Name and Location

The Lange Jaap Lighthouse, also known as Vuurtoren Huisduinen, stands at Zeeweg 5 in Huisduinen, municipality of Den Helder, North Holland, Netherlands. Its address is 1789 AC Huisduinen, Den Helder, North Holland, Netherlands. The lighthouse's coordinates are 52°57′19.7″N, 4°43′35.1″E.

2. Construction and History

The Lange Jaap Lighthouse was constructed between 1876 and 1878, with the first light being lit in 1878. It was designed by Chief Engineer Quirinus Harder of the Rijkswaterstaat. The lighthouse replaced an earlier wooden structure from 1810.

3. Architecture and Materials

The Lange Jaap Lighthouse is a 19th-century, cast-iron lighthouse with a hexadecagonal (16-sided) tapering conical tower standing at 57 meters in height. It features a cast-iron dome above the lantern room. Originally, the exterior was bare iron, but it has been painted bright red since.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse's focal plane is 57 meters above ground level. Its original optical apparatus was a first-order Fresnel lens, while today it retains a modern sealed-beam optic. The characteristic light display consists of four white flashes every 20 seconds (0.2 s flash + 3.1 s eclipse, repeated four times, then a 9.9 s pause). The nominal range is 30 nautical miles.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The tower itself is closed to the public for safety reasons, but the grounds are freely accessible. Visitors can reach the lighthouse on foot or by bicycle from Den Helder (approximately 4 kilometers away) with parking available at Zeeweg parking lot in Huisduinen. Occasionally, guided visits are organized by local historical societies.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding area offers panoramic views of the Wadden Sea, Marsdiep channel, and the North Sea shipping lanes. Nearby attractions include Fort Kijkduin and the Marine Museum (Marinemuseum Den Helder), as well as the Huisduinen beach and coastal dunes reserve (Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen).

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

The lighthouse has been nicknamed "Lange Jaap" due to its imposing height compared to neighboring towers. In 1919, a lightning strike caused damage to the lantern; subsequent repairs retained the original cast-iron structure.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated, with no resident keepers since the late 20th century. It remains an aid to navigation by Rijkswaterstaat, with official Dutch light list reference B 0858 and Seamark classification as a landmark tower with light support, color red.

9. Further Information

The Lange Jaap Lighthouse is recognized as a national heritage monument (Rijksmonument #335626) and is protected and administered by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE). For further information, please visit Dutch Wikipedia, Wikidata, or the Rijksmonumentenregister (RCE).