West Usk Lighthouse

West Usk Lighthouse

West Usk Lighthouse, 2013
Location	Uskmouth Newport Wales United Kingdom
OS grid	ST3111582882
Coordinates	51°32′26″N2°59′41″W / 51.54061°N 2.99465°W / 51.54061; -2.99465
Tower
Constructed	1821
Built by	James Walker
Construction	brick tower
Height	17 metres (56 ft)
Shape	cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern rising from a 2-storey keeper’s house
Markings	white tower and lantern
Operator	West Usk Lighthouse [1]
Heritage	Grade II listed building
Light
Deactivated	1922

West Usk Lighthouse is a Grade II-listed building on the Severn Estuary at the mouth of the River Usk south of the city of Newport, South Wales.

History

The lighthouse was constructed in 1821. It was the first to be built by James Walker (1781–1862), a prominent Scottish civil engineer. ^[2] Amongst other projects, Walker went on to build another 21 lighthouses. The land around the lighthouse has been reclaimed as farmland but it stood on an island until 1856. It was decommissioned as an operational lighthouse in 1922.^{[ citation needed ]}

The lighthouse is currently operating as a hotel. For hotel guests, a private road off the B4239 (Lighthouse Road) leads to the lighthouse. Alternatively, it may be reached by a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) walk along the sea wall footpath from the car park of the Lighthouse Inn on Beach Road. The lighthouse is situated next to the Pont-y-cwcw Reen. It was featured in July 2008 on an episode of the Channel 5 television series The Hotel Inspector ^[3] and in 2020 on the Doctor Who twelfth series episode "Fugitive of the Judoon". ^[4] The lighthouse is a Grade II listed building. ^[5]

The less substantial East Usk Lighthouse, on the opposite bank of the River Usk, is within the Newport Wetlands wildlife reserve.

See also

• Wales portal
• Engineering portal

• List of lighthouses in Wales

References

1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Wales". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved 3 June 2016.
2. Jones 2009, p. 78.
3. "The Hotel Inspector".
4. "Doctor Who - Series 12: 5. Fugitive of the Judoon" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
5. Cadw. "Former West Usk Lighthouse (Grade II) (3081)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

Sources

• Jones, Stephen K. (2009). Brunel in South Wales. Vol. II: Communications and Coal. Stroud: The History Press. ISBN   9780752449128.

External links

• West Usk Lighthouse