Lighthouses in the United Kingdom
The following guide to UK lighthouses was developed to provide a visitor's overview for the lighthouse enthusiast. The information provided in this guide was collected from a number of sources and in particular Trinity House, who maintains operational lighthouses in the UK. The guide is divided by regional locations and includes historical, photos, location maps and information concerning visitor centers and available lighthouse tours. The goal of this guide is to assist in planning a tour and or sightseeing holiday to visit lighthouses in the UK.
The oldest remaining lighthouse structure, which is 80 feet high, is believed to have been constructed nearly 2,000 years ago during the Roman occupation of the UK and is located at Dover Castle next to St. Mary's Church.
Other lighthouses in this guide include structures that can be seen by passersby, those offering tours and accommodations in remodeled light keepers quarters and lighthouses on remote islands and stone outcroppings that are only accessible via ship.
Every lighthouse has its own unique history, which we have attempted to capture to provide insights and points of interest. We believe that the maps and directions provided will assist you in locating how to reach each of the lighthouses of interest as location maps and directions are frequently not available via other lighthouse guides.
It is our hope that this guide will assist you in planning a lighthouse holiday or simply a day trip when you are in the region.
This list does not include all lighthouses in the UK. We continue to work with our volunteers to make it as complete as possible.
Channel Islands
- Casquets Lighthouse (Rocks 13 km Northwest of Alderney)
- Alderney, Alderney, Channel Islands (Visitor Center and Tours)
- Sark Lighthouse (Sark, Channel Islands)
Cornwall
- Godrevy Lighthouse, Godrevy Island
- Lizard Lighthouse, Lizard Point (Visitor Center, Heritage Project and Holiday Cottages)
- Longships Lighthouse, Carn Bras Island, 14 Miles West of Land's End
- Pendeen Lighthouse, Pendeen , St. Just in Penwith (Holiday Cottages)
- St. Anthony's Lighthouse, St. Anthony's Head, Falmouth (Holiday Cottages)
- Tater Du Lighthouse, South West of Penzance
- Trevose Head Lighthouse, Trevose Head, North Cornwall (Holiday Cottages)
- Wolf Rock Lighthouse, Wolf Rock, South West of Land's End
Cumbria
Devon
- Berry Head Lighthouse, Southeast of Brixham
- Bull Point Lighthouse, Near Mortehoe (Holiday Cottages)
- Crow Point Lighthouse (Braunton, North Devon)
- Eddystone Lighthouse, Eddystone Rocks 9 Miles Southwest of Rame Head
- Hartland Point Lighthouse, Hartland Point
- Smeaton's Tower Lighthouse, Moved from Eddystone to Plymouth in 1882
- Start Point Lighthouse, Start Point
- Lundy Island Old Lighthouse, Lundy Island, Devon
- Lundy Island North Lighthouse, Lundy Island, Devon
- Lundy Island South Lighthouse, Lundy Island, Devon
- Start Point, Start Point, South Devon (Visitor Center, Tours and Holiday Cottages)
- Lynmouth Foreland Lighthouse, Lynmouth, North Devon
Dorset
- Portland Bill Lighthouse, Isle of Portland, Dorset (Visitor Center and Tours)
- Anvil Point Lighthouse, Isle of Purbeck (Holiday Cottages)
Essex
Greater London
Gibraltar
Guernsey
Hampshire
Isle of Wight
- Nab Tower Lighthouse (Staits of Dover East of the Isle of Wright)
- Needles Lighthouse, Needles Rocks, Off of the Western Isle of Wight
- St. Catherine's Point Lighthouse, St. Catherine's Point (Visitor Center, Tours and Holiday Cottages)
- St. Catherine's Oratory Lighthouse, St. Catherine's Hill (Not In Use and Open To The Public)
Kent
- Dover Castle Roman Lighthouse, Dover (Not In Use and Open to the Public)
- Dungeness Lighthouse, Dungeness (New Lighthouse & Old Lighthouse Not In Use and Open for Tours)
- North Foreland, Isle of Thanet (Holiday Cottages)
