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The lighthouse originally had a keeper and three assistants, but was automated by Trinity House in 1994. Both before and after the presence of the lighthouse, many ships have been wrecked in these treacherous waters at the gateway to the Solent. The Needles are also a famous yachting landmark and no sailing photo screams ‘This is Britain’ more than one where these chalky pinnacles form the backdrop.
There is a vein of chalk that runs all the way from my home town, Sandown, right through the spine of the island to the Needles. It’s believed that this chalk was once connected to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset as it continues along the South Coast up to Swanage, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.
