Lighthouses · South West England
Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse
Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse — lighthouse in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge, Sedgemoor, Somerset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Highbridge and Burnham · 4.1 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is a working or historic lighthouse on the United Kingdom coast. Records date its origin to 1832. Constructed primarily of wood. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Managed by Somerset Council. Wikidata describes it as: "lighthouse in Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge, Sedgemoor, Somerset, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.2484°, -3.0058°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Low Lighthouse is one of three historic lighthouses in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England, and the only one of the three which is still active. It is a Grade II listed building and stands on the foreshore. First lit in 1832, the Low Lighthouse operated in conjunction with the (onshore) High Lighthouse for 137 years. Then, in 1969 (after improvements had been made to the High Lighthouse) the Low Lighthouse was deactivated; but later, in 1993, the Low Lighthouse was re-established and the High Lighthouse was instead decommissioned).
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Bridgwater Bay SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: SOMERSET WETLANDS
- National Nature Reserve: MENDIP
- Ramsar wetland: Severn Estuary
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Low Lighthouse is one of three historic lighthouses in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England, and the only one of the three which is still active. It is a Grade II listed building and stands on the foreshore. First lit in 1832, the Low Lighthouse operated in conjunction with the (onshore) High Lighthouse for 137 years. Then, in 1969 (after improvements had been made to the High Lighthouse) the Low Lighthouse was deactivated; but later, in 1993, the Low Lighthouse was re-established and the High Lighthouse was instead decommissioned). The Low Lighthouse has long been known as 'the Lighthouse on Legs', as evident in an 1859 guide book: "the writer has heard merry children, while sporting on the sands, call this smaller beacon, the lighthouse on legs".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The low wooden pile lighthouse is 36 ft high, the light being at 23 ft. It was built by Joseph Nelson in 1832, in conjunction with the High Lighthouse, to replace the original Round Tower Lighthouse (which itself had been built to replace the light kept burning in the tower of St Andrews Church to guide fishing boats into the harbour). The new High and Low lighthouses were first lit on 1 December 1832. The Low Lighthouse was painted white with, on the seaward side, a black vertical stripe, one third the width of the building; Operation of the Low light was overseen by the keepers based and accommodated at the High Lighthouse.
Visiting
The lighthouse has become a favoured spot for photographers. It also features on the back cover of the Weird Guide Britain.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2484, -3.0058
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge
- Postcode
- TA8 2HS
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bridgwater
- Established
- 1832
- Nearest railway station
- Highbridge and Burnham — 4.1 km
Sources
- wikidata: Q4999731 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Burnham low light geograph-498963-by-Steve--F.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse?
- Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode TA8 2HS), in the parish of Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge.
- When was Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse built?
- Built or established in 1832.
- Who runs Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse?
- Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is operated by Somerset Council.
- Is Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse a listed building?
- Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- Is Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse a protected site?
- Yes — Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is part of the Bridgwater Bay SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the SOMERSET WETLANDS National Nature Reserve.
- Is Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse free to visit?
- Yes, Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse is free to enter.