Find Skerries Lighthouse, Protecting Ships off Anglesey Coast

by David Phillips

An experienced yachtsman sailing across the Irish Sea will know about Skerries Lighthouse off the North West Anglesey coast in the UK. When they approach Holyhead Bay either from Dublin in the west or the north, this lighthouse on an isolated rock off the island coast will soon come into view. Today the Trinity House lighthouse on Skerries Rock is fully automatic and its 23 metres in height means the white flashing light can be seen by sailors up to 22 miles away.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) occasionally send out a team onto Skerries rock to monitor what is probably the largest tern colony in the world. However, over 200 years ago and matters were very different on this Anglesey coast known for its danger to shipping and littered with shipwrecks. Around 1713 an Irishman called William Trench purchased a 99 year lease on Skerries from William Robinson, a local landowner.

To get the first ever lighthouse going on Skerries would be a major task but this did not stop the entrepreneurial William Trench and he achieved success with the first lights coming on in 1716. While not a powerful light such as in use today, the 35 foot high tower supported an open grate and a coal burning flame was produced. All ships except the British Navy had to pay a levy based on tonnage for passing the lighthouse.

In 1730 these levies were as much as around $2,200 every year (1=$2), a huge sum in those days. The fees continued to rise over the following years so that by 1828 the income was a massive $23,000. There was a change in ownership during this time and eventually the Trinity House bought the Skerries Lighthouse freehold for a staggering 445,000 ($990,000) in 1841.

It is very challenging trying to sail through the Langdon Ridge, the gap between Carmel Head on Anglesey and Skerries, even for experienced sailors and in fine conditions. So tricky are the tides and closeness of the rocks that some yachtsmen choose not to go through Langdon, especially at night. Your boat can be pulled along with the flood tide from Holyhead, and before you know it you are up level with Cemlyn Nature Reserve and Wylfa Power Station. These waters are ideal for new tidal turbines and there have already been scoping studies to look at viability as a new source of green energy.

Sailing around Anglesey can be great fun. And you can enjoy marine wildlife - cormorants, puffins, dolphins and puffins -either from the sea or the coastal path. When you pass Skerries Lighthouse just try to imagine the struggles of William Trench all those years ago, and how now these Anglesey Lighthouses protect ships and yachts. Kayak enthusiasts sometimes kayak to Skerries from Church Bay, and they have to measure the wind and tide to avoid missing their destination in these tidal waters.

Looking back over 250 years to the time of William Trench, Skerries Lighthouse has had a colourful history. With the end of sail and the coming of steam, the lighthouse keepers would have seen famous ships like the Royal Charter and Great Eastern, as well as numerous wrecks. There is a big tern colony on the rock and occasionally yachts and kayaks visit this isolated Anglesey Lighthouse.

About the Author:

The writer, David Phillips, lives on sunny Anglesey island, North Wales, and owns a local news website. Learn more about the amazing Lighthouse on Skerries off the wild North West Anglesey Coast.