GODREVY LIGHT

Godrevy Light is the title of the only piece of writing on which my husband, the archaeologist  Charles Thomas, and I have ever  collaborated. The book  was published  in 2009 and has done very well. Its subject is the story of this beautiful lighthouse, and the illustrations reproduce pictures of it that we had collected over the years since we first met in its shadow.

Godrevy  was not well known until relatively recently but in recent years it has become as much a symbol of Cornwall as St Michael's Mount, as you can see by looking at almost any website about Cornwall.

A few years ago Trinity House, which is in charge of all England's lighthouses, decided that Godrevy’s light was no longer needed. A lot of pressure was put on Trinity House not to turn off the regular beam of light.

Now Trinity House has decided to divest itself not simply of the obligation to itself keep the light on, but of the lighthouse itself. The inhabitants of Gwithian, the nearest village, and everyone else in the neighbourhood are desperate to save it. Of course I am too. But it seems inconceivable to me that this iconic structure will be permitted to fall down. Surely The National Trust, English Heritage, Cornwall Council or  some other organisation that protects ancient buildings will have to step in.