Westerlichttoren
Encyclopedia
The Westerlichttoren or West Schouwen is a lighthouse
in Haamstede
in the province of Zeeland
in the Netherlands. Designed by L. Valk, it was built in 1837. At 53 m above ground and a light stand at 58 m above sea level it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Netherlands.
The lighthouse is built in brick and iron, the walls are 2.4 m thick at the bottom, tapering upward. It is painted in a red-and-white spiral. A stair of 226 steps, in stone and partially in iron, leads to the top. The lighthouse is unattended.
of 4200 W, which has been replaced by a 2000 W gas-discharge lamp
.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Haamstede
Haamstede
Haamstede is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland.The statistical area "Haamstede", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2460....
in the province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
in the Netherlands. Designed by L. Valk, it was built in 1837. At 53 m above ground and a light stand at 58 m above sea level it is one of the tallest lighthouses in the Netherlands.
The lighthouse is built in brick and iron, the walls are 2.4 m thick at the bottom, tapering upward. It is painted in a red-and-white spiral. A stair of 226 steps, in stone and partially in iron, leads to the top. The lighthouse is unattended.
Light
The lighthouse is switched on and off automatically by a light sensor. A sailor can recognise the light by its characteristic: group flash 2+1. The current lenses were installed in 1953. Originally the light was an incandescent light bulbIncandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
of 4200 W, which has been replaced by a 2000 W gas-discharge lamp
Gas-discharge lamp
Gas-discharge lamps are a family of artificial light sources that generate light by sending an electrical discharge through an ionized gas, i.e. a plasma. The character of the gas discharge critically depends on the frequency or modulation of the current: see the entry on a frequency classification...
.
Trivia
- This lighthouse was well-known by the public as it was used for the former 250 Dutch guilder note designed by Ootje OxenaarOotje OxenaarRobert Deodaat Emile Oxenaar is a Dutch graphic artist.Ootje Oxenaar studied visual arts at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. From 1966 until 1985 he worked for the Nederlandsche Bank, where he designed two series of banknotes.-External links:*&...
.