Surrounded by gentle trails, idyllic rock pools and vibrant reefs, the Seal Point Lighthouse is irrefutably the most elegant and gracious lady in our community (and believe me, the competition is stiff). She maintains her perfect posture even with waves crashing at her feet and wind whipping her form. With her generous warm glow, it’s hard to imagine that at one point she was said to be loneliest lighthouse in South Africa.
Her story began in 1875. After nearly two centuries of shipwrecks, it was time to cast a little light on the situation. Cape St Francis is situated on the most south-eastern point of the South African coastline. It is the point where skippers need to alter their course if navigating around the country. Many ships take a shortcut and come close to land. Sadly, many come a little too close and came a cropper.
The designer of the Bird Island Lighthouse, Mr. J. Flack, and the lighthouse builder, Mr. B. Godfrey, were appointed to build a lighthouse at Seal Point and made the arduous trip by ox-wagon from Port Elizabeth taking a week to get here. Construction began on the structure using local rock and sand (some say you can still see where they removed blocks from the surrounding outcrops). They laboured at it for a couple of years until it was finally complete in 1878. Sadly, Mr. Flack died of typhus a year into the project and never got to see his lady all aglow.
At first there was nothing else in the area, only the lighthouse. The lighthouse keepers were supplied with provisions by local farmers, but lived a relatively solitary existence. Gradually, people began to explore the area and a few even decided to build holiday homes. Who would have thought it would become the thriving community it is now?
The Seal Point Lighthouse has now become a hub of activity thanks to a group of local entrepreneurs. The bottom floor of the lighthouse consists of two wings, each housing elegant and luxurious accommodation. The central portion of the lighthouse displays pictures of the old lighthouse keepers and the far end is used as a pop-up shop during the season.
Buy a ticket at the amazing Nevermind kiosk next door to climb up to the top of the lighthouse. Unless the weather is shoddy, it’s open daily from 10am to 3.30pm. As the stairs are rather narrow, only a limited number of people can go up at the same time, so be sure to check out how many people are before you. I went up with my 8 year old daughter and, although she really enjoyed the experience, was a little scared going up and down the last few flights of stairs which are very narrow and steep. Of course, the thrill of being at the top and the magnificent view wiped out her fear.
There is a small, old building next the lighthouse that is under conservation protection, but am sure will be renovated into something fabulous soon. We’ll keep you posted!
PS There are three buildings next to the lighthouse. Formerly a penguin rehabilitation centre run by SANCCOB, the closest one to the lighthouse is the fabulous Nevermind restaurant. Nevermind never disappoints and appeals to all – from the tiny tots to the connoisseurs. The furtherest building from the lighthouse is called Salt. Salt has a yoga studio used by local instructors and smaller private therapy rooms. Doing yoga with a view of the the Cape St Francis Beach is indeed a special experience.
Dig Deeper
- It took 839 days to build.
- At 27.75m, our lighthouse is one of the highest stone masonry structures in South Africa.
- She was illuminated for the first time on 4 July 1878.
- The strength of the illumination is measured in candlepower – initially it burnt 15 000 candles visible for 28 nautical miles. By 1931, the candlepower had increased to 2750 000 (still only visible for 28 nautical miles)
- Currently, the light is automated and monitored in Port Elizabeth.
- The fog horn tends to sound after load-shedding.
- All it’s 154 steps are encased in the lighthouse, only the last couple of flights are more like step ladders.
Whoops a Daisies
Sadly, this stretch of coast has seen many shipwrecks. Apparently, if you factor in all the shipwrecks known and divide it by the length of the coastline, there would be a wreck every kilometre. We pay tribute to the lives lost at sea, by naming the streets of Cape St Francis after various shipwrecks. If you would like to see a few pictures of the ships that came a cropper, visit Jill’s Groovy Scoops, grab a scoop of deliciousness and check out the mini-museum in the shop.
Dune Reading
The Seal Point Lighthouse Official Website : Find all the details about accommodation, Nevermind, tower tours and much more here.
The Heritage Portal: A more comprehensive history of the lighthouse.
The Lighthouse’s Facebook page: News about all the happenings at the lighthouse and in it’s surrounding cottages.
The St Francis Kromme Trust: Shipwrecks: This website has an amazing amount of information about the local area, including some fascinating stories about some of the shipwrecks.
Surfline: The real story of Cape St Francis: Craig Jarvis writes a wonderful story about the how things evolved in Cape St Francis.
Simpson, RN, The Monument Around Us, 2006: NL Hulett: An essential read about the story of the Hulett family and St Francis.
It was enjoyable to read a little about the lighthouse. It’s easy to forget how much history there is to most places.
Thanks Paul! It’s wonderful to discover more about a place you see all the time.