“Moonrise over Beachy Head”  

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Barry W. Hollritt, 2005  

The Beachy Head lighthouse actually has nothing to do with the beach.  It in fact is  a corruption of the original French words meaning "beautiful headland".  This magnificent lighthouse sits in the English Channel in Southern England. The White Cliffs are made of chalk and are the extreme edge of the Eastbourne Downland, a wonderful headland that gives the visitor extreme panoramic views of the area near Eastbourne. The chalk cliffs above the lighthouse stand 530 feet and are the tallest chalk cliffs in England.  I ventured out on a quiet afternoon and began to photograph the lighthouse in the fading light.  As the light fell away, the moon began to rise.  The sight was  one that I was unprepared for.  I’ve photographed many lighthouses in the USA, but this one particular lighthouse has captured my inspiration both then and now.  As the moon continued to rise  above the cliffs, I could sense the intensity of nature and all it’s beauty.  Starting in 1697 and leading right up to the present light that was erected in 1902, a light has been present at Beachy Head to guide mariners through the Channel.  This image preserves a bit of the beauty that lies  below the moon and stars in England.