Sunrise at Ferryland

I'm home in Wisconsin now, but 2 weeks ago I was up before the sun and breaking down my tent at La Manche so I could try to be at the lighthouse in Ferryland for sunrise.

Holy Trinity Cemetery, Ferryland

Before it was settled by Livyers (you know what that means if you've been following along!) it was frequented by the Portuguese, Spanish and French fleets in the 1500's.  The name probably comes from the Portuguese "Farilham" or the French name "Forillon".  The French meaning was "standing out" in this case away from the mainland.

Boats at the Colony of Avalon Visitor Center area

Stopping on the roadside to take pictures as the sky glowed pink and orange proved too tempting, but I made myself be quick so I could get out to the lighthouse and catch some good light there.

I didn't know about the Colony of Avalon until I arrived - the Colony was settled in 1621 by George Calvert who was granted a Royal Charter in 1623 and later became Lord Baltimore.  His family and the 40 colonists who wintered there in 1627 found it not to their liking though and left for the Virginia colony of Jamestown.  Later other colonists were more successful and there is an ongoing 

archaeological dig and visitor center that I am marking down on my list of places to visit with Wayne.  They weren't open at sunrise anyway, I'm sure the staff is thankful for that!

To get to the lighthouse I drove out on to the isthmus on a gravel road to the parking area.  Cars are not allowed beyond that point, and from there it was about a 20 minute walk to the lighthouse itself.

I was a little too early for golden rays to hit the lighthouse itself, and a line of low clouds was soon going to engulf the sun so I got what I could with the camera and then just walked around enjoying the peaceful morning.

Picnics are offered at the lighthouse, with homemade bread and fresh squeezed lemonade.  Visit their website for information and to make reservations.  However, I could absolutely recommend bringing a thermos of tea and a pastry to enjoy while searching the horizon for whales.  And like me you would have it all to yourself!

Ferryland Head Light was built during 1870 and 1871. The round, cylindrical light tower was built of stone and red brick and still retains its original lantern room, fitted with two rows of triangular panes of glass. Adjacent to the tower, a two-storey, pitched-roof dwelling was built for the keeper and his assistant.  But wait, that tower doesn't look like stone, does it?

From the website: As had been the case at Cape St. Mary’s, the brick tower at Ferryland continued to be a vexatious matter for the inspector. In 1881, Inspector Nevill noted, “Every year new cracks show themselves in the bricks of the light tower, and seem of quite a mysterious character. If these were extensive settlements in the work, or failure of the foundations, or rupture of the work laterally by frost, they could be understood, but none of these are apparent and still the bricks break across - a brick here and a brick there and they have to be cut out and replaced by sound ones to keep out the weather.”  An iron casing was finally applied to the tower in 1892 and has served to protect the structure ever since. This bright red covering certainly lived up to Nevill’s prediction that it would “make the building practically indestructible.”

Walking a mile in and then a mile out means I had my walk for the day but back at the Colony of Avalon parking area I had to stop and look around a little.

I took the picture below because I'd never seen a sea wall constructed in that way. It was constructed using rocks salvaged from the archaeological site, how cool is that?

Here's a short panaramic video standing on the headland behind the lighthouse. Don't worry, many more Newfoundland posts to follow even though I'm back home in Wisconsin!