Lighthouses of Southwest England

Lighthouses of Southwest England (Devon and Cornwall)

This page lists lighthouses of the southwestern peninsula of England, including the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The northern coast of the peninsula faces the Bristol Channel and Irish Sea, while the south coast faces the English Channel. This region includes many of the most famous English lighthouses.

The British system of lighthouse administration is decentralized, with the major towers under the management of Trinity House (a corporation chartered by the Crown) and smaller towers generally under the control of local port authorities. This system has generally assisted lighthouse preservation, and so has the British custom of building very sturdy stone lighthouses at most of the stations. Most of the onshore lighthouses are accessible to visitors, and several of them are major tourist attractions.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume A of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 114.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - England: Photos posted by Alexander Trabas.
Lighthouses in England: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Guide to English and Welsh Lights: A very useful inventory by Michael Millichamp; it includes some historical notes.
Lighthouses in Cornwall, England: Information on nine famous lighthouses posted by the tourist development board Cornwall Calling.
The History of Devon's Lighthouses: This BBC story by Jemima Laing links to a gallery of a dozen fine photos of Devon lighthouses.
Britische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten: Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
Trinity House: Chartered by Henry VIII in 1514, Trinity House has built and operated lighthouses in Britain for nearly 500 years.
Association of Lighthouse Keepers: Founded by serving and retired keepers, this lighthouse association is open to everyone.

Godrevy Island Light, August 2006
Creative Commons photo by Steven Turner

Devon North Coast Lighthouses
** Lynmouth Foreland (Foreland Point)

1900. Active; focal plane 67 m (220 ft); four white flashes, separated by 2.2 s, every 15 s. 15 m (50 ft) cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to 1-story keeper's house. 1st order Fresnel lens in use. Lighthouse Explorer Database has a good photo by John Mobbs, Trabas has a closeup of the lantern, Steve Johnson has another fine closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The keeper's house is available for vacation rental. Located atop Foreland Point, a steep headland about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of Lynmouth. There is a winding service road to the lighthouse, used by cottage guests, but other visitors generally view the station from above on the South West Coast Path. Site open, keeper's house open to paying guests, tower closed. Operator: Trinity House. Site manager: National Trust. ARLHS ENG-044; Admiralty A5590; NGA 6208.

* Ilfracombe (Lantern Hill)

1819. Active; focal plane 39 m (127 ft); green flash every 2.5 s. 11 m (37 ft): white lantern mounted atop the 1-1/2 story stone Chapel of St. Nicholas. A good photo is available, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. The chapel dates from about 1320, and navigational lights were shown from it beginning around 1650. The current light tower was added by Trinity House in 1819. Located atop a steeply conical hill above the harbor of Ilfracombe. Site open, chapel open regularly for services, tower closed. Operator: North Devon District Council. ARLHS ENG-059; Admiralty A5594; NGA 6220.

** Bull Point (2)

1976 (station established 1879). Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); three white flashes every 10 s; also a continuous red hazard light is shown westward over Rockham Shoal. 12 m (35 ft) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached to 1-story utility building. 1-story keeper's house available for vacation rental. Karen Withak has a good photo, Trabas has a closeup photo by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. This clifftop lighthouse is vulnerable to erosion. In September 1972 a large slide destroyed the fog signal building and threatened the lighthouse, forcing Trinity House to replace both structures. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse. Located on the point about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Mortehoe. Accessible by a popular hike from Mortehoe on the Southwest Coast Path. Site open, keeper's house open to paying guests, tower closed. Operator: Trinity House. Site manager: Rural Retreats. ARLHS ENG-017; Admiralty A5600; NGA 6228.

