Lighthouses of Barbados

The independent nation of Barbados is located in the Atlantic to the east of the other islands of the Lesser Antilles, about 160 km (100 miles) east of St. Vincent. The island has a population of about 275,000 and a strong British heritage, having been a British colony from 1627 until it became independent in 1966.

Barbados has four historic lighthouses. Three are listed as active, although there are reports that they are not always in service. All four are endangered by neglect and are much in need of restoration. The active lights are operated by Barbados Port, Inc., but presumably the buildings are owned by the Government of Barbados. The Barbados National Trust has not been involved, so far, in lighthouse preservation.

Thanks to Sharon Arrindell for providing photos and information on these lighthouses.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume J of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 110.

General Sources
Barbados Photo Gallery - Other Structures: Stephen Mendes has photos of the three active lighthouses of Barbados.
Leuchttürme von Barbados: Photos by a German traveler.
Online List of Lights - Barbados: Photos by various photographers posted by Alex Trabas.
Leuchttürme auf den Kleinen Antillen: Photos posted by Bernd Claußen.
Lighthouses in Barbados: Photos available from Wikimedia.
Lighthouses in the Caribbean: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Leuchttürme Mittelamerikas und der Karabik auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard views posted by Klaus Huelse.

Ragged Point Light, January 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Bas Leenders

Lighthouses

* Ragged Point (East Point): 1875. Reactivated (inactive 2007(?)-2011); focal plane 65 m (213 ft); continuous red light. 29.5 m (97 ft) stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern and watch room black. The keeper's house and other light station buildings are abandoned and in ruins. Bas Leenders's 2009 photo is at right, Mendes has a 1996 photo, Carlos Granier-Phelps has a good August 2006 photo, Trabas has a distant view by Capt. Theo Hinrichs, and Google has a satellite view. Endangered; Terry Dunn's January 2010 photo shows shattered glass in the lantern and the poor condition of the tower. The Admiralty reported the light to be "temporarily extinguished" in 2007; in May 2011 it announced that a continuous red warning light has been activated on the tower. Located on a bluff above the Atlantic about 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of East Point, the easternmost point of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BAR-003; Admiralty J5804; NGA 15096.
* South Point: 1852 (William Gordon). Active; focal plane 44 m (145 ft); three white flashes every 30 s. 27 m (89 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. 1-story keeper's house, abandoned. The lighthouse was exhibited at London’s Great Exhibition in 1851, then reassembled on the island. Mendes's 1998 photo showed the lighthouse to be rusted and much in need of restoration. The lighthouse was refurbished and painted in 2004, and the photo at right shows the tower with its new paint job. A photo is at right, a 2007 photo is available, Dave Grella has a 2010 photo, Marinas.com has recent aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located near the southernmost point of the island; Site open, tower closed. ARLHS BAR-004; Admiralty J5806; NGA 15100.
* Needhams Point: 1855. Inactive. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, lantern and gallery black. The active light is on a 9 m (30 ft) steel mast (focal plane 13 m (43 ft); flash every 8 s; white shown to south and west, red to north and east). Recently Hilton Hotels built a large new hotel next to this tower; Hilton now owns the lighthouse and has restored and painted its exterior. A 2007 photo and a 2009 photo are available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and the light is just below the hotel in a Google satellite view. Claußen also has photos of the modern light. Located at the south end of Carlisle Bay, southwest of Bridgetown. Site open, tower status unknown. ARLHS BAR-002; Admiralty J5807; NGA 15108.
* Bridgetown Entrance Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane unlisted; green light, 3 s on, 1.5 s off. Approx. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. The top of the tower carries a rectangular daymark, painted red with a yellow vertical stripe. The front light is mounted atop a daymark panel at the end of the harbor breakwater. Trabas has a photo by Arno Siering, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the waterfront of Bridgetown's modern harbor. Admiralty J5812.56; NGA 15122.1.
Harrison Point: 1925. Reactivated (inactive 2007(?)-2011); focal plane 59 m (194 ft); continuous red light. 26 m (85 ft) concrete block tower with lantern and gallery, originally painted white; lantern red. Keeper's quarters and other light station buildings abandoned and in ruins. A photo is at right, Mendes has a closeup 1997 photo, Dan Cravotta has a 2008 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is gravely endangered. There was a period around 2006 when the lighthouse was on the grounds of a prison and not accessible to the public, but this is no longer the case. The Admiralty reported the light to be "temporarily extinguished" in 2007. Jon Van Hout visited the lighthouse early in 2011 and found it abandoned, stripped of its wiring, and open to all comers. In May 2011, the Admiralty announced that a continuous red warning light has been activated on the tower. Located at the northwesternmost point of the island, about 8 km (5 mi) north of Speightstown. Site and tower open. ARLHS BAR-001; Admiralty J5814; NGA 15128.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

South Point Light, November 2004
Flickr Creative Commons photo by gemteck1

Harrison Point Light, February 2008
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Postdlf