Lundy Old Light

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes a disused lighthouse on the summit of Beacon Hill, the highest point of Lundy. The monument is linked to the keeper's house and a small complex of buildings within a walled enclosure. The keeper's house and associated buildings, together with the enclosing wall, are not included in the scheduling. The lighthouse was built in 1819 on a foundation laid in 1787. The architect was Daniel Alexander and the builder Joseph Nelson for Trinity House. The lighthouse is Listed Grade II*. The tower is built of granite ashlar and stands about 30m high. A deep plinth has weathered courses and a string course near the top projects as a canopy over a partly blocked window on the west side. This window was built as an opening for a fixed light which was never installed. Instead a glazed lantern was constructed with a conical, copper-clad roof and ball finial on the top. In 1829 a second lantern room was added to the base of the tower because the top light was so often obscured by fog. This was also of granite ashlar and had curved glass windows. The roof to this annexe is now missing. Inside there is a stone spiral stair with 147 steps leading to the lantern. This lighthouse was the highest above sea level in Britain and, because of fog, a fog warning battery was built on the west coast of the island in 1861. In 1897 the light was superceded by the construction of the North and South Lights. The lighthouse is attached to the keeper's house by a short arched passage on the east side. This is not included in the scheduling. MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. Legacy The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system. Legacy System number: 27650 Legacy System: RSM

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.