About this pop-up
Trinity Buoy Wharf marked the first outing of the Travelling Pharology Archive. Rather than focusing only on the people who worked in and maintained lighthouses, this pop-up explored the many different communities that form connections with them.
The collection brought together stories from lighthouse keepers and institutions alongside cyclists, fishermen, skateboarders and enthusiasts, asking a broader question: who makes lighthouse heritage? It set the starting point for an Archive designed to grow and change with every place it visits.
Inside the Archive
Each shelf brought together objects, photographs, books and stories around a different part of the theme.
Click the shelves below to find out moreš
Who Makes Lighthouse Heritage? | Travelling Pharology Archive at Trinity Buoy Wharf
Newhaven: Who Gets to Access a Lighthouse?
Newhaven Breakwater Lighthouse is closed to the public, making access a prominent part of its story. This section explored the communities that continue to form relationships with the lighthouse and its surroundings despite this physical barrier.
Photographs of skateboarders using the site showed one way the landscape has taken on new meanings beyond its original maritime purpose, raising questions about who uses lighthouse spaces and how they become part of contemporary heritage.
The Beacon Bike
Cyclist and lighthouse enthusiast Ed Peppitt has visited 327 lighthouses by bicycle. His story formed part of the Archive’s exploration of contemporary lighthouse communities, showing how personal journeys, hobbies and enthusiasm can become part of lighthouse heritage too.
The Archive Library
A small library invited visitors to continue exploring lighthouse heritage through books including The Beacon Bike, The Lightkeeper and Sentinels of the Sea. The library brings together different approaches to lighthouse history, from personal experiences and working lives to broader maritime histories.
Lighthouses on the Move
Maps and historical material kindly provided by Trinity House explored how lighthouse provision has changed over time, including connections with Harwich. This section placed individual community stories within the wider history of Britain’s changing network of lights.