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Moving is said to be one of life's most stressful undertakings. Imagine then the tension as Mark and Louise Roberts literally moved their house lock, stock and house. In this case it was either move it or lose it!
The story began back in 1996 when the Robertses bought the old Belle Tout Lighthouse which sits atop the cliffs near Beachy Head in East Sussex, England.
The lighthouse with its high price tag was negotiated down because the old monument was in danger of being lost forever. Thirty-four year old Mark Roberts said, "We bought it because my wife fell in love with it. We had to make a real commitment because Belle Tout did not have long, but the price was worth it." Louise said, "This is a fantastic place to live, it's like being in the middle of nowhere and although we have electricity, we don't have a television."
However, the Robertses knew even then that something would have to be done to save their dream home and plans were soon underway to save the 165 year old lighthouse.
Having failed to obtain any type of grant, the Robertses who run a leisure company raised the funds with a loan from a local bank. It was decided that the 850 ton lighthouse would have to be moved at no more than fifty feet back from the edge of the crumbling cliff, to preserve the spectacular views.
Although decommissioned in 1902, local fishermen still use the lighthouse as a daymark.
The old lighthouse found fame in the 1980's when the British Broadcasting Co. bought the old lighthouse for the filming of a television drama series, "The Life and Loves of a She-Devil."
Work to move the lighthouse began towards the end of last year and was due to be completed this month. However, an unexpected rock-fall late one night, last November, meant that the Robertses would have to move the lighthouse sooner than expected. The huge cliff collapse took away well over twenty-five feet of the front garden and left the tower standing a mere 10 feet from the cliff.
"There was this massive rumbling, like thunder, and we just grabbed the baby and the dog, jumped in the jeep and drove down the hill," said Louise. "We just sat there, not knowing what to expect next."
After that, work to save the lighthouse progressed rapidly. However, as contractors raced to complete the move, sudden fresh new cracks appeared at the top of the cliff.
Systematically, engineers excavated under the building supporting the walls and replacing the old foundations with concrete beams, effectively forming a raft which supported the whole building. Under this raft were four more concrete beams running inland and capped with steel plates acting as rails. Because of the desire to maintain the same level, and because the ground slopes down on the landward side of the lighthouse the beams rested on an elevated steel and concrete framework. This design means that the building can be moved again in the future, if needed and highly likely.
The next problem was keeping everything perfectly level and avoiding stresses that might cause further parts of the cliff from collapsing, while jacks lifted the building by 60cm. All the jacks were independently controlled by computer. If one should move faster than the others, the building would twist and crack. This was the first test of such a design and there were no guarantees. All went as planned and the move date was set.
The day of the move came with a misty dawn, but with the promise of a fine sunny day. All equipment was in place and the crowds began to gather as events unfolded.
The local fire department and Health and Safety Officers inspected the site and at 9:25 in the morning, in the presence of local dignitaries, the proceedings began.
Ninety-three year old Joy Cullinan, who lived at the lighthouse from 1955 to 1980, threw the switch for the hydraulic pump, which was to operate the 90 ton jack being used to push the lighthouse along its rails.
The Managing Director, Paul Kiss, of Abbey Pynford, the company doing the move, explained, "We need to exert a force of 60 tons to shift the lighthouse along the girders. That force travels in both directions, inland and towards the cliff edge, so we have to be very careful."
The technology used was in some ways similar to a Hovercraft, grease being forced from underneath the lifting jacks to form a cushion on which the building can float, allowing it to move more easily. Eighteen workmen carefully observed progress as the lighthouse slid to its new position, making sure that it stayed in a straight line and under control.
With the building moving a meter at a time, and so slowly as to be almost imperceptible, several people likened the event to "watching paint dry." There were several television crews from as far away as Japan and many joined picnickers in a spell of sunbathing to pass the time.
There were a couple of lively moments however. At 11:30 am a telephone call was received saying that someone had spotted an unexploded shell on the beach below the cliffs. The area around the lighthouse was cleared by police, but nothing was found and soon everyone was back sunbathing again. However, in the afternoon, the Bomb Squad did have to blow up some old shells that were found on the cliff-tops about half a mile from the lighthouse.
During the day, thousands of visitors walked along the edge of the dangerous cliffs to watch the move and enjoy the spectacular views. Of all the watchers though, Louise Roberts was possibly the most relieved, happy that the long wait to save her lighthouse was nearly over. " She said, "I turned thirty just a couple of days ago and this is the perfect present. We are relieved. It's been a bit nerve-racking to watch, but a lot less worrying than to see it falling into the sea."
And as if there wasn't enough pressure already, six weeks ago Louise gave birth to son Quinn. "You could say it all came at once for us," she said, going on, "When we get back to normal, it will be a great relief."
But things didn't go exactly as planned. The move was due to be completed by 8pm, but work stopped shortly after sunset having completed only 28 feet. Engineers started again early the next morning and by nightfall the 55 foot granite tower was in its final position where experts claim it will be safe for another 50 years.
As for the Roberts family now? Mark, Louise, daughter Haven and son Quinn along with their Scottie dog, Nesie, have moved back into their home.
Mark says his investment has guaranteed the survival of this famous landmark lighthouse. But that investment has to be paid for. Mark will charge people to view the property and two of the five bedrooms will become part of the Belle Tout Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast.
This story appeared in the
June 1999 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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