City of London in Greater London, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
Trinity House
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 11, 2026
1. Trinity House Marker
Did You Know? An A to Z Guide to Trinity House
Almshouses
Trinity House’s oldest duty is to provide support for aged mariners in need
Buoys
Buoys are a very important part of Trinity House’s mix of aids to navigation
Charity
Trinity House is a charity set up to provide support and training for mariners
Dover Strait
The Dover Strait is the busiest shipping lane in the world, keeping Trinity House very busy and on alert at all times
E-Navigation
Trinity House works with other maritime agencies to help research and develop elements of e-navigation
Fraternity
The Fraternity is made up of 31 elected Elder Brethren and around 400 Younger Brethren
GNSS
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide worldwide coverage of position and accurate timing
Helicopters
Trinity House began using helicopters in 1969 to transport people
this page online
International Shipping
Seafarers around the world depend upon our aids to navigation for their safe passage in our waters
Journeys by Sea
Trinity House works around the clock to ensure that mariners are safe, well-trained and supported
King Henry VIII
Trinity House has been serving the mariner since 1514, when they were incorporated by Henry VIII
Lighthouses
Trinity House owns and maintains over 60 lighthouses in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar
Monitoring
Trinity House’s aids to navigation are monitored 24 hours a day from the Planning Centre in Harwich, Essex
Navigation
Our aids to navigation help mariners navigate their way safely around some of the UK’s busiest waters
Optics
Many Trinity House lighthouses have a light source no bigger than a thumb
Pilotage
Trinity House provides expert navigators for ships sailing in Northern European waters
Queen Elizabeth I
Trinity House’s connection with lighthouses dates back to Queen Elizabeth I’s Seamarks Act of 1566
Research & Development
GLA Research and Development is a central resource for the three General Lighthouse Authorities
Solar Power
Trinity
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 11, 2026
2. Trinity House Marker (Section 1)
Trinity House, London
Since 1796 Trinity House has been based at its central London headquarters at Tower Hill, alongside the River Thames
User Pays
Trinity House carries out its duties at no expense to the taxpaying public
Vessels
Trinity House has a fleet of three purpose-built vessels: THV Galatea, THV Patricia and THV Alert
Wreck Marking
Trinity House has a duty to mark and sometimes remove wrecks that are a hazard to shipping
X Marks the Spot
Trinity House inspects over 11,000 local aids to navigation every year
Younger Brethren
Trinity House has a fraternity of almost 400 Younger Brethren drawn from various sectors in the maritime community
Zero Emissions!
Trinity House is committed to preserving the beautiful coastal environment in which we work
A Brief History of Trinity House
1514 Royal Charter granted by Henry VIII to the Corporation of Trinity House. Sir Thomas Spert is the first Master.
1566 Elizabeth I grants to Trinity House the power to build lighthouses and other seamarks for the protection of seafarers.
1594 Elizabeth I confers upon
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 11, 2026
3. Trinity House Marker (Section 2)
1604 James I grants Trinity House rights concerning the compulsory pilotage of shipping, and the exclusive right to license pilots in the River Thames.
1609 We build our first lighthouses at Lowestoft, to protect shipping along the coast of East Anglia.
1676 Renowned diarist and Naval administrator Samuel Pepys is elected Master of Trinity House.
1685 James II issues a renewed Royal Charter to Trinity House; this document is still the foundation of our authority today.
1698 Eddystone becomes the first rock lighthouse in Europe, built by Henry Winstanley; it is destroyed by a storm in 1703.
1732 The first lightvessel in the world is moored near the Nore Sands at the mouth of the River Thames.
1759 The third Eddystone Lighthouse is built; pioneering civil engineer John Smeaton uses dovetailed stone blocks in the shape of an oak tree.
1796 Our current headquarters are built at Tower Hill. Today the Grade I Listed building is one of London’s most prestigious venues.
