Calf of Man Stevenson Lighthouses

Summary

A request was made to Manx National Heritage for detailed records, plans, and maintenance history of the Upper and Lower Stevenson Lighthouses on the Calf of Man since 2017. The authority responded by releasing 9 documents totaling 64 pages, including building plans and a 2017 condition survey, confirming that all requested information was sent.

Key Facts

• The request covered the layout, material state, and maintenance of the Upper and Lower Stevenson Lighthouses.
• Manx National Heritage released 9 documents comprising 64 pages in response.
• Specific disclosed items include floor plans for the Lower Lighthouse and a 2017 condition survey by Conservation Solutions Ltd.
• Some information was redacted due to unrelated content and absolutely exempt personal data.
• The response confirmed the lighthouses date back to 1818.

Data Disclosed

• 4163521
• 2024-09-30
• 2024-10-25
• 64
• 9
• 1 January 2017
• 2021
• 1818
• 20150112
• 2017

Exemptions Cited

• Section 25(2)(b)(i)&(ii) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (absolutely exempt personal information)

Original Request

I seek information on the Upper and Lower 'Stevenson' Lighthouses situated on the Calf of Man specifically: Such information held detailing the layout and material state of the interior and exterior of each lighthouse (including those photographic images, building plans, survey reports, maintenance schedules etc otherwise not accessible via the iMuseum collection); and Details of such restoration, preservation and maintenance work undertaken since 1 January 2017 and such work as is planned; and Such documentation (if any) as was prepared by MNH in support of applications to place the lighthouses on the Protected Buildings Register; and Such information held (if any) relating to any proposed restoration of the lighthouses including projected costs, feasibility studies, conceptual plans etc.

Data Tables (2)

Full Response Text

July 2021 - Upper Lighthouse - missing bronze ventilation point

July 2021 – Broken panel at Upper Lighthouse, Calf of Man

July 2021 - Repaired:

xxxxx
xxxxx
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

Our ref: 4163521 25 October 2024

Dear xxxxx

We write further to your request, received 30 September 2024, which states:

"I seek information on the Upper and Lower 'Stevenson' Lighthouses situated on the Calf of Man specifically:

Such information held detailing the layout and material state of the interior and exterior of each lighthouse (including those photographic images, building plans, survey reports, maintenance schedules etc otherwise not accessible via the iMuseum collection); and

Details of such restoration, preservation and maintenance work undertaken since 1 January 2017 and such work as is planned; and

Such documentation (if any) as was prepared by MNH in support of applications to place the lighthouses on the Protected Buildings Register; and

Such information held (if any) relating to any proposed restoration of the lighthouses including projected costs, feasibility studies, conceptual plans etc."

Our response to your request is as follows:

• We have enclosed copies of the information that is being released to you.

Please note that some information not related to your request has been redacted from some of the enclosed information; and some personal data is also redacted under section 25(2)(b)(i)&(ii) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 – absolutely exempt personal information. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please quote the reference number 4163521 in any future communications. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

xxxxx Corporate Services Manager & Data Protection Officer

2 Your right to request a review
If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.
An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

FOI 4163521_MNH Response_25102024 Page 1 of 2 FOI 4163521 – Calf of Man Stevenson Lighthouses “I seek information on the Upper and Lower 'Stevenson' Lighthouses situated on the Calf of Man specifically: Such information held detailing the layout and material state of the interior and exterior of each lighthouse (including those photographic images, building plans, survey reports, maintenance schedules etc otherwise not accessible via the iMuseum collection); and Details of such restoration, preservation and maintenance work undertaken since 1 January 2017 and such work as is planned; and Such documentation (if any) as was prepared by MNH in support of applications to place the lighthouses on the Protected Buildings Register; and Such information held (if any) relating to any proposed restoration of the lighthouses including projected costs, feasibility studies, conceptual plans etc.”

Answer (a) Layout and material state of the Upper and Lower Lighthouses Enclosed are the following files relating to the current state of the 1818 Stevenson lighthouses on the Calf of Man: • First Floor Lower Lighthouse plan • Ground Floor Lower Lighthouse plan • 20150112 Extract from letter to Rushen Commissioners • Conservation Solutions Ltd Condition Survey 2017 – ‘Upper and Lower Stephenson Lighthouses, Calf of Man’ • 20180312 Upper Lighthouse opening repair_Redacted o 20180312 CoM_1_UL • 20180509 Email re Lower Lighthouse_Redacted • 2021 July - Upper Lighthouse - missing bronze ventilation point

(b) Such restoration, preservation and maintenance work undertaken since 1 January 2017 and such work as is planned No further work is scheduled at present for either lighthouse, partly due to the high estimated costs of remedial works and other pressing resource priorities for MNH. However, some limited work has been undertaken since 2017 as described below. Upper Lighthouse: The Upper Lighthouse was cleared of debris internally to better facilitate inspection and works have been undertaken to make it more secure. The building is now being managed as a roofless ruin.

FOI 4163521_MNH Response_25102024 Page 2 of 2 The following file provides photographs of damage done in July 2021 to the current door and the repair work which followed: • 2021 July - Upper Lighthouse - broken panel + repair

Lower Lighthouse: Building Conservation Solutions Ltd carried out some localised repairs during a climbing survey of the tower, and there have been repairs and replacements to window boarding and some decorations to external joinery.
Our current aim is to prevent this very interesting building, with its surviving historic fabric, from deteriorating further.

