Lighthouses · South West England
Portland Bill Low Light
In or near Fortuneswell.
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
See it from the streetimagery from 2021
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
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
Culverwell Mesolithic Site
Hill forts · 0.3 km
Cave Hole
Caves · 0.4 km
Cave Hole
Mountains & hills · 0.5 km
Portland Bill High Light
Lighthouses · 0.5 km
Red Crane
Marinas · 0.5 km
Blow Hole
Caves · 0.5 km
White Hole
Caves · 0.7 km
Portland Bill Lighthouse
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Trinity House Obelisk
Memorials & monuments · 0.8 km
Portland Bill
Viewpoints · 0.8 km
Pulpit Rock, Portland
Islands · 0.8 km
Sweet Hill Farm
Campsites · 0.9 km
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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.
- What is Portland Bill Low Light?
- Portland Bill Low Light — lighthouse in Portland, Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, England, UK.
- How do I get to Portland Bill Low Light?
- Drivers can use postcode DT5 2JT.
- 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.