Trinity House

Trinity House is the home of the Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond which is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland). Trinity House is also the official deep sea pilotage authority providing expert navigators for ships trading in Northern European waters.

The Corporation is also responsible for the provision and maintenance of navigational aids such as lighthouses, lightvessels, buoys and maritime radio/satellite communication systems. The present building was designed and constructed at the end of the 18th century.

The first official record is the grant of a Royal Charter by Henry VIII in 1514 to a fraternity of mariners called the Guild of the Holy Trinity. In 1604 James I conferred on Trinity House rights concerning compulsory pilotage of shipping and the exclusive right to license pilots in the River Thames.

The first lighthouse built by Trinity House was at Lowestoft in 1609, which was part of a series of lights to help guide vessels through a maze of sandbanks between Happisburgh and Lowestoft. The next two hundred years saw a proliferation of lighthouses, many privately owned, with an annual fee paid either to the Crown or Trinity House.

The Master of the Corporation (now a merely honorary title) is the Duke of Edinburgh. Previous Masters of Trinity House have included the diarist Samuel Pepys and the Duke of Wellington, and Admiral William Penn (father of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania). Winston Churchill gained his status as an Elder Brother of Trinity House as a result of his position as First Lord of the Admiralty before and during World War I.

Trinity House, which overlooks the Tower of London, is available for Civil Marriages. The Library is licensed for weddings for up to 100 guests, whilst the Court Room is licensed for 60 guests.

Patricia is the Trinity House flagship which carries passengers as she completes her vital work. This hugely popular holiday experience means guests can view her normal duties, which involve the maintenance of navigational buoys, the attendance and refuelling of offshore lighthouses and dealing with emergencies, including the marking of wrecks.

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Contact details for Trinity House tel: 020 7481 6900, email: [email protected]

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