Will Godrevy Lighthouse, an icon of literature thanks to Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel To the Lighthouse, be put on the auction block? Or will it be taken over by the Gwinear-Gwithian Parish Council? No one knows for sure.

Tuesday, operator Trinity House said it would keep the lighthouse, which sits on its own island near Hayle. Even though the light does not function, the towering white structure serves as a daytime visual aid for mariners. And it is considered a key element of the area’s heritage. It is said to be one of the most photographed Cornish landmarks.

Godrevy was built in 1858 and 1859 on the largest rock of the Stones reef. The lighthouse lies 980 ft off Godrevy Head in St. Ives Bay. The beach at  St. Ives has been named among the UK’s top 10.

Read more about Godrevy Lighthouse

Godrevy going modern, July 10, 2012

Woolf sightings: When Virginia went to the lighthouse, Nov. 22, 2011