Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

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The lighthouse was designed by Alexander Gordon of the British Lighthouse Authority and the cost was between £3,000 and £3,500 back in the 1860s. © Cape of Storms

Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

The Roman Rock Lighthouse in False Bay near Simon's Town was built between 1861 and 1865. Note that the word "somewhere" is missing from that sentence, and the reason being? One hundred and fifty years ago work began on building this Structure of Circular cast iron, one of the few in the world which is situated on a rock in the ocean, the majority being on promontories which jut out into the ocean rather like Cape Point lighthouse. And because of its location and vulnerability to the waters in which it was built, the erection of the structure took 4 years. Ferce winds and seas allowed only 96 working days during these four years. From Jan 7 to June 8 1861 for example it was only possible to work on 5 occasions.

The lighthouse owes its existence to a Joseph Nourse Commodore, Royal Navy, Simons Town who when writing to the Secretary General of the Admiralty in London, stressed the importance of the safety of His Majestys ships coming into the anchor at Simons Bay at night. But the proposed site for this lighthouse was not always to be Roman Rock, and from 1823 to 1853, three or four other possible sites were suggested. But in the end it was Roman Rock who won, despite the great costs of erecting it on this site.

The lighthouse was designed by Alexander Gordon of the British Lighthouse Authority and the cost was to be between £ 3,000 and £ 3,500. In 1857 the ship ROYAL SAXON arrived with the mechanism. Cast iron segments were bolted together and the lowest rung secured to the rock. The stone was quarried from Seaforth beach, from the rock behind and under the present restaurant, assembled there on site and numbered, before being ferried out to the required site. This first mechanism had a focal plane of 16,5 m above high water with a range of 19,3 km. It was not a great success as only 1 reflector was visible at a time. There were 8 reflectors in all and they made a revolution every 4 minutes. In 1914 the mechanism was replaced and thereafter the tower was no longer manned. It was powered by dissolved acetylene gas. The gas cylinders were renewed every 3 - 4 months. The automatic flash occurred every 6 seconds. Part of the 1914 mechanism is on display at the Simon's Town Museum.

In 1992 the South African Navy asked for it to be electrified as by now the bright lights of Simon's Town and Kalk Bay over-shadowed it. It now also has a back-up diesel engine and solar panels. The old dome was replaced by a glass fibre one when the dome was air-lifted to the lighthouse by a Sikorsky 861 helicopter.

This impressive structure which has defied the South-East gales and surging seas which have submerged it every summer for 142 years has kept watch over the waters of False Bay, and continues to guide home the Naval ships to their harbour.

An automatic weather station was erected on the Roman Rock Lighthouse during April 2002. This new facility provides for an ideal monitoring site of maritime air. The site is situated 1.5 km offshore and provides measurements (approximate height 17 m above sea level) of weather unaffected by land features such as local heating and buildings. The solar powered data logger reads near real time data before it is transmitted to IMT every 10 minutes via UHF radio link. The data is logged to a computer on IMT premises. The nesting of the birds on the Helipad at Roman Rock created an environmental issue which was resolved by arrangements with Portnet, Marine & Coastal Management and SANCOB. All above mentioned organizations were (and will continue to be) involved in the safe relocation of nesting birds on the helipad.

Due to its location, Roman Rock lighthouse is best viewed from the shore, unless you are one of the lucky few who have been commissioned to work on the site

Accommodation Near Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Showing 1 to 10 of 10 results

Sleeps 20 in 8 units

^FromR 1200

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Boulders Beach Hotel, Cafe and Curios

Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Boulders

1.9km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Boulders Beach Hotel is Boulders, Simon's Town is situated just 70 meters from the World Heritage Site of Boulders Beach renowned for it's breeding African Penguin Colony. This is one of the 'must see' recommendations for tourists visiting Cape Town. …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 20 in 8 units

^FromR 1395

Per person, per night sharing

* Rates may vary according to season

Mariner Guesthouse

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Simon's Town

2.5km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Custom built on the mountainside in historical Simon's Town, award-winning Mariner Guesthouse offers breathtaking sea views across False Bay. We are within walking distance of restaurants and beaches, and pride ourselves on offering style... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 6 in 3 units

^FromR 1025

Per person, per night sharing

* Rates may vary according to season

Moonglow Guest House

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Simon's Town

3.4km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Moonglow Guest House offers bed and breakfast accommodation in Glencairn, on the slopes of the Simon's Town Mountains overlooking False Bay.There are 6 well appointed ensuite bedrooms all with seaviews. 4 rooms have queen beds and all rooms have... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 10 in 5 units

^FromR 4000

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Aqua Terra Boutique Guesthouse

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Simon's Town

3.5km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Aqua Terra Boutique Guesthouse is situated in the quiet suburb of Murdock Valley in Simon's Town and offers accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis.Situated in a prime position 5 minutes from the beach, this landmark house overlooks the entire False …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

^FromR 2500

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Bay Splendour

Self Catering House, Cottage, Chalet Accommodation in Simon's Town

3.7km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Bay Splendour, nestles in a quiet cul-de-sac only ten minutes walk from the old world charm of Simon's Town, South Africa's premier naval station. A coastal gem of peace and tranquillity, Bay Splendour has a spacious open-plan lounge and kitchen... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 6 in 1 unit

^FromR 2700

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

The Crags

Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Fish Hoek

4.9km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Come and stay in one of the original farm buildings in Fish Hoek, Cape Town within a stone's throw of the beach. This self catering apartment (sleeps 6) provides spacious, well-appointed, up-market accommodation with magnificent views across False Bay. …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 8 in 4 units

^FromR 650

Per person, per night sharing

* Rates may vary according to season

A Tuscan Villa Guest House

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Fish Hoek

5.3km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Bed and breakfast accommodation in Fish Hoek, Cape Town. The villa boasts 4 spacious en-suite rooms named according to the direction they face. While each room has its own special attributes all rooms have Posturepedic beds, 100% percale cotton linen... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Guest Rating: 10

Sleeps 6 in 1 unit

^FromR 650

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Upstairs @ No. 42

Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Fish Hoek

5.4km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

UPSTAIRS @ No. 42 is a real home from home with beautiful mountain views and conveniently appointed for a relaxing break. Drive into secure parking right at the entrance. Up the stairs you will find a lounge-dining-kitchen area - fully equipped with TV & …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Sleeps 16 in 6 units

^FromR 950

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Chartfield Guesthouse

Bed & Breakfast Accommodation in Cape Town

5.7km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Chartfield Guesthouse in kalk Bay evokes the spirit of a time when everything was done with a little more style and with a lot more attention to detail. It's a haven created to whisk you away from the cares of the world the moment you step inside... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

Guest Rating: 10

Sleeps 28 in 6 units

^FromR 1800

Per unit, per night

* Rates may vary according to season

Dunvegan Lodge

Self Catering Apartment, Flatlet Accommodation in Cape Town

6.2km from Roman Rock Lighthouse - Simon's Town, Cape Town

Dunvegan Lodge is set high upon the fynbos-covered slopes of Clovelly mountain, Fish Hoek and offers luxury self-catering accommodation in spacious sunny rooms, each with modern en-suite bathrooms, TV with satellite, telephone, hairdryer, safe and... …see more for bookings / enquiries and info.

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