2023-08-11 15:08:55
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Posted on 08/11/2023 15:08
Video length: 5 mins.
FRANCE 2 Article written by France 2 – M.Bougault, L.Chevalier, C.Madini, L.Soudre, L.Bleuzen
France Televisions
Throughout the week, the 13 Heures makes you discover the most beautiful lighthouses on the planet. Friday August 11, direction the south of England where the lighthouse of Beachy Head is. Its construction more than 100 years ago is a real technical feat.
At the foot of the highest chalk cliffs in England, the Beachy Head lighthouse seems tiny. However, it is 43 meters high. Completely isolated from the shore when the high tide engulfs the coastline, the lookout remains imperturbable in the midst of storms. It is now fully automated. “It’s beautiful, it’s great to admire it”, says an English tourist. “How difficult it must have been to build this lighthouse. We are really impressed”, continues another tourist. The lighthouse is a source of inspiration for painters and writers. However, the most iconic lighthouse in Great Britain is not easy to approach, in particular because of the large rocks, but especially because of the tide.
A difficult structure to build
After two hours of walking, it is possible to observe it closely, even if it is impossible to go inside. No one has lived there for 40 years, because the lighthouse is managed remotely. Its construction was far from easy. A cable car had to be installed towards a platform at sea to be able to bring the materials and the workers. “The workers’ problem is that the tides rise and fall twice a day. They had to protect the foundations”explains Rob Wassel, writer.
Beachy Head is only the second lighthouse built in the area. The original, the Belle Tout, has been out of service since 1902. The building never had the expected success, because it was too close to the eroding cliff and the light did not illuminate well enough. The construction was, in turn, a tea room, the house of a physicist or the property of the BBC. Today it is a lodge for tourists.
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