Beachy Head Stripes Controversy - By: Skippers Guide

It was recently announced that the famous stripes on the Beachy Head Lighthouse were no longer going to be maintained.

Trinity House, which maintains the structure has said that the cost (Circa £30,000) was no longer justified in these times when vessels are more reliant on satellite positioning.

This announcement has been met with some surprise and disappointment as the stripes have made the lighthouse iconic.

Thus a campaign has been launched to preserve the stripes. Various celebrities have become involved in the campaign including, John Craven from Countryfile, weatherman Michael Fish, Neil Oliver, patron of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, the World Lighthouse Society and the South Downs National Park Authority.

It is a facebook campaign set up by Eastbourne Rotary AM and the Eastbourne Herald. The paint company 'Crown Paints' have offered to provide the paint but the campaign needs to raise funds for the specialist team of painters that will be needed.

Details are on the website - click here

The current lighthouse has been operational since 1902. The lighthouse is 43m high and some 165m in front of the cliffs. The Light flashes twice every 20 seconds and can be seen up to 26 miles (42km) out to sea. For over 80 years the Light was permanently manned by 3 Lighthouse Keepers, but it was fully automated and de-manned in June 1983. It is now monitored 24 hours a day from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre at Harwich in Essex.

The stretch of water covered by the lighthouse has some of the narrowest sections of the English Channel and it is also one of the busiest stretches of water containing high volumes of both commercial and recreational craft movements.

The area also contains some very tricky seas and hazardous shorelines. The amount of incidents and wrecks is also very high. There are stories of vessels of old being lured onto the shoreline by unscrupulous people using misleading lights.

This prominent feature also featured in various wars. History states that the sea battle known as the Battle of Portland took place off Beachy Head in 1653. And there was also another battle in 1690 called the Battle Of Beachy Head.

In more modern times, Beachy Head was used by the RAF as a forward observation post in World War II and much fighting took place in the air above.

The red stripes have become unconditionally associated with the lighthouse and it is a campaign worth supporting.

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