Frequently Asked Questions About Trinity House
On this page you will find responses to a number of questions Trinity House regularly receives.If you have a question relating to Trinity House that is not answered here please send it to enquiries@thls.org and we will do our best to find an answer for you.
- Who are Trinity House?
- What day to day functions does Trinity House perform?
- But Trinity House just maintains lighthouses and buoys...
- What does the Corporation do?
- How is the lighthouse service funded?
- Why are lighthouses different colours?
- Which are the smallest and tallest Trinity House lighthouses?
- What type of paint is used on the lighthouses?
- Why are you called Trinity House?
- What is the role of an Elder or Younger Brother?
- Why are they named Elder Brethren and Younger Brethren?
- On your coat of arms is the motto 'Trinitas in Unitate'. What does it mean?
- Is it possible to have a tour of Trinity House?
- How are visibility readings measured for the Shipping Forecast?
- Do you have records of ship wrecks?
- Do you have records of former lighthouse and lightvessel personnel?
- Do you have records of former Trinity House pilots?
- I have a question about Trinity House Hull/Newcastle/Leith. Who do I contact?
- I have an enquiry about the Merchant Navy. Who do I contact?
- I have a question about the Royal Navy. Who do I contact?
- I have a question about the coastguard. Who do I contact?
- I have a question about the RNLI. Who do I contact?
- Were Trinity House lighthouses switched off during World War II?
Who are Trinity House?
Trinity House is an independent corporation with nearly 500 years of expertise in maritime safety.
We were granted a Charter by Henry VIII in 1514 and today have three distinct functions:
First, we are the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for a range of general aids to navigation, 'signs of the sea', from lighthouses to radar beacons.
Second, we are a charitable organisation dedicated to the safety, welfare and training of mariners.
Third, we are a Deep Sea Pilotage Authority providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters.
We take pride in our international reputation for quality, efficiency and independence.
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What day to day functions does Trinity House perform?
Our primary purpose is to guide ships safely through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, such as the Dover Strait.
We also enable mariners to locate thier positions to within 5-10 metres through our differential GPS radio navigation service. The service operates around the clock, every day of the year and in all weather conditions.
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But Trinity House just maintains lighthouses and buoys...
Far from it. We are one of the pioneers in the development of solar and wind energy systems for both onshore and offshore installations. We also make use of sophisticated remote communications systems to secure the reliability of our aids to navigation.
In addition to naval operations, we offer a diverse range of commerical services, from asset management and data solutions to holiday cottages and visitor centres in outstanding coastal locations.
Find out more about the buoys we maintain here.
What does the Corporation do?
The Corporation of Trinity House is the UK's largest endowed maritime charity, donating over £3m annually. The funds are raised through rents generated from land bequeathed to the Corporation as well as through the hiring out of the charity's magnificent HQ on Tower Hill for all manner of events from grand weddings and receptions to discreet meetings.
The accounts of the lighthouse service and the corporate charity are entirely separate. You can email enquiries to the Corporate Charity at charityenquiries@thls.org
How is the lighthouse service funded?
The service provided by Trinity House is financed from 'Light Dues' levied on commercial vessels calling at ports in the British Isles, based on the net registered tonnage of the vessel. The rate is set by the Department of Transport, and annually reviewed.
Light dues are paid in to the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF), which is under the stewardship of the Department for Transport. The fund is used to finance the lighthouse services provided by Trinity House, the Northern Lighthouse Board (responsible for Scotland and the Isle of Man) and the Commissioners of Irish Lights (responsible for the waters around both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).
You can find out more about the rates of Light Dues by clicking here.
Why are lighthouses different colours?
Lighthouses are painted differently to help identification of them by the mariner during the day. For example, a lighthouse may be painted all white if its surroundings/background is dark, such as fields or woodland. This will help it stand out from its background. The red and white stripes help the mariner identify the lighthouse if the lighthouse is up against a white background, such as cliffs or rocks.
Lighthouses are different heights in order to project the beam of light the furthest distance. The horizon is approximately 27 miles away before the earth curves and so the height of the lamp must take in to consideration the curve of the earth and the height of the ground that the lighthouse is standing on. But the light should not be so high up that local sailors will not see it. It is possible that a sailor sitting a mile or so out at sea may not see the light if the beam is too high. Hence, you will frequently get shorter lighthouses on the top of cliffs and taller lighthouses built nearer the water surface.
The actual shape of the lighthouse often depended upon the whim of the individual designer, which is why there are some that look like traditional lighthouses whereas others look like castles.
Additionally lighthouses in fairly close proximity to each other have different flash patterns (or characteristics) to allow the mariner to visually identify their location as well as relying on their technical equipment on board. Some lighthouses in different geographical areas (eg east and west coast) share the same flash patterns.
