Name and Location

St Catherine's Point Light is a minor sector light located in south Cornwall, England. It marks the eastern entrance to the Fowey estuary and stands on privately owned harbour land at the eastern headland of the River Fowey.

Construction and History

The lighthouse takes the form of a red-painted metal tower rather than a traditional masonry tower. Although it is sometimes described as a "lighthouse," there is no publicly available record of its original erection date or architect. It was likely installed by Fowey Harbour Commissioners in the latter 20th century to improve estuary navigation.

Architecture and Materials

The tower is a freestanding, steel-framed mast painted red, standing approximately 28 meters above its base to the lantern. The construction materials are likely steel latticework, erected mid- to late-20th century. The appearance of the tower features a slender structure with a maintenance platform and lantern housing at the top.

Light and Navigation

The light has three sectors: Sector 1 (red), Sector 2 (white), and Sector 3 (red). Each sector shares a group-flashing sequence "2 + (3)" every five seconds. The characteristic notation is Fl(2+3) W.R., with a period of five seconds.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is not open to the public and does not offer visitor access to the tower or lantern. It is best viewed from the South West Coast Path or public viewpoints on the western bank of the estuary.

Notable Views and Landscape

The light stands against a wooded holiday-home backdrop, offering views upriver to Fowey town and seaward across St Austell Bay. The surrounding landscape features walking routes along the South West Coast Path and coastal viewpoints in Allday's Fields.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and unmanned, with power and control remote-monitored by the harbour authority. It was first charted in modern navigational publications by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Pub 114) in 2011.

Further Information

For official navigation purposes, mariners should consult the UK Admiralty List of Lights, local Notices to Mariners, and Fowey Harbour Commissioners' publications for the latest operational status and sector details.