Leasowe Lighthouse

Leasowe Lighthouse

When I was growing up I often had romantic notions about living as a lighthouse keeper. In part I think this was a desire for solitude but a great part of this was a curiosity about what lay inside a disused lighthouse that was near to where we lived. At the time, the answer was probably “very little” other than disused rooms and an extremely dilapidated spiral staircase. Last Sunday, I actually got to go in this old lighthouse and see for myself.

View from the top of Leasowe Lighthouse of North Wales.

Leasowe Lighthouse is situated next to the Irish Sea on the North Western coast of the Wirral and was originally a fixed-light structure that, combined with other Lighthouses on the Wirral peninsula, was used to guide ships along the narrow channel that allowed access to the Mersey and the port of Liverpool. I think the one thing that struck me was actually how spacious the rooms in the lighthouse are. I’d always imagined that the inside would be rather pokey but this must have been a fairly substantial dwelling for the lighthouse keeper and his seemingly large family.

Irish Sea seen from Leasowe Lighthouse

The lighthouse is looked after by the Friends of Leasowe Lighthouse who organise guided tours every other Sunday afternoon. The tours themselves are remarkably cheap (£2 per adult and £1 for children) and last about 45 minutes. It’s quite a few steps to the top but this is broken up by viewing various levels of the tower although I found the journey down to be somewhat more arduous (I don’t think I’m great with heights).

The light in the lighthouse. Presumably not LEDs when it was in use.

From the top there are great views of North Wales and Liverpool in the distance and, apparently, on a good day the Isle of Man can be visible (although not the day I visited.) Overall it’s well worth a trip if you are around that part of the world.

Overlooking Liverpool from the window of Leasowe Lighthouse