To the lighthouse lighthouse

There’s something about lighthouses. I’ve thought so as far back as I can remember. Land lights carry the romance of solitude and times gone by, while the majestic sea towers – those columns standing straight up out of the water – appear haunting and melancholy. Often, I’ve stood on a promontory looking out at the ocean and wondered what that life would have been like. How did these lighthouse keepers survive it, and how did their families manage ashore?

As well as enjoying their connotations of mystery and tranquillity, I’m amazed at the ingenuity with which these towers were conceived, as far back as the 17th century. Picture a slab