Light Through a Lens

In 1514, Henry VIII granted the Corporation of Trinity House a royal charter that made them responsible for the provision and maintenance of navigational aids in British territorial waters. 500 years later they are still responsible for the running of Britain's lighthouses. Though automated now, these lighthouses are maintained in all their unique and idiosyncratic splendour, proving popular architectural landmarks with locals and visitors alike. To celebrate Trinity House's quincentenary, this lavish photographic book features the best photography from the Corporation's own archive. Dramatic and evocative colour photos sit alongside text telling alternately fascinating and entertaining stories about these iconic structures dotted around the most vulnerable stretches of Britain's coastlines. Told from the Corporation's point of view, this will be a photographic account of iconic buildings to be treasured by anyone who finds the haunting beam of a lighthouse at sea an immensely comforting sight, as well as walkers and families for whom a lighthouse on the landscape is a completely irresistible draw.