* [Braunton Sands Low (Crow Point) (2)]: 1957(?) (station established 1820). Active; focal plane 8 m (27 ft); flash every 5 s, white or red depending on direction. 7.5 m (25 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower, painted white; no lantern. Trabas has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Originally there were high and low lighthouses at Braunton Sands; the high light was a remarkable octagonal wood tower mounted atop a 2-story keeper's house. These lights were demolished in 1957. Located on a sandy spit just inside the entrance to the River Taw opposite Instow. It should be possible to walk out to the light. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-030; Admiralty A5612; NGA 6240.
* Instow Range Front: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light, 5 s on, 1 s off, day and night. 18 m (59 ft) square steel skeletal tower with gallery and a rectangular, vertically-slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse painted white. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides ships through the narrow channel into the River Taw. Located on the west bank of the Taw on the north side of Instow. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Torridge District Council (Port of Bideford). ARLHS ENG-204; Admiralty A5610; NGA 6232.
* Instow Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (126 ft); white light, 7.5 s on, 2.5 s off, day and night. 8.5 m (28 ft) post light mounted atop a 1-story equipment hut, painted white. Trabas has a photo showing the light in the middle of a sheep pasture, and Google has a satellite view. Located just off Rectory Lane on the northwest side of Instow, 425 m (1/4 mi) west southwest of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Torridge District Council (Port of Bideford). ARLHS ENG-254; Admiralty A5610.1; NGA 6236.
Hartland Point: 1874 (James Douglass). Active; focal plane 37 m (120 ft); six white flashes every 15 s, day and night. Fog horn (blast every 60 s). 18 m (59 ft) brick tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, attached to 2-story service building. The keeper's houses were demolished in 1984 to make room for a helipad. A photo is at right, Trabas also has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. A seawall was built in 1925 to protect this clifftop station from erosion of the cliff. Trinity House has additional information on the history of the station. Hartland Point is a right-angled turn in the coastline at the extreme southwestern entrance to Bristol Channel. Located about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Hartland. The road to the lighthouse is gated at a parking area for the Southwest Coast Path; good views of the light station are available by taking the path west and south. Site and tower closed. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-051; Admiralty A5622; NGA 6252.

Hartland Point Light, August 2005
anonymous Creative Commons photo

Lundy Island Lighthouses
Note: Lundy Island is located in the mouth of the Bristol Channel about 20 km (13 mi) northwest of Hartland Point. The island is accessible by ferry from Bideford or Ilfracombe from late March through the end of October or by helicopter from Hartland Point on Mondays and Fridays during the winter. There is one small town on the island and overnight accommodations are available. The entire island is managed by the Landmark Trust.

*** Lundy Island (Old Light): 1820 (Joseph Nelson and Daniel Alexander). Inactive since 1897. 29 m (96 ft) granite tower with lantern and gallery, connected to two 2-story keeper's houses. An additional 1-story keeper's cottage is nearby. The buildings are unpainted stone; lantern painted white. All three keeper's houses are available for vacation rental. Lighthouse Explorer has a photo by Steven Winter, Shaun Wallin has an excellent closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Beacon Hill, the highest point of the island. Site open, keeper's houses open to paying guests, tower open for climbing. Owner: Landmark Trust. Site manager: Lundy Island Company (see "The Old Light" under the Accommodation tab). ARLHS ENG-073.
Lundy Island North: 1897. Active; focal plane 48 m (157 ft); quick white flash every 5 s. 17 m (56 ft) cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to two 1-story keeper's houses. All buildings painted white. The lantern is not in use; since 1991 the solar-powered light has been displayed from the roof a the small fog signal hut on the north side of the lighthouse. Steve Hodgson's photo is at right, Trabas has a great photo, Nick Hubbard has also posted a good photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop cliffs at the northern tip of the island; accessible by a rough walk of 10 km (6 mi) roundtrip. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-074; Admiralty A5616; NGA 6244.

Lundy Island North Light, August 2007
Creative Commons photo by Steve Hodgson

* Lundy Island South

1897. Active; focal plane 53 m (175 ft); quick white flash every 15 s. 16 m (52 ft) cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to two 1-story keeper's houses. Solar-powered lens in the lantern. The fog horn (blast every 25 s) is mounted atop the lantern. All buildings painted white. There's a photo at right, Trabas has an excellent photo, Nick Hubbard has also posted a good photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located atop cliffs at the southern tip of the island, where it is more accessible to visitors than the north light. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-075; Admiralty A5618; NGA 6248.

