Grønningen Lighthouse

Coastal lighthouse in Norway

Lighthouse

58°04′53″N 8°05′16″E / 58.0814°N 08.0879°E / 58.0814; 08.0879TowerConstructed1878ConstructionConcreteAutomated1980Height14 metres (46 ft)ShapeSquareMarkingsWhite tower with red roofHeritagecultural property

LightFocal height18.8 metres (62 ft)Lens4th order Fresnel lensRange11.7 nmi (21.7 km; 13.5 mi)CharacteristicFl (2) WRG 10sNorway no.071600

Grønningen Lighthouse (Norwegian: Grønningen fyr) is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Kristiansand in Agder county, Norway. The lighthouse was built in 1878 to improve the marking of the shipping lane into Kristiansand harbor. In 1842, the Russian ship-of-the-line Ingermanland had collided with the Grønningen islet, leading to a catastrophe. The current lighthouse sits on Grønningen, a bare islet in the Kristiansandsfjord, and it marks the eastern side of the main shipping channel that leads inland to the port of the city of Kristiansand. The other lighthouse, which marks the western entrance, Oksøy Lighthouse, lies about 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) to the west.

The 14-metre (46 ft) tall square concrete tower is white with a red roof. It is attached to one end of a 1+1⁄2-storey lighthouse keeper's house. The light sits at an elevation of 18.8 metres (62 ft) and it emits two white, red, or green flashes (depending on direction) every ten seconds. The light is a 4th order Fresnel lens. It can be seen for up to 11.7 nautical miles (21.7 km; 13.5 mi).^[1]^[2]

The lighthouse was first put into service on 1 September 1878. The station was staffed until 1980 and in 1994, the entire facility was protected by law as a national monument.^[3] The lighthouse is operated by the Bragdøya kystlag foundation, and it is open to the public. During the summer holiday season, it can be used as a free hostel available for overnight stays.^[4]^[5]

References

^ Rowlett, Russ (19 July 2011). "Lighthouses of Norway: Vest-Agder (Kristiansand Area)". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
^ Kystverket (2014). Norske Fyrliste 2014 (PDF) (in Norwegian). ISBN 9788245015959. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
^ Store norske leksikon. "Grønningen fyr" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2017-02-13.
^ "Grønningen fyr" (in Norwegian). Bragdøya kystlag. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
^ "Fyrtur til Grønningen i Kristiansandsfjorden" (in Norwegian). Den Norske Turistforening. Retrieved 2017-02-13.^{[permanent dead link]}