Blackhead Lighthouse

Following the success of their scheme at Ballealy, Hearth worked with the same builder, JS Dunlop, at the second Irish Landmark Trust scheme in the north in 2002-03.

The ILT has taken over a number of properties from the Commissioners for Irish Lights, which remains an all-Ireland body, and when Blackhead Lighthouse (somewhat confusingly located near Whitehead in Co Antrim) was no longer manned the lighthouse-keepers’ cottages behind the light were converted to holiday accommodation.

Potential visitors will be relieved to know that the light is shielded on the landward side so that the keepers can sleep, although the whistle system for alerting hands on stormy nights survives. The cottages were very solidly built in 1900 and work was mainly restricted to updating services but the re-roofing of the building in its very exposed location was quite a challenge – even when there is no wind in Belfast there is usually a light gale on the cliff edge.