Cornwall Northwest Coast Lighthouses

** Trevose Head (High): 1847. Active; focal plane 62 m (204 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 26.5 m (87 ft) brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to two 1-story keeper's houses. Rotating 1st order Fresnel lens (1913) in use. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s). Entire light station painted white. Steve Wheeler's photo is at right, Trabas has a foggy closeup by Klaus Kern, West Country Views has a fine portfolio of photos, and Google has a good satellite view. The keeper's houses are available for vacation rental. Trevose Head is a peninsula at the northwestern tip of Cornwall. The former low light was discontinued in 1882. Located about 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Padstow. Site and keeper's house open to paying guests, tower closed. The lighthouse can be viewed from nearby on the Southwest Coast Path. Operator: Trinity House. Site manager: Rural Retreats. ARLHS ENG-157; Admiralty A5638; NGA 6272.
* Portreath: Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) cylindrical tower topped by a short mast that formerly held a navigation light. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Millichamp draws attention to this forgotten lighthouse. Located at the end of the Landmark Pier in Portreath. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: unknown. ARLHS ENG-324.

Trevose Head Light, August 2005
Wikipedia Creative Commons photo by Steve Wheeler

Godrevy Island

1859 (James Walker). Active; focal plane 37 m (120 ft); white flash every 10 s; red flashes are shown to the northwest over dangerous rocks. 26 m (86 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower, painted white. Keepers houses demolished; oil house survives. Steven Turner's closeup photo is at the top of this page, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The author Virginia Wolff spent holidays at Talland House in St. Ives, and her view of this lighthouse inspired the writing of her most famous work, To The Lighthouse. In January 2005, a permit was issued to build apartments that will block this view. Soon thereafter, Trinity House announced plans to deactivate the light, but in August it backed down in the face of widespread protests. The land was bought by Dennis Arbon, who subsequently donated it to Truro's Hall for Cornwall, a local theater organization. In 2009 the Hall placed the land for sale, but the buyer must maintain public access to the lighthouse. Located about 500 m (0.3 mi) off Godrevy Point near Gwithian at the northeastern entrance to St. Ives's Bay. Accessible only by boat, but there are excellent views from the Southwest Coast Path. Site open, tower closed. Owner: Truro's Hall. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-047; Admiralty A5654; NGA 6284.

* St. Ives (1): 1830 (James and Edward Harvey). Inactive since 1890. 6 m (20 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with octagonal gallery and a broad observation room instead of a traditional lantern. A fine closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. This tower is mounted on the original harbor wall built by John Smeaton in 1770, but the common belief that Smeaton also built the lighthouse is not correct. After deactivation in 1890 the building was used as a store. The lighthouse was restored in the late 1990s after being nearly destroyed by fire in 1996. Located on the waterfront in St. Ive's. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Eden District Council. ARLHS ENG-144.
* St. Ives (3): 1890. Active; focal plane 8 m (27 ft); two continuous green lights, one above the other. 10.5 m (32 ft) cast iron tower with lantern and gallery mounted on an octagonal stone base. Lighthouse painted white, base black. A photo appears at right, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, and Google has a satellite view. This light was prefabricated in Bath by Stothert and Pitt, Ltd. The lantern from a post light that was near this location for several years in the late 1860s is on display at the St. Ives Museum. Located at the end of the extension (1890) to Smeaton's Pier in St. Ive's; accessible by walking the pier. Operator: Eden District Council. ARLHS ENG-276; Admiralty A5665; NGA 6296.
**** Pendeen: 1900. Active; focal plane 59 m (195 ft); four white flashes, separated by 2.2 s, every 15 s. 17 m (56 ft) concrete-clad rubblestone tower, attached to 1-story keeper's houses. Entire building painted white. Original rotating 1st order Fresnel lens in use. Electronic fog horn (blast every 20 s). Original fog signal building with two diaphone horns. The 1-story keeper's house has four apartments; one is occupied by an attendant and the other three are available for vacation rental. An excellent photo is available, Trabas also has a closeup photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a fine satellite view. This historic and well-preserved light station is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Land's End area. Located on the promontory called Pendeen Watch, about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the B3306 highway at Pendeen. Accessible by road, parking provided. Site open, buildings and tower open to guided tours daily except Saturdays during July and August and during holiday periods in the spring. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-100; Admiralty A5670; NGA 6304.

