Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales 18 Nov 2024

With waves crashing against its sturdy base and a stormy sea swirling around, this lighthouse in Porthcawl, Wales, has been standing resilient since 1860. At 9 metres tall, Porthcawl lighthouse, designed by the eminent engineer James Walker, is often pictured being battered by waves when storms hit this coast. The town"s rugged coastline, with its hidden rocky coves, has always posed a perilous challenge to sailors. Porthcawl lighthouse was built to help guide the increasing maritime traffic along the Bristol Channel. This cast-iron lighthouse was the last one in the United Kingdom to be powered by coal and gas. Although it was converted to electric power in 1997, the lighthouse still maintains its historical charm.

© Leighton Collins/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Keyholes to the kingdom
18 Nov 2023Polar bear season in Manitoba
18 Nov 2025Male hooded merganser, Oregon, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sway with the Amazonian canopy
25 Feb 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Guarding the pass
Twinkle twinkle, little bugs
Jewel of the Adriatic
A cantilevered window to the past
27 Jul 2024Cowes Week
Birthplace of the Renaissance
23 Sep 2023Autumnal equinox
Fly me to the moon
14 Jul 2024Burrowing owl chicks
11 Apr 2025Tulips, Netherlands
4 Jun 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
Why is this cliffside ablaze?
22 Jun 2025World Rainforest Day
18 Aug 2024The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
5 Mar 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
Remember, remember…
1 Aug 2025Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Santa slalom
4 Oct 2023World Space Week
2 Aug 2024Virgin Islands National Park, USA
Sport where you least expect it
Centuries of time in a Delicate Arch
5 Apr 2025Grand National
When art imitates life
27 Jul 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Walking a rocky rainbow
Sociable climbers
1 May 2025Lei Day