Holyhead

The structure, which was completed in 1873, was most likely designed by Victorian civil engineer John Hawkshaw after he took control of Holyhead harbour works in 1857.  The lighthouse was the last major building completed on the breakwater.

Standing 19m high and resting 21 m above the high-water mark, the three-storey black and white tower at Holyhead Breakwater is a little unusual in that, unlike many contemporary lighthouses, it is square.

This design was chosen because it made the living quarters more comfortable and easier to fit out. Much of the original living accommodation inside remains intact.

In the 19th century, packet ships approaching Holyhead in the fog would be warned by a bell operated from the lighthouse.

In the late 1870s, this was supplemented with rockets which would complement the gun fired from the fog warning station on North Stack, Anglesey.

The lighthouse was manned until November 1961, when it was automated. Today the upkeep of the lighthouse is the responsibility of Holyhead port authority, which is operated by Stena Line.