St. Ives Light, October 2005
anonymous Creative Commons photo

Isles of Scilly Lighthouses
Note: The Isles of Scilly, located 45 km (28 mi) southwest of Land's End, are accessible by ferry from Penzance. There are five inhabited islands and about 135 islets and rocks in the group. The permanent population is a little over 2000.

Bishop Rock: 1858 (substantially rebuilt in 1887) (James Walker (1858) and James Douglass (1887)). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 51 m (167 ft) round granite tower, incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and a helipad built above the lantern. Tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern and helipad painted white. Fog horn (one long and one short blast every 90 s). Jeremy Pearson's photo is at right, Trabas has a great closeup by Joan and Gary Trigwell, and Murray Nurse also has a closeup. This is one of the world's most famous and most exposed lighthouses: on one occasion giant waves ripped the fog bell from the gallery. Its completion in 1858, after 11 years of effort, was rightly considered a triumph of British engineering. In 1887, the lighthouse was strengthened and heightened by 12 m (39 ft) by building what amounted to a new tower completely enclosing the old one. The helipad was added in 1973. Keepers manned the station until December 1992. Located on a bare rock pinnacle 6 km (4 mi) west of the Isles of Scilly. Accessible only by helicopter; visible distantly from St. Agnes. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-010; Admiralty A0002 (the first lighthouse in the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals); NGA 0004.
* St. Agnes: 1680. Inactive since 1911. Approx. 21 m (70 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A 2006 closeup is available, the BBC has posted a photo by Beth Hilton, another good photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. One of the oldest British lighthouses, this tower was built for Trinity House by Capt. Hugh Till and Capt. Symon Bayly. The lighthouse is still owned by Trinity House, but the adjacent 2-story keeper's houses are leased as a private residence. The original coal chauffer, an open container used with no lens, is on display at the botanical gardens on the Isle of Tresco. The lighthouse was replaced by the Peninnis Head Light. Located at the highest point of St. Agnes, southwesternmost of the main Isles of Scilly. Site and tower closed, although the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. Owner: Trinity House; site manager: private. ARLHS ENG-140.

Bishop Rock Light, June 2006
Creative Commons photo by Jeremy Pearson

* Peninnis Head

1911. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); white flash every 20 s. 14 m (46 ft) round steel tower, lower half skeletal and upper half enclosed, with lantern and gallery. Lantern and watch room painted white; skeletal legs and lantern dome painted black. 1-story equipment building. Trabas has an excellent photo by Joan and Gary Trigwell, Jo Parsons has a good closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the southernmost point of St. Mary's, the largest of the Isles of Scilly. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-102; Admiralty A0006; NGA 0008.

Round Island

1887. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); white flash every 10 s. 19 m (63 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Fog horn (four blasts every 60 s). Jo Parsons has a good photo, a distant view is also available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the northernmost of the Isles of Scilly, a bare rocky island northeast of Tresco. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-118; Admiralty A0018; NGA 0016.

Trinity House Lightship 21 Seven Stones

1958 (Philip & Son, Dartmouth). Active; focal plane 12 m (40 ft); three white flashes, separated by 5 s, every 30 s. 40.5 m (133 ft) steel lightship; the light is displayed from a large lantern on a cylindrical mast amidships. Vessel painted red. Millichamp has a photo taken September 2003 (bottom of the page), and Iris Klempau has a photo of the ship in port. This ship served much of its career on the East Goodwin station in the North Sea off the coast of Kent. It was transferred to Seven Stones in 2003. No longer crewed, the ship is operated automatically. Located on the Seven Stones Reef, northeast of the Isles of Scilly and northwest of Land's End. Operator: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-124; Admiralty A0020; NGA 0020.

