Longships Lighthouse

Longships is the name given to a group of rocks situated 1.25 miles to the west of Land's End, in Penwith, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

Longships Lighthouse
Longships Lighthouse

A lighthouse (50°03′58″N, 05°44′45″W) is situated at Longships. The original was built in 1795 on the highest point of the largest rock. However, this was only 40 feet above sea level, and the tower itself was only 40 feet tall. High seas therefore obscured its light, and a taller tower was in place by 1873. Even after these improvements, the S.S. Bluejacket was wrecked on rocks near the lighthouse on a clear night in 1898, nearly demolishing the lighthouse in the process.

The name of the rocks is a duplication based on a misunderstanding of the Cornish language — long is Cornish for ship. The English language name therefore means ship ships.

Since 1988, the lighthouse has been unmanned. Its light is 10 seconds bright followed by 10 seconds dark, and has a range of 19 miles. A fog signal sounds every 10 seconds.

The gullies, canyons, prolific marine life and shipwrecks at Longships make it a popular diving location.