1848 by the Trinity House engineer James Walker as a way of trying to mark the Wolf rock before they got the lighthouse built. It wasn't lit, so obviously not much good in the dark.

Hi June, No I haven't written a book yet, but I did keep several large journals during the last few years of being a Keeper. Hopefully one day I will get my act together and get it all in book form, cheers.

Hi Legionnaire, can't say that I've ever noticed that, Trinity House seemed very fixed on Lister/Gardner engines.

Very Marie Celeste with the salt and pepper still on the table!

Lister - ahh, the enemy :) No, just curious as I worked for Perkins for 15 years and wondered if any of our diesels were installed.

More likely Lister?

@@philhealey449 Ha Ha, I was out there with some techy guys who were doing something or other?...and as per usual, as soon as my video camera was running, so were they!

Straight into the sea!

@@PeterHalil : Yes, I guessed that ! But with the sea coming at the tower from all directions, how did they arrange it so the pan wasn’t awash with sea water - and the room it’s in? Nor to mention wet bums?

@@chriswalford4161 Lol, sometimes that did happen on Tower Rocks!, as it did on the Needles video, "so you want to be a Lighthouse Keeper". Cheers.

Way back it would have been collected rainwater, then it was delivered by boat, then by helicopter underslung loads. Cheers.

On most Tower Rocks the fuel or whatever came aboard in containers up the winch. Cheers and stay safe