Maritime museums · East of England
Lightvessel 18
In or near Little Oakley.
Lightvessel 18 in England East, United Kingdom.

Oxymoron — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Harwich Town · 0.5 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
Lightvessel 18 is located in Tendring, Essex, with the postcode CO12 3HH. The nearest railway station is Harwich Town, which is 0.5 km away. Accessibility is limited, and entry details are not specified.
About
Lightvessel 18 is a preserved museum ship in England East, United Kingdom — a vessel of historic significance preserved as a public visitor attraction. Britain's museum ships span Tudor warships (Mary Rose), tea clippers (Cutty Sark), Victorian battleships (HMS Warrior) and 20th-century submarines.
Photo gallery
See it from the streetimagery from 2025
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Official information
The LV18 lightvessel is a historic maritime vessel located in Harwich, serving as a preserved example of a manned light vessel. Visitors can explore the ship, which hosts various events and exhibitions, and learn about its significance in maritime history.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Suffolk Coast & Heaths
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Light Vessel 18 Saint Gowan, otherwise known as LV18 is an ex-Trinity House lightship and is the only Trinity House lightship equipped with a majority of its original equipment. Built in 1958 as one of a class of 8 lightships by Philip and Son, the ship was initially posted to the Saint Gowan station and subsequently served at several other stations before retirement in 1994. In 1997 the vessel was sold to Sea Containers Ltd and two years later was chartered to Tony O'Neil for preservation purposes. In this new position she began to serve as a location for various revival broadcasts of offshore radio. In 2002, The Pharos Trust was established for the purposes of the preservation and upkeep of LV18 and the vessel was subsequently purchased by the trust. In February 2024 an arson attack occurred aboard the vessel and serious damage was incurred to the ship.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 51.9485, 1.2866
- County
- Essex
- District
- Tendring
- Parish
- Harwich
- Postcode
- CO12 3HH
- Parliamentary constituency
- Harwich and North Essex
- Phone
- 07446 171 320
- Established
- 1958
- Nearest railway station
- Harwich Town — 0.5 km
- Opening
- Daily 11am–4pm; closed November–March except for pre-arranged visits
- Official site
- www.lv18.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q102422914 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Light Vessel 18 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby

Lightship LV18
Natural landmarks · 0.0 km

Kindertransport Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.0 km

Ha'penny Pier Visitors Centre
Piers · 0.0 km

Ha’penny Pier & Visitors Centre
Museums · 0.0 km

The Pier Hotel
Hotels · 0.1 km

Half Penny Pier
Piers · 0.1 km

Thai Up at the Quay
Restaurants · 0.1 km

Swan Guesthouse
B&Bs · 0.2 km

Trinity House Pier
Piers · 0.2 km

Electric Palace Cinema
Theatres · 0.3 km

The British Flag Public House
Historic pubs · 0.3 km

Harwich Lifeboat Museum
Museums · 0.3 km
Nearby
Natural landmarks · East of England
Lightship LV18
Lightship LV18 — a other in england-east, United Kingdom.
Memorials & monuments · East of England
Kindertransport Memorial
Kindertransport Memorial — a memorial in england-east, United Kingdom.
Piers · East of England
Ha'penny Pier Visitors Centre
Ha'penny Pier Visitors Centre — a pier in england-east, United Kingdom.
Museums · East of England
Ha’penny Pier & Visitors Centre
Ha’penny Pier & Visitors Centre — a museum in england-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Piers · East of England
Half Penny Pier
Half Penny Pier is a pier in the United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Lightvessel 18
Places to stay
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Places to eat & drink
📷 5Restaurants · East of England
Thai Up at the Quay
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Historic pubs · East of England
The British Flag Public House
The British Flag Public House in England East, United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Lightvessel 18?
- Lightvessel 18 is in Essex, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CO12 3HH), in the parish of Harwich.
- What is Lightvessel 18?
- Lightvessel 18 in England East, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Lightvessel 18?
- The nearest railway station is Harwich Town, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can use postcode CO12 3HH.
- When was Lightvessel 18 built?
- Built or established in 1958.
- Who owns Lightvessel 18?
- Lightvessel 18 is owned by | registry =.
- Is Lightvessel 18 a protected site?
- Yes — Lightvessel 18 is part of the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Lightvessel 18?
- The nearest railway station is Harwich Town, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CO12 3HH.