A place I always called Hawsker highlights, also known to many locals as Whitby Lighthouse, Whitby Highlight or simply “High Lights”.
The lighthouse that stands on the cliff top just south east of Saltwick Bay has kept sailors off the rocks at Whitby for many decades now.
The place first came to my attention as a small child when my grandad Harry Gildroy walked us up there from his home on Green Lane. I have vivid memories of going to see the wreck of The Admiral Von Tromp which had recently run aground there with said loss of life amongst its crew.
Over the years the area became a fishing venue for myself and friends. We would drop down the rope at the back of the Fog Horn and descend to the shoreline below. Initially as teenagers we would shoot nets and long lines there at night. Then in more recent times it became a venue for pursuit of my lifelong passion – “Rock Fishing”.
As a fishing venue it always pleased me massively. A place to be alone or with just one or 2 close friends, to fish in the night at a place most people never even knew existed. No-one knew we were there other than perhaps the farmer you had passed on the lane. Such a great sense of adventure and fun, and at times a challenging environment to be in.
In a recent post to Facebook about The Highlights, Rosemary Shilling Recalls living in the lighthouse as a child in the 1950’s
“I lived in the first house as you come in through the gate. Dad was principal keeper. We also lived with the fog signal blasting away! Now gone and now a private dwelling. We had such freedom living at the lighthouse !!! A happy time in my life!!!”
In another post, local Charter Skipper Paul Kilpatrick explains the lighthouses importance in keeping boats off the infamous “Whitby Rock Top” a place many boats have been lost over the centuries.
“When out at sea Glenn, looking towards the high light, if you are inside line of the bell buoy coming south towards Whitby, the light shows red, But if you move out a fraction then its white. Red spells Dangers so you change course.”
Stay In The Whitby Lighthouse
In recent times, trinity House have turned the lighthouse into 2 Holiday Cottages. This most be one of the most beautiful places to stay on The Whole Yorkshire Coast. The Cottages are listed on The Trinity House Website Here. Bookings are handled by Rural Retreats.
Further Reading
- Saltwick Bay
- Moonlit Photography
- The Northern Lights At Whitby
- Buy Photographs from the Whitby Area.
Buy These Images – Glenn Kilpatrick Photography Price List For Facebook 2016 On These Photographs Above
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A really good insight to local history. Stunning photos illustrate the beauty of the area. Thank you for sharing
Enoyed my look through these photos, .beautiful thankyou for giving us a glimpse into a little bit of the past, .xxx
Even better than staying in the lighthouse cottages. Stay in the
foghorn and have views of the lighthouse. www. hornblowerlodge.co.uk
Another fact: There were originally two lighthouses for about 50 years. This was until the larger tower was removed and the building was converted to the foghorn station in 1902.
Lovely, walked past it a few times. Only know it as Horn Blower Lodge. I think it or the one near it is a holiday let, but they only sleep two people.
Glenn, thank you for the photographs and article about the lighthouse. Fascinating. Was the Admiral Von Trump carrying a cargo when it ran aground?
No it was a fishing boat there wasn’t any cargo on board x
Glenn, thanks for the interesting words, and also the fab pics.
A very interesting read Glenn, with great photos (as always!)
That was lovely Glenn your doing so well with your photos. I was on another Whitby site when I saw a message from Rosemary Shilling saying that her dad had been a lighthouse keeper at Whitby. It turns out she was living at North Foreland lighthouse when I was born there, so we had been neighbours, small world. Like Rosemary said it was a life with a lot of space and freedom, I spent a lot of my time climbing up and down the cliffs just by the fog horn also by Saltwick bay. Whitby had a quite fog horn compared to a lot of other stations, Once when a new family moved into the fog horn they put up a glass chandelier in the living room, it shattered all over the floor when the horn started. It was quite isolated, we didn’t have bin men or milkmen and it was a good 45 minute walk to get to Whitby which I had to do there and back when I started work. It also had it’s upsets when people lost there life’s either by falling of the cliff, and the wreck of the Admiral Von Tromp. We also had a ghost but that is a different story.
Hi Glenn,
Your pictures of the lighthouse are brilliant. When I first saw them they brought back so many happy memories to me living there. My father was principal keeper – William John Lewis B.E.M. Medal awarded WW11 . When he retired he had completed 45 years service. I lived at the lighthouse from 1954-1961. I was 18 when dad was transferred to North Forland Lighthouse, Broadstairs, Kent. He retired September 1965. He wrote a book Ceasless Vigil about his life on the different lighthouses
around the UK and the Falkland Islands.