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Europa Point Lighthouse (Europa Point Trinity Lighthouse)
Gibraltar
From [The Lighthouse Work of Sir James T. Chance (APPENDIX)](https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/attached-files/The%20Lighthouse%20Work%20of%20Sir%20James%20T.%20Chance.pdf),
[Trinity House](https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/europa-point-lighthouse) and [LAMP124](https://alk.org.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/Lamp124-Summer-2020.pdf):
1841 Lighthouse built by Trinity House. Started operation with a fixed light was lit by a "single wick oil lamp augmented by a dioptric fixed lens and catoptric mirrors."
1864 Light improved through the installation a "Chance Brothers four wick burner with new lens and A red arc," which was incorporated to cover the Pearl Rock ." Seems to be a first order Fesnel lens.
1875 Light improved through the installation of a "four wick mineral oil burner."
1894 Improvements
1) Light improved through the installation of a "Douglass eight wick burner"
2) "character changed from fixed to occulting"
3) "A new lantern was fitted with the power of the new light being 35,000 candelas."
4) "An explosive fog signal installed [...] with a character of two reports in quick succession every five minutes."
1905 Light improved through the installation of a "a triple incandescent mantle burner."
1923 Light improved through the installation of a "Hood petroleum vapour burner with a single mantle."
1954 to 1956
1) "Extensive structural alterations" were made
2) Electrically operated lighting system installed. "A revolving lens system of much greater power was installed for the main light and a subsidiary light was installed below the main optic to give a fixed red light over the Pearl Rock in addition to the red sector of the main light that already marked this hazard. The height of the tower was raised by six feet in order to accommodate the subsidiary light apparatus over the service room." The lens installed at that time seems to be a second order Fesnel lens, but I can find any reference that states who manufactured that lens.
1994 Automation completed. "The existing optic was retained and fitted with a three position lampchanger. The air fog signal was replaced by an electric system, a single directional 500 Hz emitter stack mounted on the lantern gallery."
2016 Lighthouse re-engineered
1) Fog Signal and Subsidiary Light were discontinued
2) Rotating optic was removed and replaced with two LED lanterns, positioned one above the other to provide a Main Light and a Standby Light arrangement."
| Manufacture Date | Work began at the end of 1863. Light "inspected at Spon Lane by representatives of the Trinity House on July 20, 1864." |
|---|---|
| Lighthouse Construction | November 1864 |
| Country | Gibraltar |
| Commissioning Body | Trinity House |
| Lens Type | Fixed |
| Status | publish |
| Light Character | Iso W 10s for the current 1-Tier White LED Lantern |
| Lighthouse Markings | White with a wide, horizontal, brick red stripe around the middle. |
| Lighthouse Parts | Chance Brothers four wick burner with new lens and a red arc |
| Management Body Ports Authority | Trinity House |
| Preserver | Government of Gibraltar. |
| Coastal Erosion Vulnerability | |
| Open Status (Site) | Open |
| Open Status (Tower) | Closed |
| Coordinates | 36.1096399564,-5.3448419467 |
| Other | "The Lighthouse Work of Sir James Chance, Baronet" contains an in-depth description of the work that the Chance Brothers did for the Europa Point Lighthouse on pages 58-62. [The Lighthouse Work of Sir James T. Chance (APPENDIX)](https://uslhs.org/sites/default/files/attached-files/The%20Lighthouse%20Work%20of%20Sir%20James%20T.%20Chance.pdf) Historic optic from the Europa Point Lighthouse, a second order Fresnel lens. is on display at the University of Gibraltar. (See [image of the historic lens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Gibraltar#/media/File:Lighthouse_lens.jpg) There is no mention if the historic optic was made by Chance Brothers. However, "The Lighthouse Work of Sir James Chance, Baronet" says that Captains Nesbit and Arrow had recommended the erection of a new first-order apparatus. Also, an article on the career of lightkeeper Graham Fearn says: "In 1864 a fixed first-order optic was installed, which included a red sector covering the Pearl Rocks on the far side of Gibraltar Bay. [...] During electrification works in the 1950s a second order revolving optic was installed." [See page 40 of LAMP124](https://alk.org.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/Lamp124-Summer-2020.pdf) So it seems that the historic optic is not the lens created by James Chance in 1863-64. Rather it seems to be the lens installed in the 1950s. However, I can't find any reference that says who made that lens. Video tour of the interior of the lighthouse in 1993. Starts at 40:10 and Ends at: 41:31 https://youtu.be/dqC6ClxyGbQ?t=2406 Video tour of the area surrounding the lighthouse: https://youtu.be/5NzwIgI604A ARLHS GIB-001; Admiralty D2438; NGA 4220. |