Norfolk nostalgia: Old photos of lightships in days gone by

And today we have delved into the archive to share this collection of old photos capturing some of the vessels that operated off our region's coast in years gone by.

In dry dock at Lowestoft the Dowsing lightvessel undergoes her three-yearly refit in August, 1969. The work was being done by Richards shipyard and when completed the vessel was due to return to the north Norfolk coast. (Image: Newsquest)

Lightships, also known as lightvessels, were ships that served as lighthouses.

They were stationed at lightvessel stations - these tended to be in locations where the water was too deep for lighthouse construction. 

Seamen from Trinity House worked on the electrical controls of a lightship on December 10, 1953. (Image: Newsquest)

The Haisbro lightship is towed into Great Yarmouth by tug Richard Lee Barber (on the other side of the lightvessel) after being holed in a North Sea collision in February 1961. There was a gaping hole in the starboard side, in the cabin of the master, Mr W Staff of Yarmouth. A relief ship left for the Haisbro station with all the crew safely on board. (Image: Newsquest)

In the early 18th century, the first lightship emerged from a business partnership between David Avery, an investor, and Robert Hamblin, a former ship manager and barber from King's Lynn.

In 1730, the government issued the pair a licence to moor a vessel with a prominent light to serve as a navigation aid near the Nore sandbank at the Thames Estuary.

The Dowsing lightship being towed by the new tug Hector Read. The brilliant red of the lightship, combined with the blue of the sea and the colourfully painted funnel of the tug made a colourful sight in November, 1965. The Hector Read handed over the Dowsing to the Trinity House tender Mermaid for towing to her station. (Image: Newsquest)

In March 1977, Norwich’s moored lightship, the former Lynnwell vessel – seen here in Yarmouth – was due to be towed round the coast to Bristol where it would become a museum and floating restaurant. The new owners hoped to have the light working, but on reduced power. Put on station 1921 had a crew of 5. Geoffrey Searle used to take the crew a turkey, drink and a tree at Christmas time In 1956 they got a television. In 1973 the lightship was removed from station and towed into Harwich. It became the HQ of the sea cadets in Norwich. Date: March 9, 1977. (Image: Newsquest)

Most British lightships were decommissioned during the 1970s and 1980s. They were replaced with the much cheaper-to-run LANBY buoys or light floats.

Can you remember seeing lightships off our coasts?

Let us know in the comments below.    

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The South Goodwin lightship is towed into Lowestoft harbour for repairs at Richards shipyard in August, 1962. She had been damaged when struck by a Russian floating dock. (Image: Newsquest)

The Dowsing lightship, anchored 30 miles off Cromer, receives its final supply run before de-commissioning in June, 1989. The Dowsing, with five crew, was the last manned light vessel in the North Sea and helicopters from Cromer lighthouse had flown every fortnight since 1977 to supply the ship and others nearby. But in the 1980s more than a dozen light vessels off the East Coast had gone fully automatic: the end of an era. (Image: Newsquest)