Hale Head Lighthouse 1906, Hale village, Halton, Merseyside, England, UK, L24 4WB
Image details
Contributor:
Tony Smith / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2RG904CFile size:
45.3 MB (2 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5021 x 3155 px | 42.5 x 26.7 cm | 16.7 x 10.5 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
4 August 2023Location:
Hale village, Halton , Merseyside, England, UK, L24 4WBMore information:
Hale Head Lighthouse was built to guide ships into the Upper Mersey. It is the most southerly point in Lancashire. The channel above Garston was first lit in 1838. The original lighthouse at Hale Head was established at the same time, with land being leased from the Blackburne family of Hale Hall. The original lighthouse was a short square tower. An adjacent cottage had previously been used as a bathing house and was converted into dwellings for the lighthouse keeper and family. On 1st January 1877 the Upper Mersey Navigation Commission was established, taking over jurisdiction for Hale, Garston and Ince Lighthouses. Following a survey, a new taller lighthouse was built in 1906 to replace the earlier tower. The new lighthouse exhibited a fixed white light, and a fog bell sounded during poor visibility. Hale Head Lighthouse was struck by enemy bombing during the Second World War. Gradually the Mersey silted up along the upper reaches, and in April 1958 the lighthouse was decommissioned and sold as a private residence. The cottage was later demolished and replaced with a new bungalow. The former optic is on display at Merseyside Maritime Museum, in Liverpool. The lighthouse was repainted and temporarily re-lit in June 2022 to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.