THE LIGHT-HOUSES
are at once highly useful, and present striking objects of interest to the visiter.
The Upper Light-house is a neat and ornamental building, situated at the northern extremity of the High street, on a commanding eminence, and may be seen to advantage by a person entering the town from the Yarmouth side. It was erected in 1676, by the Brethren of the Trinity House, and subsequently repaired and improved in the years 1778, 1825, and 1840. It is fitted up with large plated reflectors in a lantern of plate glass.
The Lower Light situated on the beach, towards the south of the town, consists simply of a lantern, fitted with lamps and reflectors, as in the case of the upper light, elevated on a framework of wood; it has received this structure in order that it may be easily removed: it has been found necessary sometimes to change its place, as the sands—to warn against danger from which, the light-houses have been erected—are continually shifting. Mariners steering in a line with these two lights, can safely pass between the Holme and Barnard sands, the channel between which, is not more than a quarter of a mile wide.
The purposes now answered by the light-houses were, prior to 1676, imperfectly effected by two beacons, one of which stood on the site now occupied by the upper light, the other stood on the north side of the passage going down the Swan score.
There is a Floating Light called the ‘Stanford,’ anchored upon the Stanford sand; it is fitted up with two lamps, which are suspended upon two masts raised for the purpose. This light answers a similar purpose to that of the others. In foggy weather, when the lights are not visible, a gong is beaten at short intervals, to warn vessels of their approach to the sands.
The instructions given to the persons superintending the lights are very minute. The lanterns and reflectors must be kept constantly cleaned, and the lamps must be trimmed every few hours; a book is kept in which the time when the lamps are trimmed is regularly entered. The persons who attend to the floating light are constantly on board the vessel during the time they are in charge: there are two sets of men, (six in a set) each set having remained a month is then relieved.