Pictures of the Lizard Peninsula Cornwall

Lizard Point

The current Lizard Point is now regarded as the most southerly part of the Country, but well over a century ago that title was given to what is known as "Old Lizard Head", which lies a mile to the west.

The "Lizard Light" has a history reaching back to the 1600s and the Royalist supporting Killigrew family, but the story begins in 1566/1567 when Trinity House were given control of Coast Marks and Sea Lights. They were then at odds with the Crown which wanted to maintain their Rights of erecting new lighthouses and levying tolls. There was no resolution until 1616. (1) In this distant part of Cornwall the main purpose of the Lighthouse is to provide a coastal mark for shipping and a guide through dangerous coastal waters around the Lizard.(2)

In 1619, Sir John Killigrew of Arwenack obtained a patent from King James I, and erected a Lighthouse in the same year. During its construction local inhabitants damaged it saying that it was taking away "Gods Grace", meaning their ability to obtain a living from the sea, more particularly from shipwrecks. Many ship owners challenged the Levy of one halfpenny per ton imposed supposedly to maintain the Light. The Patent was challenged in 1623 and the light was not in existence by 1630. Two lighthouse towers an "east" and a "west" tower were built by Thomas Fonnereau in 1751/1752. He was described as an adventurer. Again, locals were reported to have damaged the construction. Trinity House assumed responsibility for the two towers in 1771. The lanterns in the towers were coal fired until 1812/1813, when Trinity House substituted oil and Argand burners. In August 1876 dioptric lights were fixed and on 29th March 1878 electric lights were first used.

The Foghorn, which sounded every 5 seconds was brought into service in 1878. It wasn't long before an incident occurred when in June 1879 a ship went aground in rain and thick fog only a very short distance away at Bumble Rock. As usual a crowd of locals took their place above the "Lions Den" to watch the event. There was no breeze and the visibility was down to 20 yards. The Lifeboat was eventually brought into service from Polpeor but not required other than to help the ship by warping her out. The Brigantine, the Scots Craig, carrying a cargo of sugar was got off the rocks with the benefit of the rising tide and made her way to Greenock. (3)

A small cottage was built between the two towers from where a supervisor or "overlooker" could observe whether the "coal blowers" who operated the bellows were performing their duty and keeping the lights visible. He had a couch with windows either side from where he could view their activities at both towers and if they were slacking he would blow a large cows horn to remind them. (4). On one occasion it was reported that a disgruntled ships captain actually fired a cannon shot at the lighthouses to waken those on duty. In 1903 the "west" tower was taken out of service. The Light was reported to have been capable of being seen some 21 miles away. The light flashed 2.5 million candle power, unfortunately the direction coincided, in part, with buildings in the village. Prior to 1908 in conditions of fog the foghorn was sounded with 2 short blasts every two minutes. From 1908 there was a blast of 7 seconds, an interval of 2 seconds, and a blast of 2 seconds taking place every minute. (5) In 1931 it was reported that the Lizard Light could be seen 60 miles out on a clear night. (6) Current information states that the white light is visible for 26 nautical miles. (7)

Bibliography

1. Guernsey Star 1887 2.Source Trinity House website 3.Cornishman June 1879 4.West Briton 1879 5.Cornishman 1908 6. Cornishman 1931 7. worldwidelighthouses.com

Robert Felce, January 2016

There were many shipwrecks at or close to the Lizard Point. In fact, a number of them were wrecked close to the Lizard Light itself. Locations included Beast Point (Bass Point), Hot Point, Housel Bay, Stag Rocks, Maenheere Rocks, Polpeor, and Old Lizard Head.

