Amlwch lighthouse
 | |
| Location | Amlwch, Anglesey, Wales |
|---|---|
| Year first constructed | 1853 |
| Year first lit | 1853 |
| Deactivated | c 1972 |
| Construction | ashlar masonry |
| Tower shape | square |
| Markings / pattern | none |
| Height | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
| Range | 6 miles (5.2 nmi; 9.7 km) |
| Characteristic | tapered tower |
The Amlwch lighthouse (Grid reference: SH 452937) is a lighthouse tower situated on the outer pier of Amlwch, at the northeast tip of Anglesey, Wales. The existing lighthouse, a square tower erected in 1853, is the fourth on this site. It has original fine, but battered, ashlar masonry to a height of 4.6 metres (15 ft); the present lantern was added on top at a later date.
History
Two short piers at Amlwch were built following a private Act of Parliament of 1743, when the harbour was improved. Two octagonal houses, with small lanterns protruding from the roof, were added. They were described in the New Seaman’s Guide as "small white houses displaying lights at night".
In 1816 an outer pier, about 46 metres (151 ft) long, was built to give shipping extra protection inside the harbour. In 1817, a small lighthouse with a light 8.5 metres (28 ft) above high-water mark was built, subsequently replaced with the present lighthouse.
The drydock and lighthouse on the small creek at Amlwch once served the shipping of one of the largest copper mines in Europe, located at Parys Mountain. The significance of the early copper-exporting port at Amlwch makes the lighthouse part of a heritage site of international importance.
References
Hague, D. B., Lighthouses of Wales: Their Architecture and Archaeology (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, edited by Hughes, S., 1994) ISBN 1-871184-08-8
Coordinates: 53°24′55″N 4°19′59″W / 53.4154°N 4.3330°W