Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales Nov 18, 2024

With waves crashing against its sturdy base and a stormy sea swirling around, this lighthouse in Porthcawl, Wales, has been standing resilient since 1860. At 9 metres tall, Porthcawl lighthouse, designed by the eminent engineer James Walker, is often pictured being battered by waves when storms hit this coast. The town"s rugged coastline, with its hidden rocky coves, has always posed a perilous challenge to sailors. Porthcawl lighthouse was built to help guide the increasing maritime traffic along the Bristol Channel. This cast-iron lighthouse was the last one in the United Kingdom to be powered by coal and gas. Although it was converted to electric power in 1997, the lighthouse still maintains its historical charm.

© Leighton Collins/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Nov 18, 2023Polar bear mother and cubs
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 30, 2026St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Dec 12, 2025Spotted poinsettia
Feb 15, 2026Humpback whales, Monterey Bay, California, United States
Sep 29, 2024West Cornwall Covered Bridge, Connecticut, USA
Apr 4, 2026Black grouse males, Estonia
Apr 7, 2026Beaver
Jan 13, 2025Cottage and Tŵr Mawr lighthouse, Ynys Llanddwyn, Wales, United Kingdom
Mar 5, 2026Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye
Apr 16, 2026Skagit Valley Tulip Fields, Washington, United States
Sep 25, 2025Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
May 20, 2024Bee tending a honeycomb
May 15, 2025Palace of Westminster, London, England
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
Jun 28, 2024Chausey Islands
Feb 12, 2025Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jun 9, 2025Old City of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia, Croatia
Feb 3, 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
May 20, 2026Bumble bee pollinating, Worcester, England
Oct 18, 2024Central Park, New York, United States
Feb 9, 2026Amur leopard cat, Russia
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
May 30, 2025Little Pigeon River, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States
May 19, 2024Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
Feb 20, 2025Red deer, Canada
Mar 1, 2026Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain
Jan 20, 2026Gentoo penguin, Petermann Island, Antarctica
Jan 11, 2025Heri es-Swani in Meknes, Morocco
Nov 22, 2023Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Oct 18, 2023Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA
July 5, 2026Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France