1803 The Blackwall workshops are established by the Thames, becoming a hub for engineering and
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, September 11, 2026
4. Trinity House Marker (Section 3)
1836 Trinity House is given compulsory powers to acquire and maintain all private lighthouses.
1838 Grace Darling, the daughter of the keeper at Longstone Lighthouse, rows out to save nine victims of the wrecked Forfarshire steamer.
1858 Electricity introduced to the first Trinity House Lighthouse at South Foreland.
1882 The present Eddystone Lighthouse (the fourth to be established), designed by Sir James Douglass, is completed.
1940 The Trinity House headquarters in London is destroyed during the Blitz. The house is restored in 1953
1958 Almshouses for retired mariners are built at Walmer, Kent, the latest in a tradition predating even our first Royal Charter
1969 First reliefs of lighthouse keepers by helicopters are trialled
1977 Last oil burning light removed from a Trinity House lighthouse at St. Mary’s Bay, Tynemouth
1982 Eddystone Lighthouse becomes the first Trinity House rock lighthouse to be converted to automatic operation. THV Patricia is delivered
1989 Lightsmen are withdrawn from the Channel station, the last manned Trinity House lightvessel
1993 The conversion of Trinity House buoys to solar power is completed
1994 Lundy North becomes the first Trinity House lighthouse to be converted to solar powered operation
1998 Keepers are withdrawn from North Foreland, the last manned Trinity House lighthouse
2002 The Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) network provided by the General Lighthouse Authorities becomes operational
2006 THV Alert enters service, becoming Trinity House’s first Rapid Intervention Vessel
2007 THV Galatea is delivered, the most advanced vessel ever built by Trinity House
2008 Development of e-navigation as AIS, eLoran and DGPS begins
2011 Lighthouse modernisation completed; new power systems reduce CO₂ emissions. HRH The Princess Royal elected Master
2014 Trinity House celebrates 500 years of service to the mariner
2025+ The General Lighthouse Authorities’ strategy for the UK and Ireland’s marine aids to navigation for 2025 and beyond is realised
The 1566 Seamarks Act enabled Trinity House “at their wills and pleasures, and at their costs, [to] make, erect, and set up such, and so many beacons, marks, and signs for the sea, in such place or places of the sea-shores, and uplands near the sea-coasts, or forelands of the sea, only for sea-marks, as to them shall seem most meet, needful, and requisite, whereby the dangers may be avoided and escaped, and ships the better come into their ports without peril.”
“A record of four centuries shows the Corporation alert and capable at all times and in all conditions. A visit to its home is not merely an artistic and historic pleasure; it is a wholesome lesson in the nature, growth and retention of sea power by a maritime empire.”
Country Life, 1919
“Following the tradition of our Family, which I hope will be long maintained, my Father was an Elder Brother of Trinity House, and, as you know, had intended to open your new building. I am therefore especially glad that I can today carry out his wishes, and join with you in celebrating your return to your historic home. This new building is a noble replica of the old House, so tragically destroyed, and is one of which the City of London can be justly proud. The Corporation of the Trinity House has a great record of public service and of charitable benefaction. For centuries, its members have been the Good Samaritans of the sea. I should like to take this opportunity of telling all those who have ever been associated with our Lighthouse and Pilotage services how deeply I appreciate their work and their devotion to duty on which depends the safety of those who sail the seas around these islands.”
HM The Queen, 1953 Trinity House re-opening ceremony
Erected 2023 by Trinity House.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.
Location. 51° 30.621′ N, 0° 4.621′ W. Marker is in City of London, England, in Greater London. It is on Trinity Square east of Savage Gardens, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6 Trinity Square, City of London, England EC3N 4DH, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East. Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean, in the North Atlantic Region, in Europe, in Atlantic Europe, on one of the British Isles, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named The Trinity House (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Trinity House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Corporation of Trinity House London (within shouting distance of this marker); The Tower Liberty (within shouting distance of this marker); Wakefield Gardens (within shouting distance of this marker); A Place of Execution (within shouting distance of this marker); The Origins of the Tower (within shouting distance of this marker); London Wall (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in City of London.
Also see . . . Trinity House, London. (Submitted on September 23, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 23, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
