Spurn lighthouse to shine again
Spurn is a narrow, three-mile long arc of sand between the Humber Estuary and the North Sea with the Grade II listed lighthouse at its point. A £470,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will enable the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to repair the building and open it for public access for the first time. Two nearby military buildings – a First World War gun store and a World War Two gun emplacement - will also be restored and converted, the first to provide a toilet block, the second a viewing platform from which visitors to the point will be able to gain better views of the natural habitat and shipping movements between sea and estuary.
Community involvement is a key aspect of the project and a programme of activities will also be planned to encourage visitors, including families and school parties, to visit the area which is one of the prime locations in the country to watch spring and autumn bird migration. Local volunteers will be recruited to act as guides to the site and to help produce new information materials for visitors.
The six-storey lighthouse was built between 1893-95 and was in use until 1985. It has never been open for regular public access. Once restored, it will include information and occasional exhibitions. All the buildings will have access for disabled people and a webcam at the top of the lighthouse will provide views for those unable to climb the stairs.
Fiona Spiers, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The re-use of these structures, in addition to new activities, will foster greater interest and, especially, community involvement to introduce this wild and beautiful part of the country to a wider audience.”
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Rob Stoneman Chief Executive said: “We will help more people, and a wider range of people, to participate in the conservation of Spurn’s heritage, at the lighthouse and across the site, and through themed events with the help of local groups, organisations and schools. Spurn’s lighthouse will once again become a beacon of light, celebrating the areas heritage and community spirit.”
Further information
HLF press office: Vicky Wilford on 020 7591 6046 or 07968 129241, email: vickyw@hlf.org.uk.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust: Jess Charlton, Communications Officer on 07795 644 124 or 01904 659 570 or 01482 441 013