On 24 December 1664, Sir William Batten, Surveyor of H.M. Navy, was granted a patent allowing him to set up lighthouses in Harwich. The lights were promptly built and were first lit the following year: the High Light, lit by a coal-fired hearth, was installed on top of the old Town Gate; whilst the Low Light, which stood some 200 yards (180 m) away on the foreshore, was a simple wooden tower (its light provided by a single candle in a hoistable lantern).
Illustrated Talk by David Whittle
David has a well-earned reputation as a speaker and has built up a wide ranging catalogue of talks on local subjects; check this page for details of future events.