Hood Point
Location: West Bank, East London, South Africa
Year first lit: 1895
Year automated: Never automated. Keepers needed to run visitors center
and to watch over station
Active: Yes
Optic First Order Fresnel Lens
Range: 31 miles out to sea
Character: 4 slow revolving beams every 40 seconds.
Fog signal: diaphone
Fog signal Range: 20+ kilometers!
Character of fog signal: mixed
Age of light: 117 years old
Construction: Masonry
Open to the public? Yes All year round
Replaced older tower?: Yes; Castle Point 1860 to 1895(turned off when
Hood Point was lit.) Demolished in 1929

 

Our friend, Matthew Kitchen
of East London, South Africa.
He sent us both these photos and the info.

"I haven't been inside yet; but planning to.
We just stopped there one sunny morning to take photos.
Next time; I will have photos of it's interior; and of the
building that houses the diaphone that has a
mindblowing range of 20+ KM's!
 I recorded the sound of it on a video
on a very windy day that shut down
the pier lights and horns.
The lighthouse's name is Hood Point; a proud name
 for a veryproud lighthouse!
 I took a dangerous chance like you two did;
except it was at night. The graveyard near the
station is full of druggies and crooks.  It was dangerous
to go there at night. However; the chance paid off;
as I got to see a 1st order Fresnel Lens at work for
the first time!
 It was a beautiful sight!"