Cornwall South Coast Lighthouses

Longships (2): 1875 (James Douglass) (station established 1791). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); red or white light, depending on direction, 5 s on, 5 s off, shown day and night. 35 m (115 ft) round granite tower, incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and a helipad built above the lantern. Tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern painted white. Fog horn (blast every 10 s). Trabas has a good aerial photo by Murray King Images, Paul Bayfield has a 2008 photo, and Huelse has a historic postcard view. The original light was 24 m (79 ft) above the sea, but it had to be replaced because storm waves so often obscured the light. Even today, great waves sometimes break over the lighthouse: there are dramatic photos taken 10 March 2008 (see the third and fourth row of photos on the page). Located on Carn Bras, largest of the Longships Rocks, about 1.5 km (1 mi) west of Land's End. Accessible only by boat or helicopter; visible from Land's End. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-069; Admiralty A0028; NGA 0024.
Wolf Rock: 1869 (James Walker and William Douglass). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); white flash every 15 s. 41 m (135 ft) round granite tower, incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and a helipad built above the lantern. Tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern painted white. Fog horn (one 2.5 s blast every 30 s). The concrete base of an 1840 daybeacon also survives on the rock. Simon Clode has a good photo, Trabas has a view from Land's End taken by Ronald Wöhrn, and Huelse has a historic postcard view. This lighthouse took 8 years to build under very severe conditions. The helipad above the lantern, the first of its kind in the world, was added in 1972. Located on a bare rock about 6.5 km (4 mi) southwest of Land's End. Accessible only by helicopter; distantly visible from Land's End. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-170; Admiralty A0030; NGA 0028.
* Tater Du: 1965. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); three white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 15 s. 15 m (50 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, rising from 1-story service building. Fog horn (two blasts every 30 s). Trabas has a great closeup by Klaus Kern, Tony Kerr has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was built after the ship Juan Ferrar wrecked nearby in 1963 with the loss of 11 lives. Located on a headland about 6 km (4 mi) southwest of Penzance. The road to the light station is not open to the public, but the lighthouse is accessible by hiking about 3 km (2 mi) from Lamorna Cove on the Cornish Coastal Trail. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-152; Admiralty A0032; NGA 0032.

Wolf Rock Light, September 2008
anonymous Wikipedia Creative Commons photo

* Newlyn Harbour South Pier

1914. Active; focal plane 10 m (34 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (34 ft) round cast iron tower, painted white; the top of the lantern is red and there is also a red band at the base of the tower. Millichamp has a photo (2/3 the way down the page), Trabas has a closeup photo by Klaus Kern, Jon Law has a good closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the pier in Newlyn, on the south side of Penzance. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Newlyn Pier and Harbour Commission. ARLHS ENG-236; Admiralty A0038; NGA 0040.

* Penzance South Pier

1853. Active; focal plane 11 m (37 ft); flash every 5 s, white to the southeast and red in other directions. 10 m (31 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern, painted white with a broad black band at the base. Tower prefabricated by the Copperhouse Foundry at Hayle. Trabas has a closeup photo by Klaus Kern, a good 2007 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the south pier, also called the Lighthouse Pier, near the Isles of Scilly ferry terminal. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Penzance Harbour Users Association. ARLHS ENG-240; Admiralty A0046; NGA 0048.

* Marazion

Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 4 m (13 ft) hexagonal brick castellated tower; the light was displayed through a window. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of Leys Lane in Marazion, on Mount's Bay opposite St. Michael's Mount, about 8 km (5 mi) east of Penzance. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ENG-331.

