Gallery
Skokholm Lighthouse
Position 51° 41'.61 N 05° 17'.15 W
Skokholm Lighthouse forms the landward corner of a triangle of lights, the others being South Bishop and the Smalls, guiding ships clear of this particularly treacherous stretch of coastline into Milford Haven or up the Bristol Channel.
Before the lighthouse could be built on the island, a jetty had to be constructed in order that building materials could be landed safely; after the station had been completed, this jetty was used for landing stores and supplies, these being carried the mile to the lighthouse on two small trucks running on a narrow gauge railway. The trucks were originally pulled by a donkey which somehow always seemed to know when a relief day was due because he would deliberately hide often standing motionless under an overhanging rock. The colour of the rock blended perfectly with the donkey's grey coat, and he would just stand there while the keepers walked for miles seeking him. On any other day the donkey would come at a call. The pony which replaced him apparently soon learnt the tricks because he did his best to cause upsets every time he was called upon to pull the trucks, scattering coal and stores all over the place. A tractor was subsequently used for haulage, when relief was by tender from Holyhead, but nowadays a helicopter is used.
This lighthouse was automated in 1983 and is now monitored and controlled from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre at Harwich in Essex. Although keepers no longer live at the station Skokholm Island is still inhabited as the island has been made into a bird sanctuary with ornithologists from all over the world visiting the specially built hide to study the rare and unusual bird life.
Specifications
| Established | 1916 |
| Height Of Tower | 18 Metres |
| Height Of Light Above Mean High Water | 54 Metres |
| Automated | 1983 |
| Optic | 4th Order 250mm Catadioptric Rotating |
| Character | Flash White and Red Every 10 Seconds |
| Intensity | 57,900 Candela |
| Range Of Light | 15 nautical miles |
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