Spit Bank
Spit Bank has a focal height of 10 metres, a tower height of 10.5 metres and a range of 10 nautical miles. It was built in 1853.
- Focal height
- 10 metres
- Tower height
- 10.5 metres
- Range
- 10 nautical miles
- Built
- 1853
- First lit
- 1853
- Light characteristic
- Fl.(2)
- Coordinates
- 51.8453, -8.2739
The Spit Bank Lighthouse is located in Cork Harbour, Ireland, near the town of Cobh in County Cork. The lighthouse marks a shallow bank in the navigable channels of the harbour and serves as a boundary for compulsory pilotage for large vessels entering the Port of Cork.
Built between 1851 and 1853 using screw-pile technology, designed by George Halpin, and constructed by the blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell, the lighthouse has undergone renovations as recently as 2013. The structure is octagonal in shape, made of cast-iron and metal-plate materials, with a focal height of 10 meters. It features a distinctive white house and red platform/piles marking.
The Spit Bank Lighthouse has a rich history, with Alexander Mitchell pioneering the screw-pile technology used in its construction. Mitchell patented the screw-pile mooring in 1833 and went on to build the first screw-pile lighthouses in 1838, including the Maplin Sands Light and Wyre Light in England. The lighthouse remains an important landmark in Cork Harbour, guiding vessels safely through the harbour's navigable channels.
Light and tower
It lies on the Cork Harbour. It has an octagonal tower. The tower is built of Cast-iron, metal-plate. Its daymark is white (house), red (platform/piles). The light has a focal height of 10 metres. The light has a range of 10 nautical miles. Its light characteristic is Fl.(2). It was first lit in 1853. It is managed by [[Port of Cork|Cork Harbour Commissioners]].
Videos
Details
- Name
- Spit Bank Lighthouse
- Marking
- White (house), red (platform/piles)
- Range Nm
- 10
- Fog Signal
- Horn
- Foundation
- [[Screw-pile lighthouse|Screw-pile]]
- Year Built
- 1853
- Description
- The '''Spit Bank Lighthouse''' close to Cobh in County Cork, Ireland is a screw-pile lighthouse which marks a shallow bank in the navigable channels of lower Cork Harbour. The platform was built by the blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell (who pioneered the screw-pile technology used), with the lighthouse itself designed by George Halpin. In use since its completion between 1851 and 1853, and renovated as recently as 2013, the landmark structure marks the boundary of compulsory pilotage for large vessels entering the Port of Cork.
- Tower Shape
- Octagonal
- Body Of Water
- Cork Harbour
- Image Caption
- Spit Bank Lighthouse with [[Cobh]] in the background
- Location Text
- Cork
- Focal Height M
- 10
- Managing Agent
- [[Port of Cork|Cork Harbour Commissioners]]
- Tower Height M
- 10.5
- Year First Lit
- 1853
- Light Characteristic
- Fl.(2)
- Construction Material
- Cast-iron, metal-plate