The Lighthouse Museum in Hurst Castle

By the time you are reading this article, Hurst Castle will have opened for the 2017 summer season, along with the Lighthouse Museum and the Trinity House Exhibition Rooms, which are all at the far end of the West Wing.

click image to enlarge

During the winter season, the local team from the Association of Lighthouse Keepers have been focusing their work efforts on the Trinity House Rooms and tackling several major projects. Firstly, the impressive light vessel optic which, since it was installed some 11 years ago, has been stationary but, all being well, when you next visit will be rotating. The team had to do a lot of fund raising for this project to procure the special motor and gear box but all of your donations have made it very worthwhile.

click image to enlarge

Next on the list is the large ventilator with a weathervane on top. In its service life on top of the metal low light built on the curtain wall, it had received very many coats of paint but, alas, some of it had become chipped and the weathervane damaged. The team have been working hard to remove all of the paint, repair the weathervane and then give the whole thing a fresh coat of paint to make it look smart and loved again. The weathervane will have a coat of gold coloured paint, not gold leaf as we cannot afford that.

The original optic from the Nab Tower has had its gears inspected and adjusted so that, now, when it is wound up in the morning, it will keep turning all day. It has also received a fresh coat of paint. 

With both of these artifacts now revolving we need to keep little fingers in particular, well clear so have remade a rope cordon around these items. Also, outside, we have sorted out the electrical problems with the Egypt Point optic so that, once again, you will see it flashing as you enter via the main gate.

There are lots of new things to see, so please do pay Hurst Castle a visit over the Easter period. Ferries go to the Castle from Keyhaven or you can walk along the spit from Milford-on-Sea.

If you would like to know more, and we hope that you do, then please contact the ALK Hurst Castle Project Manager, Keith Morton, at hurst@alk.org.uk, or on 01329-843883. 

Also, please take a look at the ALK website: www.alk.org.uk

NB: Hurst Castle fully opens for the Summer season from Saturday 1st April.
www.hurstcastle.co.uk