**** The Lizard (2) (Twin towers): 1752 (Thomas Fonnereau). Station established 1619. East tower active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); white flash every 3 s. West tower inactive since 1903 (lantern removed). Twin octagonal cylindrical stone towers connected by a 2-story stone keeper's quarters; the east tower is 19 m (62 ft) tall with its lantern, 1°st order Fresnel lens, and gallery. Building painted white. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). The signal station nearby was built by Lloyd's of London to report ship arrivals. Chris Bradley's photo of the east tower is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo of the east tower by Klaus Kern, a photo of the entire station with both towers is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has an excellent satellite view. The Lizard, a headland southeast of Penzance, is the southernmost point of the mainland of Great Britain, and this famous lighthouse has been a traditional landfall for ships arriving in England for more than 250 years. Visitor facilities at the lighthouse were operated by the Trevithick Trust for many years. In 2004 the lighthouse was closed for renovations, and during the same year the trust went out of operation. Trinity House then took over the visitor facilities and reopened the lighthouse on May 1, 2005. Located on the point at the end of the A3083 highway (Lighthouse Road) from Helston. Parking provided. Site open, visitor center and tower open daily in the summer and several days per week the rest of the year. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-068; Admiralty A0060; NGA 0064.
* St. Anthony's Head: 1835. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light, 7.5 s on, 7.5 s off; red light is shown to the south southeast over the Manacles Rocks. 19 m (62 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery attached to 2-story keeper's house; 1st order Fresnel lens. Building painted white; inactive fog signals on the rear of the gallery are black. Fog horn (3 blasts every 30 s). Trabas has a closeup by Klaus Kern, Sebastian de Gange has a fine 2007 photo taken from the water, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse marks the eastern entrance to Carrick Roads, the harbor of Falmouth. Located at the end of Military Road off the A3078 southwest of Portscatho. Parking available. Site and tower closed, but the lighthouse can be viewed at close range. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-141; Admiralty A0062; NGA 0068.
* Mevagissey (South Breakwater): 1896. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 2 s off, 1.5 s on, 5 s off. 8 m (27 ft) hexagonal cast iron tower, painted white; base of the tower painted black. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). A 2007 photo and a closeup photo of the lantern are available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and the little tower is centered in a Google satellite view. Located at the end of the south breakwater in Mevagissey, about 7 km (4.5 mi) south of St. Austell. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ENG-234; Admiralty A0078; NGA 0100.

The Lizard, East Tower, April 2008
Creative Commons photo by Chris Bradley

* [Gribben Head]

1832. Never a lighthouse, this is a very large, historic daymarker: a 25 m (84 ft) square stone tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. Neil Hobbs has a 2007 closeup photo, Paul Love also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the headland, about 75 m (250 ft) above the sea about 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of Fowey. Accessible by walking the coastal trail. Site open, tower status unknown. Owner/site manager: National Trust.

* St. Catherine's Point

1904. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); directional light, 2 s on, 5 s off; white light is shown to the southeast over the entrance channel to Fowey Harbour, with red to either side. 6 m (20 ft) round cast iron lantern standing on a short octagonal concrete base. Millichamp has a photo, Trabas also has a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the cliff edge on the west side of the harbor entrance. Accessible by walking the coastal trail. Site open, tower closed. Owner/operator: Fowey Harbour Commissioners. ARLHS ENG-218; Admiralty A0082; NGA 0104.

* Whitehouse Point

1892; relocated here in 1904. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); directional light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off, showing white over the channel, green to the right and red to the left. 6 m (20 ft) cast iron "drum" tower, with a cylindrical enclosure mounted atop a post and an external ladder to the enclosure, all painted bright red. Not much of a lighthouse, but an unusual light tower. Trabas has an excellent photo. Located on the west side of the harbor at Fowey. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Fowey Harbour Commissioners. ARLHS ENG-217; Admiralty A0084; NGA 0108.

* [Spy House Point (Polperro)]

1911. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 3 s off. 3 m (10 ft) round brick tower with lantern, painted white with black trim. Trabas has a closeup photo. Located at the entrance to the harbor of Polperro, a small port about 10 km (6 mi) east of Fowey. Site open, tower closed. Operator: unknown. ARLHS ENG-243; Admiralty A0090; NGA 0118.

* [Nailzee Point Fog Signal]

Date unknown (after 1977). Active; two 3 s blasts every 30 s. 3 m (10 ft) square concrete "pillbox," with a square opening in the front, painted white. Trabas has a closeup. Located on the east side of the harbor entrance in Looe. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty A0095.