WRECK OF THE S.S. MOSEL

One of the worst shipwrecks to have taken place was that of the Liner and Mail Steamer SS Mosel, c. J Hesse, 3500 tons gross, on the morning of 9th August 1882 on route from Bremen to New York via Southampton. She was carrying a cargo of 600 passengers, mainly 2nd Class and steerage, Mail and specie. At Southampton she added about 400 tons of English woollens, and this slightly delayed her departure. In what was good weather she proceeded down the English Channel for the Lizard Peninsula but a miscalculation of her course had already been made, and the men on the bridge found that a thick Fog had also formed near the Lizard Point. The Mosel was also slightly off course and she was steering straight towards Lizard Head at 14 knots. About 8am in the morning, during breakfast time for the passengers, she collided with unseen rocks which badly damaged her metal plates below deck in several locations and an operation was soon begun to evacuate most of her passengers. This was aided by many local people in their small boats including the men of the Lizard Lifeboat Anna Maria, several Falmouth Tugs and other small ships and boats. She gradually began to fill with seawater and within two days she was high on the rocks, with a list to port. It took a great effort to accommodate all those taken off the Mosel but places were found at Falmouth in Hotels, guest houses and warehouses. The captain later reported that they did not hear the Lizard Fog Horn at any time. (Newspapers reported that a similar fate had occurred previously to the Glen Alpine, Stromboli, the Brest and many others a few years earlier !) RF. CT. 17.8.1882

Below- wreck of the Bardic 1924

Collapsible

WRECK OF THE BARDIC

In August 1924 the 450 foot long, twin-screw, White Star Liner S.S. Bardic, Captain C. Graeme, 7906 gross tonnage, returned from a long trip to Australia carrying a large cargo of frozen beef, frozen mutton, rabbit skins and rabbit meat, wheat, butter, several thousand bales of wool, lead and other goods amounting to some 11,000 tons. She arrived at Liverpool to unload part of her cargo before returning to London via Lands End. The final part of her journey was to sail on to Antwerp before returning to Newcastle.

On reaching the Bristol Channel fog began to develop. It continued to get worse, as the Bardic neared Lands End, causing her to slow her speed. When not far from the Wolf Rock the Bardic had a close encounter with an unknown steamer, narrowly avoiding a collision, and by the time she neared the Lizard Peninsula there was a ground sea and dense fog and she again slowed her speed. Suddenly those aboard felt two bumps and soon realised they had collided with an unknown object or rocks on the sea bed. Soon damage was identified below the waterline as water began to enter the ship.

During the early hours of Sunday 31st August 1924 she had indeed struck the notorious and treacherous Maenheere Rocks about 3/4 mile from the Lizard Point. The captain ordered an SOS wireless message be transmitted, and immediately distress rockets were launched. The message was soon received at the Mile End wireless station and the Lifeboat crew was sent for. They arrived promptly, and were ready to launch within 40 minutes of the call. The Lifeboat Frederick H. Pilley was a motorised boat with a 45 H.P. engine, and one which was well maintained. Although the rescue of the captain and crew went well this was in no small part due to the local knowledge of the Lifeboat crew, as the captain and 92 crew were rescued from the Bardic and brought ashore safely.

Some of the crew returned to the ship to keep the important refrigeration unit working but an examination of the hull confirmed the worst. She was badly holed. A decision was taken to send a large quantity of frozen meat from Falmouth to London by train, along with some bales of wool. The Liverpool Salvage vessel Ranger brought further large Pumps and took them aboard, but two salvage vessels left the Bardic due to warnings of bad weather approaching. After long delays it wasn`t until early October that the Bardic was re-floated and towed into Falmouth Docks. [This shortened version of events cannot begin to explain the importance of the re-floating of the Bardic, and many of those involved in the process said that it was the best bit of salvage work they had seen in over 30 years]. It was witnessed from the cliffs at Lizard Point by hundreds of spectators, both local residents and visitors eager to see if she would float again.

The discharge of the cargo was necessary before any repairs could be conducted and it was clear that some of the cargo was beginning to putrefy with workers wearing masks to stifle the smell. It was decided that the major repair work could not be done at Falmouth due to the pressure of work there, and it was agreed that she would be patched up at Falmouth and towed to Belfast for the major work to be completed. Some of the cargo was taken to London and elsewhere, while some was burnt at Falmouth Docks. Several Lorry loads of meat were also said to have be disposed of in a disused mining shaft at Gwennap.

