Description

Summary: photograph, black and white, of Hurst Castle, Milford on Sea, showing the metal lighthouse of 1911 and the 1860s Low Light. Photograph by D.G. Dine. On the reverse, photographer's stamp, 'Hurst Castle' and '8' (Lymington Library number). Copyright D.G. Dine.

Identification note: The original lighthouse was Hurst Tower sited to the south west of Hurst Castle and lit for the first time on 29th September, 1786. Joseph Huddart supervised and directed its construction. However this light was found to be obscured from certain directions, consequently in 1812 this tower was supplemented by the High Lighthouse, a new tower at a higher level. With the expansion of the Castle between 1865 and 1873 it proved necessary to reposition the lights. In 1866, the Low Light, a white circular granite tower with a red lantern was built to replace the Hurst Tower. In 1911 this light was itself replaced with a red square metal tower, standing on steel joists attached to the Castle wall. It has since been decommissioned but both of these Low Lights remain in place, the former painted grey and the latter blue/battleship grey to camouflage them and prevent confusion for mariners. Meanwhile in 1867, the 1812 High Lighthouse was replaced by the freestanding 26 metre tower built at the end of Hurst Spit and which is still working today.