Heart’s Content and Hant’s Harbour Lighthouses

One thing I have learned in Newfoundland is that if you look out the window on a beautiful sunny day, do not hesitate, do not think about going out later to enjoy the nice day. You must leave the house immediately. We are sitting out here in the North Atlantic. The weather can and will change in moments.

One day in September 2009, I sat down at my computer to get ready for work. (I was doing the working from home thing a long time ago.) It happened to be my birthday. I looked out at a spectacularly beautiful late summer day. I decided that I was not going to work that day. Instead it was going to be a day for some lighthouses. I cancelled my remote consulting appointments (clients were understanding, especially when I mentioned my birthday) and told Po we were going for a ride.

We headed for the Baccalieu Trail on the other side of Conception Bay. I initially planned on three lighthouses, but the relatively long hike to the Brigus lighthouse required an adjustment (see my previous post) and left the two lighthouses on the Trinity Bay side, Heart’s Content and Hant’s Harbour.

In addition to having a charming name, Heart’s Content is famous for its role in transatlantic communication. The town was the western terminus for the first trans-oceanic telegraph cable which was completed in 1866. At one point over 200 employees worked in the station which operated until 1965. It is now a museum.

As well as being at the forefront of trans-oceanic telegraph cable communication, Newfoundland was briefly there with wireless trans-oceanic communication when Marconi did his thing on Signal Hill in St. John’s in 1901. Although the Newfoundland government was interested in Marconi developing the commercial aspects of his work, the Anglo-American Telegraph Company had a 50-year monopoly on telegraphic communication in Newfoundland, which was granted for them laying the telegraph cable, so Marconi headed off to Canada. (Newfoundland was not then part of Canada.)

The Heart’s Content lighthouse is quite accessible and is one of the more distinct ones, with its barber pole paint motif. It dates from 1901.

Hant’s Harbour is just up the road. It is also quite accessible, making this a quite easy lighthouse outing. The Hant’s Harbour Lighthouse began operation in 1881.

And to show what you can see on the way, I am also posting some photographs from Bay de Verde, Grates Cove, and the Shag Rocks in Whiteway.

Grate's Cove

Shag Rocks

Bay de Verde