Lighthouse Explorers

There are many things which make lighthouse keeping seem less than ideal, but mercury poisoning is surely one of the worst risks of the job! Trigger warnings: mercury poisoning (throughout the video), suicide (4:41 - 5:40)Video Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:41 Chapter One: What the h*ck is mercury?01:58 Chapter Two: Why did they put mercury in lighthouses?03:14 Chapter Three: What did mercury do t...

Welcome back to another episode of the Lighthouse Explorers podcast! This week, I had the great fortune to talk to Ed Peppitt to ask him about his travels around England and Wales. These included cycling 3,500 miles, spotting over 300 lighthouses, and raising over £15,000 for Shift MS. Ed's book, ' The Beacon Bike ', is absolutely brilliant. In it, he shares the highs and lows of this...

I've been gone for a while! Let's catch up! It's been an amazing summer for lighthouse trips, from our group adventures to Southwold and Point of Ayr lighthouses, the cancelled Spurn Point trip and what it taught us, a 1000km cycle ride exploring Ireland’s coastal lights, and a lovely chat with a Leasowe Lighthouse volunteer.

Today we travel to Tynemouth, to delve briefly into the history of its 3 lighthouses.

Today we travel together to Southwold Lighthouse in Suffolk, touching on its unusual placement within the town and its TV fame. If you’re interested in visiting this lighthouse, I’m hosting a group trip on the 28th June 2025. Tickets are available at www.lighthouseexplorers.com.

Ahead of our group trip in June 2025, I discuss the ghostly past of the Point of Ayr Lighthouse. An infamous ghost hunting spot on the North Welsh coast. I hope you enjoy. If you fancy coming along on the trip, please consider signing up to our group trip at www.lighthouseexplorers.com. See you next Sunday for the next episode; we’ll be chatting about Southwold Lighthouse, of ‘Grandpa in my Pocket...

South Foreland Lighthouse, perched on the white cliffs of Dover, is a beacon of innovation. Built in 1843, it became the world’s first electrically lit lighthouse in 1859, thanks to experiments overseen by Michael Faraday. Later, in 1898, Guglielmo Marconi used it for groundbreaking wireless communication experiments, paving the way for modern radio and the internet. Join our 2025 group trips to e...

In today's episode, Gerry shares his incredible journey as a lighthouse keeper for over 20 years, highlighting this unique maritime tradition's many highs and challenges. (He was even a keeper on Fastnet during the 1979 yacht disaster!) If you enjoyed this episode and loved hearing from Gerry about his experiences, check out his book: The Lightkeeper !

Welcome to the brand new series: '5-Minute Light(house) Bites. Today's episode dives into the Great Lakes, their graveyard, and of course their lighthouses. If you like the episode, why not check out these resources? Jodie. “Whitefish Point Light Station - Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.” Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, 18 Apr. 2023, shipwreckmuseum.com/visit/whitefish-point-li...

Today’s episode is a little different, as I delve into a recent excursion to Lowestoft lighthouse, and Lowestoft Maritime Museum. With that in mind, I also argue for the importance of local museums and why they should be preserved.

Why should you go lighthouse exploring? Stay tuned!

Hello Lighthouse Explorer! For more information on the next lighthouse group trip, head over www.lighthouseexplorers.com. It’s also a good idea to follow us on Eventbrite so you don’t miss out on events. See you soon Explorer!

Welcome back Lighthouse Explorer! I hope I find you weary from lighthouse travels, but if not... there's a group trip to Beachy Head and Belle Tout on the 12th May! Group trip marketing aside, I hope you enjoy today's episode on lighthouse sustainability. If you're interested in finding out more, I'd recommend looking at the Northern Lighthouse Board's or the Irish Light's...

The final lighthouse in Great Britain to have keepers, and its story! For additional reading, head over to the Trinity House website for a wealth of information about lighthouse automation and more.

Have you ever wanted to know way too much about Fresnel lenses? Look no further! Just kidding, this barely scratches the surface (but I hope you enjoy it anyway) 🌊 Additional Reading: "Fresnel lens" - Wikipedia "The Lighthouse: The Mystery of the Million Dollar Lens" - Lighthouse Ratings "Augustin-Jean Fresnel and His Invention of the Fresnel Lens" - Engineering and...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to look after a lighthouse? Julian worked as a lighthouse keeper for 20 years, so I sat down with him to talk about his experiences! Enjoy, Lighthouse Explorer 🫶

This little cutie was built in response to the shipwrecks during the Gold Rush era between 1896 and 1899. Supplementary Nuggets of Gold: “Eldred Rock Lighthouse: Alaska’s Maritime Beacon,”  Alaska Historical Society. “Shipwrecks and Lighthouses: The Story of Clara Nevada,”  Gold Rush Tales. “Marine Life Around Eldred Rock,”  Alaska Oceanographic Institute. “The Life and Trials of Lighthouse Keeper...

Welcome back lighthouse explorer! Today's episode covers the heroism of some prominent women in lighthouse keeping history.

Today's very special guest is Geoff Saunders, who applied to become a lighthouse keeper in 1984. We talk about his expectations of becoming a lighthouse keeper, the future of lighthouses, and lighthouses which are special to us.

Lighthouse keeping was dangerous!! Let's discuss.

Cape Wrath Lighthouse... the one who got away...

This is a bitesize overview of Japanese lighthouses! I'll revisit this topic for a deep dive into some of the things I've mentioned here, but this is a little introduction and overview in the meantime.

Welcome Lighthouse Explorer! Today's episode answers questions about how Canadian lighthouses are managed, as well as a ghost story... Enjoy!

This area has had a rich history of lighthouses, starting with Winstanley's Tower which was first lit in 1698. Enjoy this episode... and its kidnappings and fires!

Today's episode is about the thrilling rescue of nine shipwrecked sailors at Longstone Lighthouse.