Lighthouses · South East England
Belle Tout lighthouse
In or near Alfriston.
Belle Tout lighthouse — decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, 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
- Eastbourne · 5.8 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Belle Tout lighthouse, the nearest railway station is Eastbourne, located 5.8 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is BN20 0AE. Entry to the lighthouse is free.
About
Belle Tout lighthouse is a working or historic lighthouse on the United Kingdom coast. Records date its origin to 1832. Constructed primarily of stone. Heritage designation: Grade II listed building. Managed by Trinity House. Wikidata describes it as: "decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.7383°, 0.2147°.
Photo gallery
360° viewimagery from 2025
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Heritage listing
The Belle Tout Lighthouse (also spelled Belle Toute) is a decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, near the town of Eastbourne. It is a Grade II listed building. The Belle Tout Lighthouse has been called "Britain's most famous inhabited lighthouse" for its striking location and use in film and television. In 1999, it was moved in one piece to prevent it from succumbing to coastal erosion.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Seaford to Beachy Head SSSI
- National Nature Reserve: SEVEN SISTERS
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
The Belle Tout Lighthouse (also spelled Belle Toute) is a decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, near the town of Eastbourne. It is a Grade II listed building. The Belle Tout Lighthouse has been called "Britain's most famous inhabited lighthouse" for its striking location and use in film and television. In 1999, it was moved in one piece to prevent it from succumbing to coastal erosion.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
]] The cliffs near Beachy Head saw numerous shipwrecks in the 17th and early 18th centuries and a petition to erect a lighthouse started around 1691. The calls were ignored for over 100 years until The Thames, an East Indiaman, crashed into the rocks off Beachy Head. The petition gained momentum with the support of a Captain of the Royal Navy and Trinity House, the official lighthouse authority, agreed to attend to the matter. Having witnessed the incident himself, John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, MP for Sussex, used his influence and some of his personal wealth to fund the lighthouse construction. The first Belle Tout lighthouse was a temporary wooden structure that started service on 1 October…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.7383, 0.2147
- County
- East Sussex
- District
- Eastbourne
- Parish
- Eastbourne, unparished area
- Postcode
- BN20 0AE
- Parliamentary constituency
- Eastbourne
- Established
- 1832
- Nearest railway station
- Eastbourne — 5.8 km
- Official site
- www.belletout.co.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q3739756 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Belle Tout Lighthouse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Belle Tout Lighthouse 2013.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Belle Tout lighthouse?
- Belle Tout lighthouse is in East Sussex, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BN20 0AE), in the parish of Eastbourne, unparished area.
- What is Belle Tout lighthouse?
- Belle Tout lighthouse — decommissioned lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England, UK.
- How do I get to Belle Tout lighthouse?
- The nearest railway station is Eastbourne, about 5.8 km away. Drivers can use postcode BN20 0AE.
- When was Belle Tout lighthouse built?
- Built or established in 1832.
- Who runs Belle Tout lighthouse?
- Belle Tout lighthouse is operated by Trinity House.
- Is Belle Tout lighthouse a listed building?
- Belle Tout lighthouse is officially recognised as Grade II listed building listed.
- Is Belle Tout lighthouse a protected site?
- Yes — Belle Tout lighthouse is part of the Seaford to Beachy Head SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the SEVEN SISTERS National Nature Reserve.
- Is Belle Tout lighthouse free to visit?
- Yes, Belle Tout lighthouse is free to enter.