Located in the Burry Estuary off the coast at Whiteford Point on the north west of the Gower Peninsula, this 61 foot tall, cast-iron lighthouse tower is the only wave-swept one of its kind left in Britain. It was built in 1865 by Llanelli Harbour and Burry Navigation Commissioners to indicate the location of Whiteford Point and its dangerous sandbanks to shipping. The tower stands just above low-water level. In lighthouse terms the tower is described as being 'wave-washed' which conjures up sorts of romantic imagery but in reality means it's surrounded by the sea at high tide and battered by storm surf - unlike it's softer relatives, located up on the cliff tops.
Provision was made for two lighthouse keepers, although each of the census returns of 1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901 names one keeper. The working pattern was two weeks at Whitford Lighthouse alternating with two weeks at Llanelli Harbour Lighthouse. Old keepers used to report it swaying and it had various 'improvements' done to it over the years to shore up the foundations and strengthen the metal work.
Various maritime disasters have occurred here over the years - the worst being in January 1868, when the entire beach was littered with dead bodies and the wreckage from 16 coal ships after a short trip from nearby Llanelli went horribly wrong.
The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1920 when a new beacon was established at Burry Holmes but had a brief comeback when local yachtsmen petitioned for its return in the 1980s. Money was raised and for a while the now fully automated lighthouse shone once again but not for long as one of the solar units failed and was never replaced, leaving the lighthouse to stand silent. Nowadays this Grade II listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument still serves as a navigational aid but only during daylight hours.
It's a stunning part of the world but visitors should take care to check the tide times before venturing out.
Whiteford Sands is also renowned for its ghosts. The most famous is the 'phantom galloping' - a terrifying noise, so loud to the ears that it has long been associated with a woolly mammoth - an animal not seen since the last Ice Age but one that certainly existed in the area. The loud thundering sound of hooves originates in the direction of Broughton beach, before making its way along the beach to Whiteford Sands where it abruptly ends.
Background linked to a Geograph image posted by Martin Edwards and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
TO PROVE YOUR VISIT ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS POST A PHOTO OF YOURSELF OR YOUR GPS AT THE LIGHTHOUSE OR AS NEAR AS YOU CAN GET AT LOW TIDE.
PLEASE PLAN YOUR VISIT TO COINCIDE WITH LOW WATER - THE LIGHTHOUSE CAN BE REACHED WITHOUT PADDLING WHEN TIDES ARE ABOUT 2 METRES OR LESS. ADD 1 HOUR TO THE TIDE TIMES GIVEN FOR BRITISH SUMMER TIME HERE
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.