Lighthouses · South East England
Portland Bill Low Light
Portland Bill Low Light — lighthouse in Portland, Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Portland Bill Low Light is a working or historic lighthouse on the United Kingdom coast. Records date its origin to 1869. Designed by James Nicholas Douglass. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Managed by Trinity House. Wikidata describes it as: "lighthouse in Portland, Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.5197°, -2.4511°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
The Old Lower Lighthouse is a disused 19th century lighthouse on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, southern England. It is located along the eastern side of Portland Bill. The lighthouse, including its boundary walls and coastguard house, became Grade II Listed in September 1978. Working alongside the Old Higher Lighthouse from 1716, the lower lighthouse has subsequently been rebuilt twice, once in 1789 (when it became the first working lighthouse to have its light intensified by lenses and again in 1869.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Isle of Portland SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Old Lower Lighthouse is a disused 19th century lighthouse on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, southern England. It is located along the eastern side of Portland Bill. The lighthouse, including its boundary walls and coastguard house, became Grade II Listed in September 1978. Working alongside the Old Higher Lighthouse from 1716, the lower lighthouse has subsequently been rebuilt twice, once in 1789 (when it became the first working lighthouse to have its light intensified by lenses and again in 1869. The lighthouse seen today was built in 1869 and has been the home of the Portland Bird Observatory since 1961.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
During the Great War the lighthouse was the "Longstone Ope Tea Gardens". and was used as a family home for some of this time. After World War II, the lighthouse was empty and derelict. During the 1950s, the studying of bird migration was becoming established on Portland. Many ornithologists were visiting the island and Portland Bill. Through the generosity of Miss Helen Brotherton and her family, the ornithologists were able to make the lighthouse their permanent base. In March 1961 the conversion and repair work had been completed, and the observatory was officially opened by Sir Peter Scott, as Portland's Bird Observatory and Field Centre. It caters for naturalists of all persuasions and…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.5197, -2.4511
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Portland
- Postcode
- DT5 2JT
- Parliamentary constituency
- South Dorset
- Established
- 1869
Sources
- wikidata: Q7084394 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Old Lower Lighthouse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Portland, The Lower Lighthouse - geograph.org.uk - 1757489.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Hill forts · South East England
Culverwell Mesolithic Site
Culverwell Mesolithic Site — archaeological site in Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Caves · South East England
Cave Hole
Cave Hole is a cave in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountains & hills · South East England
Cave Hole
Cave Hole — cave in Portland, Dorset, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Portland Bill High Light
Portland Bill High Light — lighthouse in Portland, Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Caves · South East England
Blow Hole
Blow Hole is a cave in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Caves · South East England
White Hole
White Hole is a cave in the United Kingdom.
Other works by James Nicholas Douglass
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Portland Bill High Light
Portland Bill High Light — lighthouse in Portland, Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Lighthouses · South West England
Eddystone Lighthouse
Eddystone Lighthouse — lighthouse on the Eddystone Rocks, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South West England
Hartland Point Lighthouse
Hartland Point Lighthouse — lighthouse in Hartland, Torridge, Devon, England, UK.
📷 3Lighthouses · East of England
Southwold lighthouse
Southwold lighthouse — lighthouse in Southwold, Waveney, Suffolk, England, UK.
More places run by Trinity House
📷 5Lighthouses · London
Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse and Chain Locker Block
Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse and Chain Locker Block — lighthouse and historic building in Tower Hamlets, Greater London, England, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Anvil Point Lighthouse
Anvil Point Lighthouse — lighthouse in Swanage, Dorset, England, UK.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Beachy Head Lighthouse
Beachy Head Lighthouse — lighthouse at Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Belle Tout lighthouse
Belle Tout lighthouse — decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, UK.
Other lighthouses from this era
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Egypt Point light
Egypt Point light — lighthouse in Isle of Wight, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Folkestone Lighthouse
Folkestone Lighthouse — lighthouse in Folkestone, Shepway, Kent, England, UK.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Hastings Lighthouse
Hastings Lighthouse — lighthouse in Hastings, East Sussex, England, UK.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Hurst Point Lighthouse
Hurst Point Lighthouse — lighthouse on the Solent, in Hampshire, England, UK.
More lighthouses in this region
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Admiralty Pier light
Admiralty Pier light — lighthouse in Dover, Kent, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Dover Breakwater Knuckle light
Dover Breakwater Knuckle light — lighthouse in Kent, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Dover Breakwater West End light
Dover Breakwater West End light — lighthouse in Kent, England.
📷 5Lighthouses · South East England
Dubris Pharos
Dubris Pharos — Roman lighthouse in Dover, England.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Portland Bill Low Light?
- Portland Bill Low Light is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode DT5 2JT), in the parish of Portland.
- When was Portland Bill Low Light built?
- Built or established in 1869. Designed by James Nicholas Douglass.
- Who runs Portland Bill Low Light?
- Portland Bill Low Light is operated by Trinity House.
- Is Portland Bill Low Light a listed building?
- Portland Bill Low Light is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- Is Portland Bill Low Light a protected site?
- Yes — Portland Bill Low Light is part of the Isle of Portland SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Portland Bill Low Light free to visit?
- Yes, Portland Bill Low Light is free to enter.