For many years I have peered from the cliffs at Land’s End out to the pale finger of the Longships Lighthouse in the distance. There is always something so romantic about that seemingly so close and yet so far tower, perched on its granite island surrounded by a swirling sea. Recently I was very fortunate to get closer to Longships than I ever imagined I would and it has inspired me to spend some time looking into the story of this impressive structure.
This post came about because I was given the opportunity of joining Coast Boat Trips on one of their wonderful ‘Rounding Cornwall’ tours, which takes lucky folks from Hayle all the way around Land’s End to Penzance (or the other way depending on the tides). It was a really amazing experience!
There are many reasons to take this trip with them, from the breath-taking scenery to the amazing encounters with wildlife but what will stay with me forever was the unique chance to see so much of Cornwall in a completely different way! Looking up at Zennor Head, Gurnard’s Head, Cape Cornwall and Land’s End from the water was truly incredible and, of course, a real highlight on that journey (for me) was our visit to the Longships Lighthouse!
The Carn Bras Light
“Tide races, cross seas, fogs and Altantic storms combine to make navigation around the westernmost extremity of Britain a tricky and dangerous business”. – Cyril Noall, Cornish Lights and Shipwrecks, 1968
Long before the lighthouse was built the reef off the bottom of Land’s End was known as Longships, it was given this name because it was thought that from the shore the line of rocky outcrops cresting above the waves looked like a little fleet of ships. The whole reef was a serious menace to shipping, making passage around Land’s End treacherous, and by far the largest rock, or you might say vessel in that fleet, is Carn Bras.
The lighthouse that we see today was not the first to be built on the rock known as Carn Bras. In 1791 Trinity House gave a lease to Henry Smith to build an aid to navigation there. This is not the first time I have encountered Smith – he was also involved in the building of a beacon on Wolf Rock – sadly however his enterprises were not the money making ventures that he had imagined that they would be and soon after he had completed the first lighthouse at Longships in 1795 he found himself in debtors prison.
Although Smith’s light, at just 24m tall, did remain standing for many years, it was never really up to the immense seas that the Longships is prone to and it was regularly swamped by waves, rendering the light useless. Trinity House decided that it needed to build a replacement and brought in Sir James Douglass, their Engineer-in-Chief. For once the building of this new offshore lighthouse seems to have been fairly straightforward, apart from the usual delays for the weather, and the new light was lit in December 1873.
More than 150 years later the tower remains a graceful structure and stands 110ft (34m) above the water at high tide.
For much of its history keepers were resident on the Longships but I get the impression that their life there may have been a little easier, in some ways, than those on the more isolated Wolf Rock, for example. There were three keepers at the lighthouse at any one time and those on Longships were in sight of land and were famously able to signal to their wives and families on shore at Sennen using flags and lanterns. There were also granite and iron bridges connecting Carn Bras to some of the other ‘islands’ of the reef, meaning that the men could move about a fair bit and go fishing from other rocks.
Of course there were always difficulties, bad weather could mean that the keepers were trapped at the lighthouse for extended periods, and inevitably there were still terrible wrecks, including the Cardiff steamer ‘Blue Jacket‘ that ran aground on the Longships in November 1898.
The Legendary Lighthouse
“Probably no lighthouse in the world has gathered round itself so many colourful and romantic stories as the Longships . . .” – Cyril Noall, Cornish Lights and Shipwrecks, 1968
There are too many stories of wreck and rescue associated with the Longships Lighthouse to relate here but perhaps the most famous legend of all was turned into an extremely popular 19th century novel – The Watchers on the Longships – published by James F Cobb in 1878. Cobb’s book tells the story of a young girl, the daughter of one of the keepers, who courageously keeps the light shining to foil the evil plans of some wreckers who have kidnapped her father. And incredibly it appears that this story could have been based on real events that were reported in the Cornish Telegraph in 1873.
This lighthouse was also the scene of the heroic exploit of a little girl who was left by herself through her father (the lightkeeper) having been kidnapped and confined by some wreckers when he went to shore to get provisions. The wreckers felt sure that little maid would not able to light up even if she thought of it; but how astonished and exasperated were they when, just after sunset, the light gleamed forth over the waters as usual. The child, with intelligence beyond her years, had piled one thing another on a chair until she could reach the lamps and light them. The last thing she placed on the pile was the old family Bible. She overcame her conscientious scruples about standing on it by the thought the imperative duty she was performing.
– Cornish Telegraph, 31 December, 1873
How true this story actually is is up for debate but it is thought that Cobb read this article in the newspaper and used it as the inspiration for his popular book.
Another famous account of Longships Lighthouse is given to us by the writer, J. T. Bligh in his wonderful book, A Week at the Land’s End.
Bligh claims the following:
“The lantern of the lighthouse was once broken in during a fearful storm, and on that memorable night it is said that the hair of one of the keepers changed from jet black to white.”
How to Visit Longships – Adventures with Coast Boat Trips
The only easy way that I know of visiting Longships Lighthouse, unless you happen to own a boat, is to take a trip with Coast Boat Trips. As you might have gathered this article is part history and part review.
But it is important to note – I was not paid for this review and all thoughts and opinions are genuinely my own!
The trip that I was gifted was their ‘Rounding Cornwall’ tour, and I would highly recommend this as an incredible once in a lifetime experience for anyone, local or visitor alike, who wants to see a different face of our beautiful coastline. They also do shorter adventures including trips from Penzance to Land’s End, along the North Coast, their ‘Golden Hour’ trips and journeys to Godrevy too – I have my eye on that one for next time!
Coast Boat Trips is a family run tour business that has been operating since 2020 and their skipper, Jack, has a lifetime of experience on the Cornish coast as well as an impressive record of Atlantic and Pacific crossings. We felt in very safe and knowledgeable hands. The other thing that makes their trips so special is that each group is also accompanied by one of a team of marine biologists and ecologists who bring incredible expertise and insight into the ecosystems and the creatures you will encounter.
The ethos of the company is very much grounded in a desire to protect and to educate as much as possible. Every aspect of the trip was carefully planned and considered, taking into account keeping a good distance for the wildlife while also allowing the guests to get a unique perspective into their world!
Find out more here – Coast Boat Trips: Spectacular Boat Rides In Cornwall .
I Am green with envy!
Always wanted to visit the lighthouses around the Cornnish coast
But alas it remains a dream.