Withernsea Lighthouse shines light on town's history

BBC News

07-04-2025

Towering above the flatness of the Holderness countryside, Withernsea is home to an unusual lighthouse.The 127ft-tall (39m) structure is located in the centre of the town some distance from the shoreline.Opened in 1894, it remained operational until 1976.After its closure it was bought by Kim Kendall in 1986 who transformed it into a museum and visitor centre.
Manager Lindsey Jones said it was built after accidents in the 1880s involving the town's pier."A number of ships crashed into the pier and completely demolished it," she said."I think on this stretch of coast about 200 ships have been lost."The 1,196ft-long (365m) pier opened in 1875, but a procession of ships hitting it saw its length gradually reduced.The lighthouse came just too late to save it when a cargo ship struck it in 1893, leaving just 50ft of the structure standing.Eventually the entire pier was removed in 1903, leaving just the twin castle-like towers at the entrance which still remain as a landmark on the town's promenade.
Ms Jones said that the museum offers a chance for visitors to see inside a building that many have fond memories of."The light, when it used to go around, would flash in your bedroom at night," she said. "You would see it all night long. "The lighthouse would be going and it was one of those buildings that you wondered what was inside and what was it like."
One of the reasons Ms Kendall bought the building was to house a collection of memorabilia about her film star sister Kay Kendall, who was born nearby.She appeared in a number of productions in the1950s, including Genevieve before her death from leukaemia in 1959 aged just 32.The museum still attracts fans of the late actor who married Rex Harrison shortly before she died.
The literal high point of the visit is a chance to climb 144 steps up a spiral staircase to the former lamproom.It offers 360 degree views of the surrounding land and sea as far as Flamborough Head to the north.Ms Jones said: "When it's a sunny day, it's a fantastic view. The majority of visitors want to come to the top of the tower."However, she added that not all visitors want to stare at the far horizons."There's a guy who lives in one of these houses and he likes to come once a year to go up to the top just to see if he's got any roof slates missing."Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.