Eddystone and Devon South Coast Lighthouses

Eddystone (5): 1882 (James Douglass). Station established 1698. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); two quick white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 10 s. In addition, a red light (5 s on, 5 s off) is shown to the northwest from a tower window at a focal plane of 28 m (93 ft). 51 m (168 ft) round granite tower, incorporating keeper's quarters, with lantern and a helipad built above the lantern. Tower is unpainted gray stone; lantern and helipad painted red. Fog horn (blast every 30 s). Steve Johnson has posted a great photo, Richard Knights has another good photo, and Marinas.com has excellent aerial photos. This is probably the most famous British lighthouse, and indeed one of the most famous lighthouses in the world. The first tower, built of wood, had to be rebuilt one year later and lasted only 4 more years. The third, also wooden, stood from 1709 until it burned in 1755. The fourth tower, a huge advance in civil engineering, was a granite structure built by John Smeaton. Completed in 1759, it stood until cracks in the masonry led to its demolition in the 1870s. Smeaton's tower was rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe, but the base of the original remains next to the current tower. Located on a rock that barely breaks the surface of the sea about 25 km (15 mi) south southwest of Plymouth. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site and tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-039; Admiralty A0098; NGA 0132.
* Plymouth Breakwater: 1843. Active; focal plane 19 m (63 ft); flash every 10 s; white flashes are shown to the northeast for ships leaving the harbor and red flashes otherwise. In addition, a white light (2 s on, 2 s off) is shown over the entrance channel southwestward from a tower window at a focal plane of 12 m (39 ft). 23.5 m (78 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery. (The top of the tower is a good 38 m (125 ft) above the water, casting some doubt on the listed focal plane heights.) Fog horn (blast every 15 s). Steve Johnson has posted a large closeup, Trabas has a photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The detached Plymouth Breakwater, a major engineering project of the early nineteenth century, was built in stages between 1812 and 1847. Located at the west end of the breakwater, at the southwestern entrance to Plymouth Harbour. Accessible only by boat. Operator: Cattewater Harbour Commission. Site manager: unknown. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ENG-104; Admiralty A0114; NGA 0148.

Eddystone Light, 2005
anonymous Wikipedia public domain photo

* Ocean Court (Hamoaze)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); quick-flashing light, white, red or green depending on direction. 3 m (10 ft) pyramidal wood tower mounted on a platform atop the corner of the multistory Ocean Court condominium building. Tower painted white with a triangular red daymark (point down). Trabas has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The light overlooks the Mayflower Marina, guiding vessels approaching from the west (downstream). Located at the end of Richmond Walk in Plymouth. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty A0178; NGA 0274.

**** Eddystone (4) (Smeaton's Tower): 1759 (John Smeaton). Inactive since at least 1882. 22 m (72 ft) tapered granite tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The lantern, formerly red, is now painted white. Huelse's historic postcard view shows a different pattern. Ben Harper's photo is at right, a fine 2007 photo is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a good satellite view. Smeaton's tower was the first successful stone waveswept tower and one of the great engineering marvels of the 18th century. When the current Eddystone lighthouse was built, the upper 2/3 of the 1759 tower was saved for reassembly in Plymouth. It has been carefully restored and recently renovated (2000-02). The nearby Plymouth Dome visitor center was closed in 2007; after redevelopment plans collapsed it was taken over by the city council, which is seeking a new operator. The 250th anniversary of the lighthouse was celebrated on 17 October 2009. Located on Plymouth Hoe, a grassy hill overlooking the town and harbor. Site open, tower open daily to guided tours (admission fee). Owner/site manager: Plymouth City Council. ARLHS ENG-091.
* Queen Anne's Battery Range Rear: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); directional light, occulting once every 7.5 s, showing white southwestward over the channel, green to the right and red to the left. The light is shown from a small window in a square cylindrical clock tower mounted on the roof of a 2-story building. Trabas has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of Artillery Place off Teats Hill road in Cattedown, on the east side of Plymouth. Operator: Cattewater Harbour Authority. Site manager: unknown. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ENG-312; Admiralty A0132; NGA 0184.
**** Start Point: 1836 (James Walker). Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. In addition, a continuous red light is shown northeastward over the Skerries Bank from a window of the tower (focal plane 55 m (180 ft)). 28 m (92 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower attached to a keeper's house; buildings painted white. Fog horn (blast every 60 s). Three assistant keeper's cottages. Richard Sambrook's photo is at right, Trabas has a fine photo by Klaus Kern, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and and Google has a good satellite view. Three of the keeper's houses are available for overnight rental; the fourth is occupied by a resident caretaker who conducts tours of the light station. The station is somewhat endangered by erosion of the cliff on which it stands; the 1860s fog signal building collapsed in 1989 after being undermined by erosion. Note: there is another Start Point Light in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Located at the end of a sharp promontory that juts eastward into the English Channel about 20 km (13 mi) south of Dartmouth; accessible by car from the A379 at Stokenham. Parking provided. Site open; tower open to tours daily during July and August and during Christmas holidays, and on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from early April to June 30 and on bank holidays. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-148; Admiralty A0228; NGA 0324.

