Chicken Rock

The Chicken Rock Lighthouse is located unsurprisingly on Chicken Rock, an isolated island at the southern end of the Isle of Man.

The need for the light on the Rock was identified as early as 1866, due to the problem of fog obscuring the two lights on the nearby Calf of Man. As these leading lights formed a transit with the Chickens, the loss of any one exposed shipping to danger.

Approval to start work on the lighthouse was given in 1868. Constructed of granite blocks forming a tapered tower, with a lantern room and single gallery, it was designed by the two brothers, David and Thomas of the Stevenson lighthouse engineering family. At the same time as overseeing this project, they were also involved in the building of the lighthouse on Dubh Artach in Scotland. Construction finished in December 1874, with the first official lighting day taking place on 1 January 1875.

A fire heavily damaged the interior of the lighthouse on 23 December 1960. The three lighthouse keepers, one of whom suffered burns from the fire, were rescued by the Port St Mary RNLI lifeboat. Although the lighthouse was repaired following the fire, it was not used by any resident keepers again, and was instead automated in 1961.

The lighthouse continues to be operated and maintained by the Northern Lighthouse Board.