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Which are the smallest and tallest Trinity House lighthouses?
Crow Point and Berry Head are the shortest traditional looking lighthouses each measuring in at 5m high. Hilbre Island is the shortest lighthouse at 3m.
The tallest lighthouses are Bishop Rock and Eddystone and both are reported to be 49m high.
In comparison the tallest lighthouse in the world is in Yokohama, Japan and measures 106m.
What type of paint is used on your lighthouses?
We mainly use two different paint systems depending on the wall material ie render, stone, granite.
In 1982/83 Trinity House started a Grit Blasting program to remove all old paint coatings from the wall elevations and apply a two part polyurethane system, a gloss finish.
This is a very hard coating and gives a six to eight year period before recoating is required. The joinery of the station is re painted every three to four years with oil based undercoat and gloss.
The polyurethane system is also used on the station metal work.
In the last ten years we have been applying on grit blasted render stations a more flexible coating, Monolastex Smooth which is water based coating. The coating gives water vapour permeability, tolerates thermal movements in the substrate, and contains an active fungistatic system which prevents the growth of mould, fungus and algae on the paint surface. This system provides a matt finish.
We have found the system user friendly and easy to apply. It is certified as a two coat application plus a priming coat which lasts for 15 years but in our exposed environment we recoat our stations every six to eight years.
We have had problems with offshore lighthouses which are damp and have little or no heating.
After carrying out paint trials with a number of products we found a liquid plastics product which has preformed well when used in our off shore buildings. It is vapour permeable and is a fungicidal system. It is highly elastic so tolerates structural movement.
Why are you called Trinity House?
Our full name is ‘The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild, Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St. Clement in the Parish of Deptford Strond, in the County of Kent'. As such we are a guild, or house, named for the Holy Trinity - therefore we are Trinity House. Saint Clement is sometimes referred to as the patron saint of sailors, as he was drowned with an anchor.
What is the role of an Elder or Younger Brother?
Trinity House comprises a Fraternity of around 320 Younger Brethren drawn from various sectors in the maritime community but around 70% are from the Royal Navy or Merchant Navy. About 12% are Pilots or Harbour Masters. Younger Brethren have no formal functions other than to participate in the annual election of The Master and Wardens of the Corporation. There is no job description as there is no "job" - they have no operational responsibilities for the statutory functions of Trinity House. They do though, as a body, contribute to the unique authority of Trinity House in the maritime sector. Moreover, many give valuable assistance and advice on the Corporation's operational and charitable activities as and when required.
The admission of candidates as Younger Brethren is the responsibility of the Corporate Board which comprises 10 Elder Brethren. To be eligible for consideration for admission anyone seeking admission in the Merchant Navy or Pilots and Harbour Master categories should be a Master Mariner and is expected to have at least one year's command experience. The Board will, however, consider other issues such as age and experience before deciding whether a candidate should be invited for interview. Candidates who are admitted pay a one off joining fee and thereafter an annual subscription.
The Elder Brethren, of whom there are currently 35, constitute the Court of the Corporation. By statute, all must first have been admitted as Younger Brethren but many are elected because of the influential positions they hold, or have held, elsewhere. The majority, however, are current or former trustees of the Trinity House Charities or Directors of the Lighthouse Service.
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Why are they named Elder Brethren and Younger Brethren?
When Henry VIII granted the Royal Charter in 1514 he tasked his “trewe and faithfull subjects, shipmen and mariners of this Our Realm of England” to “begyn of new and erecte and establish a Guild or Brotherhood of themselves or other persons as well men as women, whatsoever they be…”. Thereby the idea of Brothers or Brethren was established.
The hierarchy of the organisation is Master, Deputy Master, Wardens, Elder Brethren and Younger Brethren.
Currently the Master of Trinity House is Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The Deputy Master is Captain Ian McNaught. The Wardens are Captain Duncan Glass and Captain Nigel Pryke. The Elder Brethren are traditionally the assistants to the Wardens, Deputy Master and Master. Younger Brethren are traditionally assistants to the Elder Brethren.
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On your coat of arms is the motto 'Trinitas in Unitate'. What does it mean?
Translated from the Latin, it reads ‘Three In One', and relates to the Holy Trinity from whom we took our name in 1514.
Is it possible to have a tour of Trinity House?
Tower Hill
From time to time tours of Trinity House on Tower Hill, London are offered. A charge of £8.00 per person will apply and this fee is paid in to the Trinity House charitable fund providing education and welfare services for past, present and future mariners. The tour lasts for approximately 75 minutes and is limited to 25 people per tour. Tours start at 15.00.
