David Burdett on Navigation

Trinity House had 160 years connection with East Cowes they had four of their Motor Ships built here by Whites, three of which I subsequently sailed on myself and the Depot had been enlarged because the access was too difficult off the High Street then. The High Street has since been taken over by Red Funnel and so it’s very difficult to actually identify the High Street, as it used to exist.

By the time I joined Trinity House it had been rebuilt and it was … access was off the Red Funnel car park and we went in through the gates. The offices for the Light …Trinity House had various departments within it.

The Lighthouses and Light Vessels and the Tenders that support those come under the Lights Department, so the Superintendent for the Lights Department had his offices there, nice second floor office overlooking the Harbour, very nice working environment and then another part of it was for the Pilotage Superintendent.

Then in … there was a small building on the left side of the entrance where you had overnight accommodation for the Lightsmen who would arrive from different parts of the Island to join the Tender on, I think it was mainly on a Monday morning, for Light Vessel relief and they would sleep there and the various supplies of food, ‘cos Lightsmen had to take all their food with them for a month. Boxes of food would be delivered to that building.

Then going round that building, you would see … it was visible from many parts of the town, East Cowes, the Buoy Store. It was a very tall building because a mobile crane had to have access that took the buoys inside for cleaning, checking that they were in sound condition and re-painting, ready to go out on station because the navigation buoys suffers worse of the weather all the time and it’s moorings wear out as the tide changes, the buoy moves backwards and forwards over the sea bed and so that was what the Buoy Store was for. But, things change, things move on and Red Funnel have now knocked down yet another part of East Cowes and there is no sign, apart from the jetty itself.

Trinity House is now part of East Cowes rich history.