Lizard Lighthouse

Lizard Lighthouse stands at the most southerly point of mainland Britain, its twin white towers a landmark visible from miles along the coast. A first light was finished here by Christmas 1619 under Sir John Killigrew, but that tower was later demolished. The present towers date from 1752, when they were first lit on 22 August, and have guided ships past one of the most dangerous stretches of the English Channel ever since.

The light is 70 m above high water, in a 19 m tower, with a range of 26 nautical miles. Only the eastern tower now carries the main light. Trinity House automated the station in 1998 and the keepers left; it is monitored from Harwich in Essex.

The Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre, in the 1874 engine room, opened on 13 July 2009 with exhibits on shipwrecks, fog signals and lighthouse technology. It has been closed to the public in recent years and we could not confirm that it has reopened, so check Trinity House or the lighthouse’s Facebook page before you travel. The clifftop setting still gives wide views across the Channel, and the South West Coast Path passes directly by, connecting to Kynance Cove to the west and Church Cove to the east. The surrounding village is covered in our Lizard guide.