Medway Head Lighthouse

Owned by the Medway Head Lighthouse Society

For visitors' information, go to Medway Head Lighthouse on Facebook.

View No Ka Oi Drone Video - Medway Head Lighthouses 1927 & 1983

There have been four lighthouses at this station. The first lighthouse was a square wood dwelling 23 feet high, painted white, with a black square daymark. This building was replaced in 1927 by a square two storey dwelling with a lantern atop the roof. This building was then replaced by a fiberglass tower in 1963. The house has been moved across the road and is now a private dwelling. (Not open to the public.) The current wooden pyramidal wooden tower 29 feet (8.8m) high was built in 1983 to replace the deteriorated fiberglass tower. The equipment to run the light is inside the tower.

Photo: © Courtesy Department of Fisheries and Oceans

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Medway Head Lighthouse Locator Map

Medway Head Lighthouse stands on the west side of the entrance to Port Medway.

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Lighthouse Plaque

In 1989 these names were on a plaque
"Given in Memory of Douglas Smiley By Roberta and Alden Wambolt"
on the lighthouse door at Medway Head
The top of the plaque reads:

I thank God for the lighthouse
I owe my life to him
King Jesus is the lighthouse
And from the rocks of sin
He has shown his light around me
That I might clearly see
If it wasn't for the lighthouse
Where would this ship be?

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MEDWAY HEAD I - Light Details

• Location: West side of entrance to Port Medway
• Standing: This light is no longer standing.
• Operating: This light is no longer operating.
• Began: 1851
• Year Lit: 1851
• Structure Type: Square wood dwelling, white, black square daymark
• Light Characteristic: Fixed White (1941)
• Tower Height: 023ft feet high.
• Light Height: 044ft feet above water level.

History Items for This Lighthouse

• 1883 - catatropic lens, fixed white, 10m - 1913 - hand fog horn established

MEDWAY HEAD II - Light Details

• Location: West side of entrance to Port Medway
• Standing: This light is still standing.
• Operating: This light is no longer operating.
• Began: 1927
• Year Lit: 1927
• Structure Type: Square dwelling, lantern on roof
• Light Characteristic: Flashing White (1992)
• Tower Height: 029ft feet high.
• Light Height: 079ft feet above water level.

History Items for This Lighthouse

• 1927 - 1941 - 4th order dioptric lens, from dormer of dwelling, hand fog horn
• 1990 - electric lantern, mercury vapour, flashing white (12s)
• 1960 - 1963 - fog signal sounded from tower
• 1963 - replaced by fiberglass tower

MEDWAY HEAD III - Light Details

• Location: West side of entrance to Port Medway
• Standing: This light is no longer standing.
• Operating: This light is no longer operating.
• Began: 1963
• Year Lit: 1963
• Structure Type: Circular fiberglass tower, white, red band

History Items for This Lighthouse

• 1963 - replaced original tower
• replacement not shown in pilot until 1966 - 1970

MEDWAY HEAD IV - Light Details

• Location: West side of entrance to Port Medway
• Standing: This light is still standing.
• Operating: This light is operational
• Automated: All operating lights in Nova Scotia are automated.
• Date Automated: Automated by 1987
• Began: 1983
• Year Lit: 1983
• Structure Type: Square tapered combination lighthouse and equipment building

History Items for This Lighthouse

• 1983 - replaced fiberglass tower with wooden building
• 1990 - electric lantern, mercury vapour, flashing white (12s)

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Lightkeepers for Medway Head Lighthouse

Perry, Elson XXXX1857XX