BIDSTON LIGHTHOUSE, BIDSTON HILL, BIDSTON, MERSEYSIDE, ENGLAND.
BIDSTON LIGHTHOUSE WAS BUILT 2 MILES FROM THE SHORE, AND IS THE FURTHEST INLAND LIGHTHOUSE BUILT IN BRITAIN.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL OWES MUCH TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION OF BIDSTON HILL. SHIPS APPROACHING THE MERSEY ESTUARY HAD TO NEGOTIATE NARROW CHANNELS BETWEEN SHIFTING SAND BANKS IN 1763, A PAIR OF LIGHTHOUSES WAS CONSTRUCTED AT MOCKBEGGAR WHARF. THE MOCKBEGGAR LIGHTS, OR “SEA LIGHTS”, WERE LEADING LIGHTS THAT MARKED THE SAFE PASSAGE THROUGH THE MERSEY ESTUARY CHANNEL.
AT THE SAME TIME, WILLIAM HUTCHISON, THEN LIVERPOOL HARBOUR MASTER AND A FORMER PRIVATEER, WAS EXPERIMENTING AT THE SIGNALS STATION ON BIDSTON HILL. HE WAS ABLE TO BOOST THE VISIBILITY OF A LAMP TO UNPRECEDENTED DISTANCES BY PLACING IT AT THE FOCUS OF A PARABOLIC REFLECTOR.
WHEN IN 1769 THE LOWER LIGHTHOUSE AT MOCKBEGGAR WHARF COLLAPSED INTO THE SEA, INSTEAD OF BUILDING ANOTHER LIGHTHOUSE IN THE SAME PLACE (AND RISK IT BEING WASHED AWAY), IT WAS DECIDED TO BUILD A NEW LIGHTHOUSE FURTHER BACK IN THE SAME ALIGNMENT. BIDSTON HILL PROVIDED THE RIGHT LOCATION. BEING IN LINE WITH THE HORSE CHANNEL AND THE REMAINING MOCKBEGGAR LIGHT AT LEASOWE, A NEW LIGHTHOUSE BY THE SIGNALS STATION COULD TAKE OVER AS THE REAR SEA LIGHT. ITS ELEVATED SITUATION MEANT THAT A SMALLER, AND CHEAPER, TOWER COULD BE BUILT, AWAY FROM THE RAVAGES OF THE SEA. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HUTCHINSON’S INVENTION MEANT THAT THE LIGHT WOULD BE VISIBLE AT A DISTANCE OF 21 MILES.
THE FIRST BIDSTON LIGHTHOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1771. IT HAD AN OCTAGONAL TOWER, AND FEATURED ONE OF HUTCHINSON’S PARABOLIC REFLECTORS, 13’6″ IN DIAMETER.
AFTER THE ORIGINAL LIGHTHOUSE WAS DAMAGED BY FIRE IN 1868, THE MERSEY DOCKS AND HARBOUR CORPORATION COMMISSIONED A NEW BUILDING TO CONTINUE THE FUNCTIONS OF BOTH THE LIGHTHOUSE AND SIGNALS STATION. THE PRESENT LIGHTHOUSE AND COTTAGES WERE COMPLETED IN 1873, AT A BUDGET OF £970 FOR THE TOWER, £1475 FOR KEEPERS’ ACCOMMODATION, £1600 FOR THE LAMP, AND £250 FOR THE PANORAMIC GLAZING. THE COTTAGES PROVIDED AMPLE ACCOMMODATION FOR THREE KEEPERS (TWO WITH FAMILIES), AND WERE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE LIGHTHOUSE THROUGH A COMMON HALLWAY, SO THAT EVERY KEEPER HAD ACCESS TO THE LIGHTHOUSE WITHOUT LEAVING THE BUILDING, AND EACH HAD HIS OWN PORCH AND FRONT DOOR. THE HALLWAY WAS LINED WITH RUABON TILES, AND FEATURED SKYLIGHTS ALONG ITS LONG (NORTH-SOUTH) AXIS.
INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNICATIONS (NOTABLY THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH) AND NAVIGATION (NOTABLY NAVIGATIONAL BUOYS) EVENTUALLY MADE THE LIGHTHOUSE OBSOLETE, AND IT FINALLY CEASED OPERATION IN 1913. 

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