In November, as an enquiry into the incident was taking place at Liverpool, Captain Graeme lost his life in a bad train derailment whilst travelling back to his home. It was a serious incident and he broke both his legs and tragically died as a result of his injuries. As a sea captain he had been well thought of by the White Star Company, and had been with them for several years.

LIZARD CHOUGHS- THE CORNISH CHOUGH FORMS PART OF THE CORNISH COAT OF ARMS ALONGSIDE THE MINER AND THE FISHERMAN

BELOW CENTRE; POLPEOR LIFEBOAT STATION, LIZARD POINT 1929 (PHOTO NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION)

The first Lifeboat Anna Maria was placed at Polpeor in 1860. In 1866 she capsized at Shag Rock and the coxswain and two crew members were drowned. In 1883 she was replaced by the Edward and Fanny. In 1906 she was replaced by the Admiral Sir George Back. The first motor boat stationed there was in 1918, the Sir Fitzroy Clayton. She replaced by the Frederick H. Piley, a motor lifeboat built at Cowes, and named after the donor, a regular visitor to the Lizard. After being replaced by the 41 foot, 12 and a half ton (14 ton fully manned) motor lifeboat Duke of York in 1934 , the Frederick H Pilley went to do further duty at Port Earlie in Scotland.There were a number of occasions when the Lizard Lifeboat was credited with saving lives following shipwrecks and these included S.S. Mosel 1882 (27 saved), 1888 Barque Lady Dufferin (17), 1897 S.S. Pardoe (17), 1907 Suevic, White Star Liner (167), 1921 H.M Drifter Gloaming (15), 1922 S.S. Patrice (23),1923 S.S. Nivelle (20), 1924 Bardic, White Star Liner (93)

Source; Cornishman 1934.

Robert Felce 2016

IN 1885 THE RNLI DECIDED TO STRENGTHEN THE LIFEBOAT COVER AT THE LIZARD AND INTRODUCED A SECOND STATION AT CHURCH COVE (CHURCH POINT), AND ANOTHER LIFEBOAT. THE POLPEOR LIFEBOAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO CHURCH POINT AND A NEW SELF RIGHTING LIFEBOAT THE EDMUND AND FANNY, MANUFACTURED AT FOREST AND SON OF LIMEHOUSE, INTRODUCED AT POLPEOR. BOTH BOATS WERE WORKED BY THE SAME CREW.

BELOW; POLPEOR LIFEBOAT STATION

A WALK FROM LIZARD POINT TO OLD LIZARD HEAD AND CAERTHILLIAN LOOKING TOWARDS KYNANCE MARCH 2011

SPRING FLOWERS- LIZARD POINT MAY 2016.

LLOYDS SIGNAL STATION

"FALMOUTH- FOR ORDERS". SET UP TO PROVIDE A BETTER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION THAN FLAGS BETWEEN SHIPS AND SHORE UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF THE LOCALLY LAND BASED TELEGRAPH IN THE 1850s.

THE TOWER WAS BUILT IN 1872, AND WAS ONE OF OVER 20 BUILT BEFORE 1882. IN DECEMBER 1882 LLOYDS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE SETTING UP A SERIES OF SIMILAR STATIONS AROUND THE COAST, " IN THE INTERESTS OF TRADE AND NAVIGATION AND FOR THE BETTER SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY FROM SEA PERILS". INFORMATION SUCH AS VESSELS IN DISTRESS, THOSE REQUIRING ASSISTANCE, WEATHER INFORMATION, INFORMATION FOR SHIP OWNERS AND OTHER PERSONS INTERESTED IN SHIPPING MOVEMENTS. THEY WERE TO BE SITUATED ON THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS AND ON THE MOST FREQUENT TRACKS OF VESSELS.