Merseyside
- Bidston Hill Lighthouse, Wirral Peninsula, Near the Birkenhead, Bidston (Not In Use, Property listed for Sale for 150,000 UK Pounds)
- Hilbre Island Lighthouse (Hilbre Island)
- Leasowe Lighthouse, Wirral Peninsula, North Wirral Coastal Park, Wirral Peninsula (Not In Use)
- New Brighton Lighthouse, New Brighton, Wirral Peninsula (Not In Use)
Norfolk
- Cromer Lighthouse, Cromer (Holiday Cottages)
- Gorleston Range Rear Lighthouse, Gorleston
- Happisburgh Lighthouse, Happisburgh (Open To the Public)
- Hunstanton Old Lighthouse (Not In Use and Holiday Accommodations)
- Winterton Lighthouse (Not In Use)
Northumberland
- Bamburgh Lighthouse (Near Bamburgh, Northumberland)
- Coquet Island Lighthouse, Coquet Island
- Farne Lighthouse (Farne Islands Along Northumberland Coast)
- Guile Point East Lighthouse (Holy Island, Northumberland)
- Heugh Hill Lighthouse (Hartlepool, Durham)
- Longstone Lighthouse, Outer Farne Islands (Visitor Center and Tours)
Isles of Scilly
- Bishop Rock Lighthouse, Bishop Rock
- Peninnis Lighthouse (Peninnis Head, St Mary's Isles of Scilly)
- Round Island Lighthouse, Round Island
Somerset
- Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse, Burnham-on-Sea
- Burnham-on-Sea High Lighthouse, Burnham-on-Sea (Holiday Accommodations)
- Burnham-on-Sea Round Tower Lighthouse, Burnham-on-Sea
- Watchet Harbor Lighthouse, Watchet
Suffolk
- Lowestoft Lighthouse, Lowestoft
- Orfordness Lighthouse (Orford Ness, Suffolk)
- Southwold Lighthouse, Southwold (Visitor Center and Tours)
East Sussex
- Beachy Head Lighthouse, Close to Eastbourne
- Belle Tout Lighthouse (Not In Use, Holiday Accommodations)
- Royal Sovereign Lighthouse (Eastbourne, East Sussex)
Tyne and Wear
- Souter Point Lighthouse, Marsden in South Tyneside (Not In Use and Open To The Public)
- St. Mary's Lighthouse (Not In Use and Open To The Public)
Wales
- Bardse Lighthouse (Bardsey Island, Llyn Peninsula in the Welsh County of Gwynedd)
- Caldey Island Lighthouse (Caldey Island Wales)
- Flatholm Island Lighthouse, Island of Flatholm in the Bristol Channel, Cardiff
- Monkstone Lighthouse (Penarth, Wales)
- Mumbles Lighthouse, Mumbles, Near Swansea
- Nash Point Lighthouse, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales (Visit Center, Tours and Holiday Cottages)
- Point Lynas Lighthouse, North Coast of Anglesey in North Wales
- Skerries Lighthouse, Offshore of Carmel Head, Anglesey
- Skokholm Lighthouse, Skokholm island, Pembrokeshire
- Smalls Lighthouse, Located on a small rock 20 miles west of St David's Peninsula, Pembrokeshire
- South Bishop Lighthouse (South Bishop Island 5 miles west of St David's Head, Pembrokeshire
- South Stack Lighthouse, South Stack Rock (Visitor Center and Tours)
- St. Ann's Head Lighthouse, St. Ann's Head, near Dale, West Wales
- St. Tudwal's Lighthouse, St. Tudwal's Island, Caernarfonshire, West Wales
- Strumble Head Lighthouse, St. Michael's Island, Northern Pembrokshire
- Trwyn Du Lighthouse (Puffin Island, South East Anglesey)
East Yorkshire
- Flamborough Head Lighthouse, Near Flamborough Head (Visitor Center and Tours)
- Flamborough Head Old Lighthouse, Near Flamborough Head (Not In Use)
- Withernsea Lighthouse, Withernsea (Not In Use and Open To The Public)
- Spurn Lightship, Kingston Upon Hull (Museum Open To The Public)
North Yorkshire
References
- Trinity House: http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/interactive/gallery/index.html
- Sustrans: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-sustrans
- English Heritage: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk
- World Wide Lighthouses: http://www.worldwidelighthouses.com
- Landmark Trust: http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk
- Mycetes: http://www.mycetes.co.uk
- National Oceanography Centre: http://www.pol.ac.uk