(c) Such documentation (if any) as was prepared by MNH in support of applications to place the lighthouses on the Protected Buildings Register MNH was sent Notice by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture in July 2021 of the Department’s decision to include both the Upper and Lower Stevenson Lighthouses on the Calf of Man in the Protected Buildings Register due to the buildings’ architectural interest and historic value. MNH had not submitted the application nor was any additional supporting documentation required. The following two files are enclosed for information: • Lower Lighthouse Protected Buildings Register July 2021 • Upper Lighthouse Protected Buildings Register July 2021

(d) Such information held (if any) relating to any proposed restoration of the lighthouses including projected costs, feasibility studies, conceptual plans etc. MNH commissioned an independent survey of costings in 2022 in which it was estimated that £412,000 would be needed to make the Upper Lighthouse structurally safe, via the addition of a new roof structure, and to continue to preserve it.
The survey estimated that £25,000 would need to be spent on the Lower Lighthouse to continue to preserve it. As stated above, no further work is currently scheduled, partly due to the high estimated costs of remedial works and other pressing resource priorities for MNH.

20150112 LTR MNH to Rushen Commrs extract.docx Extract from a letter from Edmund Southworth, Director, Manx National Heritage to Rushen Commissioners, dated 12 January 2015

Building Conservation Solutions Ltd.

Building Conservation Solutions Ltd. 2017

Upper and Lower Stephenson Lighthouses Calf Of Man High Level Condition Assessment August 7-9 2017

2 Summary This report details the findings of a three-day inspection of the high and inaccessible areas of the upper and lower 1818 lighthouses located on the southwest edge of the Calf of Man.
The brief introduction assumes an understanding of the cultural, historic, architectural and archaeological importance of the assets. The report continues by detailing the condition of the upper lighthouse and its accommodation. It goes on to make recommendations as to the most appropriate conservation interventions in keeping with Manx National Heritage’s current thinking about the future of the monument. These include: Essential repairs –
– These are repairs and consolidation those which need to be undertaken as soon as reasonably possible in order to ensure the continued structural integrity or secure the future of significant features. Desirable –
These are conservation interventions that will enhance and ensure the long-term protection of significant features. Useful – Useful interventions are measures that will enable better use of the lighthouses in terms of providing visitor access, allowing regular inspections to take place and help to move the assets towards a productive future. The lower lighthouse and accommodation is then addressed on the same basis. In addition a report is made of the lead repairs undertaken to the lower accommodation roof.

3 Appendix 1 lists the interventions considered essential in an immediately accessible form

4

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Condition overview ...................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Scope ............................................................................................................................ 6
2. Upper Lighthouse .............................................................................................................. 7 2.1. Keeper’s Accommodation ............................................................................................ 7 2.1.1. External Condition and Defects ................................................................................ 7 · Cracking between the cornice and east and west windows of the south elevation .......... 7 · Infill between roof joists ................................................................................................. 11 · Roof joists and boarding ................................................................................................ 14 · Parapet and cornice ....................................................................................................... 15 2.1.2. Interior Condition and Defects ............................................................................... 17 · Partition walls ................................................................................................................ 18 2.1.3. Lighthouse Condition and Defects .......................................................................... 23 · Roof ................................................................................................................................ 34 2.1.4. Consolidation and Conservation Recommendations .............................................. 34 2.1.4.1. Accommodation .................................................................................................... 34 2.1.4.2. Lighthouse ........................................................................................................... 36
3. Lower Lighthouse ....................................................................................................... 37 3.1. Keeper’s Accommodation .......................................................................................... 37 3.1.1. Exterior: .................................................................................................................. 37 3.1.2. Interior: ................................................................................................................... 38 3.1.3. Lighthouse ............................................................................................................... 40 · Wrought iron and wooden lintels ................................................................................... 40 · Lantern Ironwork ........................................................................................................... 40 · Paneling ......................................................................................................................... 42 3.1.4. Consolidation and Conservation Recommendations .............................................. 45 3.1.4.1. Accommodation – ................................................................................................. 45 3.1.4.2. Lighthouse ............................................................................................................ 45
4. Roof Repairs to Lower Lighthouse ........................................................................... 46 Appendix 1……………………………………………………………………… 47

5 1. Introduction

This report has been produced at the request of Shaun Murphy, Properties Manager at Manx National Heritage (MNH).
It is based on an inspection of the high and inaccessible areas of the keepers’ accommodation and lighthouse interiors of the upper and lower 1818 lighthouses located on the southwest of the Calf of Man.
The inspections took place over 3 days, with a wide ranging brief to investigate the soundness of the buildings at high level and propose practical consolidation measures that will secure the buildings in the medium to long term. It is assumed that anyone accessing this report has made themselves aware of the historical and architectural significance of the lighthouses – thus, this report will not offer an historical / architectural précis of the buildings’ significance. 1.1. Condition overview The lighthouses are constructed of local stone capped, quoined and detailed with a robust, predominantly fine-grained sandstone. The stone exteriors of both lighthouses are in good condition, with both the local stone and the sandstone wearing its 199 years lightly; much of the sandstone retains its tooling marks. Internally the condition of the lighthouses diverges significantly: with the upper lighthouse accommodation being a roofless ruin and the lighthouse itself full of the remains of plaster and joinery. This renders access to the lantern dangerous without rope access back up. The lower lighthouse’s accommodation is roofed and the lighthouse accessible to its lantern stage albeit with caution required.

6 1.2. Scope Given their remote location, it is obvious that work to bring either of the lighthouses to a condition that would allow visitor access would be c

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