1759 Eddystone Light (Smeaton's Tower), May 2005
Creative Commons photo by Ben Harper

Start Point Light, July 2007
Creative Commons photo by Richard Sambrook

* Dartmouth Castle

1856. Inactive since at least 1886. Approx. 15 m (50 ft) square cylindrical stone tower, painted white, on the wall of the castle. The lighthouse tower is on the left in this photo, and Google has a satellite view. The light was not very useful, since the navigable channel is on the other side of the river entrance. Located on the west side of the entrance to the Dart estuary southeast of Dartmouth. Site open, tower status unknown. Owner: English Heritage. Site manager: Dartmouth Castle. ARLHS ENG-031.

* Kingswear (2)

1981 (station established 1864). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); directional light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off; white light is shown southwestward over the clear channel, green to the right and red to the left. 4 m (13 ft) round cylindrical tower with a conical lantern mounted atop a large rock on the shore; the lights are shown through a rectangular window in the lantern. Trabas has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, atop the cliff, was demolished in 1980 because it had become unsafe; it is said that its foundation, weathervane, and entrance gate are preserved on private property. Located on the north side of the entrance to the Dart estuary at Kingswear, southeast of Dartmouth. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority. ARLHS ENG-311; Admiralty A0236; NGA 0328.

* Berry Head: 1906. Active; focal plane 58 m (191 ft); two white flashes, separated by 2.5 s, every 15 s. 4.5 m (15 ft) round cylindrical lantern attached to a 1-story square equipment building. Buildings painted white. Coast Guard and signal stations are nearby. Trabas has an excellent closeup by Klaus Kern, Gordon McKinlay also has a good closeup, and Marinas.com has aerial photos. The light station actually faces north rather than south, as can be seen in a Google satellite view. In Huelse's historic postcard view, the light is flanked by acetylene tanks that formerly supplied fuel for the light. Celebrated as England's smallest lighthouse (it looks more like 3 m (10 ft) in photos), this is nonetheless considered a major light. Located at the end of Gillard Road in Brixham. Site open, tower closed. Operator/site manager: Trinity House. ARLHS ENG-007; Admiralty A0244; NGA 0344.
* Brixham Breakwater (2): About 1916 (station established 1878). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light, occulting for 3 s every 15 s. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Trabas has a good closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater in Brixham; accessible by walking the breakwater. Operator: Tor Bay Harbour Marine Services. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ENG-016; Admiralty A0246; NGA 0348.
* [Phillip Lucette Beacon]: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 4 m (13 ft); red light, occulting once every 6 s. 4 m (13 ft) stone column. Trabas has a photo. Not a lighthouse, but obviously a venerable beacon. Located on the south side of the entrance to the Teign, off Marine Parade in Shaldon. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Teignmouth Harbour Commission. Admiralty A0263; NGA 0400.

Berry Head Light, May 2005
Geograph Creative Commons photo by Robin Lucas

* Teignmouth (The Den)

1845. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); continuous red light. 6 m (20 ft) round stone tower with lantern. The tower is unpainted; lantern painted blue. Trabas has a closeup, Brian Sexton has a good photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse also functions as the front light of a range; the rear light is mounted on a black post much like a streetlight. Located on the beachfront at Den Point in Teignmouth. Site open, tower closed. Operator: Teignmouth Harbour Commission. ARLHS ENG-153; Admiralty A0262; NGA 0392.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Rhenish Tower (1850s, rebuilt after 1952), Lynmouth, is often called a lighthouse, but it was never an official aid to navigation.