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The Triple Towers at Casquets lies about 7 miles west off of Alderney. In about 1722, the owner of the rocks, Thomas Le Cocq, was approached by the owners of ships passing the dangerous rocks called the Casketts off Alderney, to build a lighthouse and offered him ½d. per ton when vessels passed the light. He approached Trinity House and was granted a patent in 1723. Trinity House decided that a light of particular character, to distinguish it from those on the opposite shores of England and France, was needed. So they decided to build 3 separate lights/towers in the form of a horizontal triangle containing closed fires, coal fires burning in glazed lanterns, and these were erected and came into operation in 1724. They were known as St Peter, St Thomas and Dungeon. The lease granted to Le Cocq by Trinity House lasted for 61 years at a rent of £50 per annum. The 3 lights then reverting to Trinity House in 1785 and they were converted to metal reflectors in 1790. A revolving apparatus was fitted to each tower in 1818, and they were raised by 30ft in 1854. It was converted to automatic operation in 1990. The three original towers at the Casquets are still in use, although only the North West Tower still exhibits a light. The East Tower contains fog-signal equipment and a helideck is mounted on the third tower. During World War II the Germans used the light station as an observation post and transmitter site, which attracted commando raids by British forces in 1942 and 1943.
The rocks of Les Casquets with it's lighthouse, seen from the beach on Alderney 13km away. Photo by Neil Howard
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