#porthcawl lighthouse

[fotos-art]

Porthcawl Lighthouse, South Wales, UK

© Leighton Collins

Alamy

Today's picture shows the imposing Porthcawl Lighthouse in Wales, which has been defying the power of a stormy sea and the force of colossal waves that relentlessly crash against its solid foundation since 1860. This iconic lighthouse was built to guide the ever-increasing maritime traffic in the dangerous Bristol Channel. Its location on the rugged Porthcawl coastline has always presented an extreme challenge for sailors. Famous for spectacular photographs of it being battered by massive waves, this lighthouse, the last in the UK to be powered by coal and gas, retains an undeniable historic charm, even after its conversion to electricity in 1997.

[opticallyaddicted]

Photographer Spends Years Documenting Immense Storm Waves that Crash Against the Porthcawl Lighthouse

For the last six years photographer Steve Garrington has spent countless hours documenting the oceanic events surrounding a single lighthouse in Porthcawl, Wales. Built in 1860, the lighthouse itself is pretty run-of-the-mill, but the events that unfold around it as stormy winds sweep in from the Bristol Channel are anything but ordinary. Because of the point’s unique sloped design, crashing waves are easily launched to extraordinary heights, especially during bad weather. It’s a wonder the structure is even standing after all these years. You can explore more of his photography on Flickr, specifically his waves album.