The Point of Ayr Lighthouse, also known as the Talacre Lighthouse, is a Grade II listed building situated on the north coast of Wales, on the Point of Ayr, near the village of Talacre.[1][2]
 Point of Ayr lighthouse, at Talacre beach | |
 | |
| Location | Talacre Wales United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| OS grid | SJ 121 853 |
| Coordinates | 53°21′25″N 3°19′20″W / 53.357044°N 3.322174°W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1776 |
| Construction | brick tower |
| Height | 18 metres (59 ft) |
| Shape | tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower, black lantern, red lantern dome |
| Heritage | Grade II listed building, National Monuments of Wales  |
| Light | |
| Deactivated | 1844 |
| Chester Lighthouse Act 1776 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for erecting a Lighthouse or Lighthouses, and Land Marks, in or near the Port of Chester; and for placing Buoys upon the Banks and Shoals leading into and in the said Port; and for regulating of Pilots and Persons towing or tracking of Vessels to and from the City of Chester; and for fixing the Rates payable for the same respectively. |
| Citation | 16 Geo. 3. c. 61 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 21 May 1776 |
History
editIt was authorised by the Chester Lighthouse Act 1776 (16 Geo. 3. c. 61) and built in 1776[3] by a trust of the Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen of Chester to warn ships entering between the Dee and the Mersey Estuary. It was replaced by a pile light and was decommissioned in 1844.[4] It is now a privately owned property.
The lighthouse was listed for sale in 2011[5] by then owner James McAllister, along with two acres of land, for £100,000. It was eventually sold in April 2012 for £90,000[6] to a private couple who continue to own the property. Two alleged incidents have been reported by Wales Online.[5]
In 2009, the BBC[7] reported that planning permission had been sought to erect a "human sculpture" inspired by the reported ghostly sightings on the lighthouse balcony. This application was made by then owner James McAllister who intended it to serve as a "serious art installation". Local artist Angela Smith[8] was contracted to design the 7 foot stainless steel ‘lighthouse keeper’ with the initial planning permission being approved for a three-year period. Permission was not sought to retain the structure after this point and the sculpture was relocated.
In 2007 the lighthouse was damaged by storms[9] which resulted in the metal steps leading to the building becoming dislocated and also resulted structural damage with a hole being created in the base according to the BBC. The cost of repairs was covered by the owners of a local caravan park who were involved in the ownership of the lighthouse at the time. The lighthouse featured in the background in a 2011 TV advertisement[10] by paint manufacturer Dulux. The advertisement was designed to mark the 50th anniversary of the first appearance of their Old English Sheepdog mascot.
See also
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References
edit
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Wales". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
- ^ Point of Ayr Lighthouse Wales Directory. Retrieved 3 June 2016
- ^ "Talacre Beach". Discover Flintshire. Flintshire Tourism Association. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ Douglas Bland Hague (1994). Hughes, Stephen (ed.). Lighthouses of Wales: Their Architecture and Archaeology. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-871184-08-2.
- ^ a b "Yours for £100,000: the haunted lighthouse with great views and a resident ghost". Wales Online. Media Wales LTD. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- ^ "Landmark Flintshire lighthouse sold". Daily Post. Trinity Mirror Merseyside. Retrieved 20 April 2011.
- ^ "Permanent 'ghost' for lighthouse". BBC. BBC. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
- ^ "Sculpture honours Talacre lighthouse ghost". Daily Post. Trinity Mirror Merseyside. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
- ^ "Storms damage historic lighthouse". BBC. BBC. 28 March 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2007.
- ^ Boyd, Andrew. "Paint dog's comeback at popular tourist site". Leader Live. NWN Media. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2011.