In October 1903 the builders Wakeham Bros. The design of the lighthouse was created by Sir Thomas Matthews. On 17 June 1903, a committee was formed to work alongside Trinity House for the acquisition of one acre, 66 poles of land at the Bill. The Old Lower Lighthouse later became a bird observatory in 1961, while the Old Higher Lighthouse became the home of Marie Stopes in 1923, and today has become a holiday let.Īt the turn of the 20th-century, Trinity House put forward plans for the building of a new lighthouse at the southern extremity of Bill Point, to replace both of the current lighthouses. They continued to warn ships off Portland’s coast until 1906, when both were decommissioned following the completion of the present lighthouse. They were first constructed in 1716, and both rebuilt in 1869. The two original lighthouses, now known as the Old Higher Lighthouse and Old Lower Lighthouse, operated as a pair. Portland’s two windmills further north of the Bill also provided a form of daytime navigation.

From Roman times, and before any lighthouses were erected, beacon fires would be lit on Branscombe Hill above Portland Bill as an attempt to warn passing ships of the danger. The importance of Portland Bill as a way-point for coastal traffic within the English Channel has seen various measures taken to reduce the number of shipwrecks. The dangerous coastline, which features shallow reefs and the Shambles sandbank, was proven more hazardous due to the strong tidal race known as the Portland Race. The surrounding coast of Portland, namely Portland Bill and Chesil Beach, have been notorious for the many vessels that became shipwrecked in the area over the centuries. Portland Bill Lighthouse guides vessels heading for Portland and Weymouth through these hazardous waters as well as acting as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel. The lighthouse took two years and three months to build, and was completed by 1906 and first shone out on 11 January 1906.īoth Portland Bill and Chesil Beach are the locations of many wrecks of vessels that failed to reach Weymouth or Portland Roads. The foundations are 7 feet deep and 6 feet thick. The tower is approximately 114 feet, and the lantern section at 21 feet. The lighthouse and its boundary walls are Grade II Listed and have been since May 1993.Īs Portland’s largest and most recent lighthouse, the Trinity House operated Portland Bill Lighthouse is distinctively white and red striped, standing at a height of 41 metres (135 ft). Portland Bill Lighthouse is a functioning lighthouse located at the very south of the island, warning coastal traffic off of Portland Bill.

Portland fog horn