Name and Location

The Harwich Maritime Museum, formerly a harbour-entrance light, is located at 37 Harbour Crescent, Harwich, Essex, UK. Its coordinates are 51°56′36.3″ N, 1°17′27.5″ E (decimal 51.9434201, 1.2909709). Visitors can reach the museum on foot from Harwich town centre (approx. 15-20 minutes), by car (limited parking nearby), or via local bus.

2. Construction and History

The original function of this lighthouse was to guide vessels into Harwich Harbour as part of its navigational system, marking one flank of the channel into the estuary of the River Stour. The construction era is likely Victorian (mid- to late-19th century), although a definitive build date is not publicly recorded. It ceased operation as an official aid to navigation by the late 20th century and was subsequently converted into the Maritime Museum in the late 20th or early 21st century.

3. Architecture and Materials

The museum's architecture is that of a small cylindrical/lightkeeper's tower, built of masonry (likely brick with external stucco or painted finish). The height is not publicly documented but appears modest in scale (under 10 meters to parapet). The original lantern housing was probably made of cast iron and glass. The style is functional Victorian pier-light architecture, with minimal ornamentation and a gallery at former lamp level. Materials include brick and stone foundation, remnants of cast-iron fittings around the former lantern deck.

4. Light and Navigation

The seamark type was light_major. The light characteristic, range, and focal height are not available in current records but likely exhibited a fixed or occulting white light with a range of several nautical miles when in service. Chart references include Admiralty chart series covering the mouth of the River Stour and Harwich Harbour.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The museum is open on weekends and summer weekdays, with modest entry fees or donations. Children's activities and guided tours are often available by arrangement. Facilities include small exhibition rooms, a shop/gift area, and restroom facilities. Ground-floor levels are accessible; upper levels (former gallery) reached by narrow stairs (may be restricted to staff).

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The museum overlooks Harwich estuary, the mouth of the River Stour, and, across the channel, Felixstowe docks and the Suffolk marshes.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local tradition holds that on foggy nights, the lightkeeper would signal passing steamers by firing blank charges from a small cannon near the tower (unverified oral history). Shipwrecks of 19th-century smacks on the bar at the harbour mouth are a frequent subject of the museum's storytelling tours.

8. Technical and Operational Details

No technical or operational details are available in current records.

9. Further Information