Kvitsøy Lighthouse () is a
coastal lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Ligh ...
and heritage building in the municipality of
Kvitsøy in
Rogaland
Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. As of 1 January 2024, it had a population of 49 ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. It is located on the west side of the village of
Ydstebøhamn on the island of
Kvitsøy. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the huge
Boknafjorden, the main shipping route to the city of
Stavanger
Stavanger, officially the Stavanger Municipality, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Norway. It is the third largest city and third largest metropolitan area in Norway (through conurbation with neighboring Sandnes) and the ...
, and inland Rogaland county. The first lighthouse at the site was established in 1700, and the present lighthouse was built in 1829. The lighthouse was automated in 1969, and has been a protected historic building since 1998.
The 1829 tower
The 1829 lighthouse was in height. The tower was extended by in 1859 and it gained another in height when a first order lens was installed in 1910. The present tall lighthouse is an
octagon
In geometry, an octagon () is an eight-sided polygon or 8-gon.
A '' regular octagon'' has Schläfli symbol and can also be constructed as a quasiregular truncated square, t, which alternates two types of edges. A truncated octagon, t is a ...
al stone tower. There is a
2nd order Fresnel lens at the top of the tower. The building is painted white, with the lantern on the top painted red. Today, the light sits at an elevation of above sea level. The light emits four white flashes every 40 seconds.
The lighthouse was automated and depopulated in 1969, and has been preserved as a protected historic building. Kvitsøy Lighthouse is the oldest stone tower lighthouse still in operation in Norway.
The 1700 light
The first construction from 1700 was a pivotal "bucket light" fuelled by coal, which could be lifted about six metres above the ground. The lamp was lit from 20 August to 20 March during the night. The bucket contained of coal, and the annual consumption was about . The operation of the light was funded by a toll system for ships passing Kvitsøy. A replica model of the bucket light from 1700 was installed in 2005 near the current lighthouse.
See also
*
Lighthouses in Norway
*
List of lighthouses in Norway
References
External links
Norsk Fyrhistorisk Forening
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kvitsoy Lighthouse
Lighthouses completed in the 17th century
Transport infrastructure completed in 1700
Towers completed in 1700
Lighthouses in Rogaland
Kvitsøy
Listed lighthouses in Norway
1700 establishments in Norway