Holy smoke! The spectacular moment a freak bolt of lightning struck an ancient …

Chapel, used as a lighthouse, had damaged electrics after being hit
Glass panels of 14th Century chapel were smashed by lightning bolt
Bolt of lightning could have started fire in ancient building

By
Anna Edwards

PUBLISHED:

11:04 GMT, 10 September 2013

|

UPDATED:

14:40 GMT, 10 September 2013

It’s a lighthouse that is meant to guide ships through dark and stormy nights.

But when a bolt of lightning struck a former ancient chapel and damaged its electrics and shattered its windows, vessels had to turn to the spectacular storm for light.

Lightning struck the ancient Grade I listed St Nicholas Chapel on Friday night, smashing three of the dome’s glass panels and damaging the electrics.

This is the dramatic moment a freak bolt of lightning struck an ancient chapel lighthouse in Devon

Lightning struck the Grade I listing building on Friday night, smashing three of the dome's glass panels and damaging the electrics

Lightning struck the Grade I listing building on Friday night, smashing three of the dome’s glass panels and damaging the electrics

This picture shows damage to the lighthouse windows caused by the lightning strike

This picture shows the damage to a fusebox inside the lighthouse following the lightning strike

St Nicholas Chapel, built on Lantern Hill, Ilfracombe, Devon, in the 14th Century, has been used as a lighthouse for hundreds of years.

Its navigation light has since been replaced and the chapel reopened.

The moment the lightning strike hit the chapel was caught on camera by Ilfracombe resident Jason Twist.

‘The storm was very impressive, so I grabbed my camera and started snapping about 500 photos,’ he said.

‘My house overlooks the harbour so I was in the right place at the right time.’

$The chapel overlooks Ilfracombe, and has been a navigation light for ships for centuries$

The chapel overlooks Ilfracombe, and has been a navigation light for ships for centuries

$St Nicholas Chapel (pictured), built on Lantern Hill, Ilfracombe stopped being used as a chapel in the 14th century$

St Nicholas Chapel (pictured), built on Lantern Hill, Ilfracombe stopped being used as a chapel in the 14th century

$The moment the lightning strike hit the chapel was caught on camera by Ilfracombe resident Jason Twist$

The moment the lightning strike hit the chapel was caught on camera by Ilfracombe resident Jason Twist

Owned by North Devon District Council,
the chapel is run by the Rotary Club of Ilfracombe and the automated
navigation light is looked after by the town’s harbour master.

‘It was quite a night – the storm was spectacular – but the damage could have been so much worse,’ rotarian Ann Doody said.

‘The light was fixed by an electrician on Saturday and although we still have to replace some the sockets, we’ve been able to reopen to the public.’

Ilfracombe Rotary club’s president Nigel Vince said the lightning could have caused a devastating blaze.

He told This Is Devon: ‘We were extremely fortunate that the building did not catch fire and cause major damage and are heartened by the quick responses of the fire brigade and the harbour master’.

St Nicholas’ Chapel is believed to be Ilfracombe’s oldest building, and was first used as a lighthouse in 1522. The ancient building was restored in the sixties by Rotarians.

When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1540 St Nicholas ceased to be a chapel.

Between 1835 and 1871 a Mr John Davey lived in the chapel as lighthouse keeper raising a family of 14 children.

The chapel was also used as a reading room and a laundry.

$Owned by North Devon District Council, the chapel is run by the Rotary Club of Ilfracombe$

Owned by North Devon District Council, the chapel is run by the Rotary Club of Ilfracombe

The comments below have not been moderated.

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shame it didn’t get the rather dodgy statue :((

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Old maid
,

Plymouth, United Kingdom,
10/9/2013 18:15

Contrary to some comments, it appears that it did have a lightning conductor, and the system worked, otherwise the whole lantern would have been destroyed and the building burned down. As it is, with the massive strike pressure wave, the loss of 3 glass panels and little scorching is small beer. I used to specify lightning systems on important public buildings, and have seen what 100,000 amps at one million volts can do to manmade structures. A fabulous photo, nevertheless, and it warrents a copy in my records.

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Oldcogger
,

Birmingham, United Kingdom,
10/9/2013 18:09

Bet God was after the Damian Hurt pile of dross

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cudalls
,

New Milton,
10/9/2013 17:52

Bolt of lightning could have started fire in ancient building
————-
REALLY?

–

libertas
,

London, United Kingdom,
10/9/2013 17:28

Rev. 2:6 Still, you do have this, that you hate the deeds of the sect of Nic¿o¿la´us, which I also hate.
and that you cannot bear bad men, and that you put those to the test who say they are apostles, but they are not, and you found them liars. 5 So you, also, have those holding fast the teaching of the sect of Nic¿o¿la´us likewise. 16 Therefore repent. If you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will war with them with the long sword of my mouth…………………..Wow! ONE VERY SCARY BOLT TO JOG THE MEMORY!

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strangerthanfiction
,

London,
10/9/2013 17:04

–

strangerthanfiction
,

London,
10/9/2013 17:04

–

strangerthanfiction
,

London,
10/9/2013 17:03

Stay safe and well my beloved Devon Chapel.

–

Mo Kumar
,

United Kindom, United Kingdom,
10/9/2013 16:49

Stay safe and well my beloved Devon Chapel.

–

Mo Kumar
,

United Kindom, United Kingdom,
10/9/2013 16:49

Now I need to add this beautiful location to my trip list for next year’s travels. Pics are incredible.

–

KittyKat
,

Austin, United States,
10/9/2013 16:48

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