The lighthouse here at Bear Cove Point is worth a visit with it’s incredible ocean views and a lovely nearby walking trail. It may not be the largest tower on the island, or the most extravagant, but it still holds it’s own history and purpose.
There’s a gravel road you can drive to reach this lighthouse, or you can hike along the East Coast Trail to reach this location. The rectangular tower standing today is approximately 24 feet tall and quite simplistic with it’s metal framing. It’s painted in the classic red and white stripes and features a metal ladder, concrete base, and a lantern at the very top. There’s also a fog horn nearby that has been painted white. The entire site is surrounded by a chain link fence but I managed to snap a few photos regardless of the barrier.
The original lighthouse here at Bear Cove Point was built and operational by 1914 and had a dwelling, storehouse, and engine room attached. The light and foghorn helped mariners along the eastern shores of Newfoundland and aided in preventing ships from crashing ashore. The first lightkeeper is listed as Thomas Fennelly and then his son took over the position years later.
It appears from the photo above that the site was painted white with a black stripe around it’s entirety. The lightroom had an hexagonal shape with a pointed rooftop and housed a fourth-order lens. I don’t see a weathervane or a crow’s nest on the original tower.
There’s a dwelling standing today that’s also painted white with a black stripe and I’m curious if this was a part of the original structure or if it’s a building that was built sometime after 1914. However, the original dwelling, engine room, and storehouse appear to have been torn down at some point before the 1960s.
The Bear Cove Point lighthouse during the 1960s had a sloped, square, metal frame with red and white horizontal stripes. The lantern room was still hexagonal shaped and housed a fourth-order lens with a bright white light. Sometime during the 1970s, electricity reached the station and just like other lighthouses on the island, this meant the need for staff at the station decreased and the site became mostly self-operational. The tower standing today was built sometime around 2010.
During my visit to this station, I noticed some sort of mechanical piece hiding in the grass that was rusted but still eye-catching. Was this used in the engine room? If anyone knows what this piece of machinery was used for please let me know in a comment below. It was nearby the dwelling as you walk along the gravel road and I’m oh so curious about it.
I also noticed a lovely couple sitting along the headland admiring the ocean views. Perhaps they were having a picnic here after a walk along the East Coast Trail. Whatever the reason, this site is worth a visit, especially during the summer season.
So if you’re up for a wee drive along the gravel road, or a nice hike along the trail, then perhaps the lighthouse here at Bear Cove Point will make your list of travel destinations. I love exploring the corners of this island and learning all about the history here. There’s so much to see and do here in Newfoundland and I’m having so much fun tracking down the lighthouses and visiting them.
Until next time…
Whoa Dana 