Information about Trinity House on Tower Hill can be downloaded here (PDF opens in a new window).
2014 tours - Tower Hill London
SOLD OUT
2014 Open Days - Tower Hill London
Saturday 20 September (part of the Open House weekend): 10.00-15.00
No need to book, just turn up.
2015 tours - Tower Hill London
1 June
8 June
6 July
7 September
21 September
28 September
19 October
16 November
30 November
7 December
Booking is essential, and can be done by calling 020 7481 6900 or emailing tours@thls.org.
Harwich
Tours of Trinity House’s operational HQ in Harwich are also available. Learn more about the vital role of Trinity House and how we monitor and control our lighthouses and how we maintain our buoys.
The tour includes a visit to our state of the art Planning Centre where all our aids to navigation are remotely monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and a visit to our impressive buoy yard. In addition, visitors also view a presentation on the history and functions of Trinity House.
Tours take place on a set day each month and should consist of no fewer than 6, and no more than 20 people in total. Where individuals and small groups are interested in a tour, they can be accommodated where the total number for a group tour has not exceeded the 20 person limit.
This tour lasts approximately 2.5 hours, commencing at 11.30. There is no charge for this tour.
2014 Tour Dates
November 6th
December 11th
2015 Tour Dates
February 12th
March 5th
April 9th
May 7th
June 4th
July 2nd
July 23rd
September 10th
October 8th
November 12th
December 10th
You can register your interest in participating in a tour of our Harwich depot by sending an email to enquiries@thls.org with your name, telephone number, group/organisation details (eg family group, local Probus society etc) and the number of people who would be interested in a tour. We will then respond with the date options available to you. Alternatively, you can telephone 01255 245019.
How are visibility readings for the Shipping Forecast measured?
Trinity House has visibility detectors at each site where we require the operation of a fog signal or light during restricted visibility.
The detector consists of a light beam of a frequency close to infra red which reflects on any moisture particles in the air such as fog or mist. A detector set at 90 degrees to the beam measures any scattered reflections of the beam and this is a measure of the visibility in the area. It takes a sample every 20 minutes.
For Trinity House’s purposes if the detector records a reading of reduced visibility it automatically activates the operation of the light and/or fog signal.
Do you have records of ship wrecks?
No. Please contact the UK Hydrographic Office. http://www.ukho.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx
Do you have records of former lighthouse and lightvessel personnel?
Yes, some of them. Please put your research request to enquiries@thls.org
Do you have records of former Trinity House pilots?
Unfortunately not, please contact the London Metropolitan Archive, 40 Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, London, EC1R 0HB Tel 020 7332 3820
Email ask.lma@cityoflondon.gov.uk
I have a question about Trinity House Hull/Newcastle/Leith. Who do I contact?
For Trinity House Hull, please write to Trinity House, Trinity House Lane, Hull, Humberside HU1 2JE. Or visit the National Archives website: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/subjectView.asp?ID=O48964&tabType=ARCHIVE
For Trinity House Leith please write to Trinity House (Leith), 99 Kirkgate, Edinburgh EH6 6BJ.
The Newcastle upon Tyne Trinity House has a website which can be accessed by clicking here (opens in new window).
Records of Trinity House Newcastle are held at Tyne & Wear Archives, Blandford House, Blandford Square, Newcastle-Upon Tyne NE1 4JA although many (including those most commonly accessed for genealogical purposes) are retained at the House itself.
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I have a question about the Merchant Navy. Who do I contact?
Please call the Merchant Navy Association on 01472 851130 or visit www.mna.org.uk.
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I have a question about the Royal Navy. Who do I contact?
Please visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk.
I have a question about the coastguard. Who do I contact?
Please visit the Maritime & Coastguard Agency website for further details. The address is www.mcga.gov.uk.
The coastguard's historical records are held at the National Archive.
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I have a question about the RNLI. Who do I contact?
Records of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution are held at RNLI HQ, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ.
Were Trinity House lighthouses switched off during World War II?
The lights on many lighthouses and lightvessels were extinguished during the Second World War, but not all lights were extinguished outright. Trinity House worked extensively with the Admiralty to decide which lights should be merely dimmed, so as to aid navigation for Britain's merchant and fighting ships.
Trinity House Pilots worked throughout the nights to get ships into safe ports, and Trinity House Tenders worked to help clear minefields, evacuate the occupied Channel Islands and take part in the events of D-Day.
Many lighthouses on enemy flight paths were painted with camouflage paint. Many Keepers on Lighthouses, and crewmen on Lightvessels lost their lives, and are commemorated on a memorial in Trinity Square in London.