Old Higher Lighthouse facts for kids
| Location | Isle of Portland Dorset England United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°31′20″N 2°27′23″W / 50.522273°N 2.456346°W |
| Year first constructed | 1716 (first) |
| Year first lit | 1869 (current) |
| Deactivated | 1869 (first) 1906 (current) |
| Construction | stone tower |
| Tower shape | massive cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to 1-storey keeper’s house |
| Markings / pattern | white tower |
| Height | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Original lens | 1st order catadioptric fixed |
The Old Higher Lighthouse is an old lighthouse on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. It's not used anymore. You can find it on Branscombe Hill, looking out over Portland Bill. This lighthouse is a special historic building, protected by law.
Contents
History of the Lighthouse
The coast around Portland, especially Portland Bill and Chesil Beach, was very dangerous for ships. Many vessels were shipwrecked there over hundreds of years. Local people asked for a lighthouse to be built for a long time.
Building the First Lighthouses
In 1716, King George I allowed Trinity House to build a lighthouse. Trinity House is the official group that manages lighthouses in England. They built two stone lighthouses on Portland that year. The Old Higher Lighthouse was built on Branscombe Hill. The other, called the Old Lower Lighthouse, was built on lower ground.
These two lighthouses worked together as "leading lights." This meant ships could line them up to safely navigate between the strong currents of Portland Race and a dangerous sandbank called the Shambles. They first shone their lights on September 29, 1716. At first, both lighthouses used fires to create their light.
Improvements Over Time
Trinity House took over the lighthouses in 1752 because they were not being looked after well. In 1788, the Old Higher Lighthouse became the first in England to get new Argand lamps. These lamps were much brighter. It had fourteen lamps, each with a shiny reflector behind it to make the light stronger.
In 1824, the lighthouse was improved again. It got a new light system that turned around. This made the light flash every two minutes. However, in 1835, it was changed back to a steady light. This was because a new lighthouse at Start Point had a powerful Fresnel lens, which was a better way to make a strong, focused light.
New Lighthouses and New Uses
Both the Old Higher and Old Lower Lighthouses were rebuilt in 1869. They were given large, fixed lenses designed by James Chance. But by the early 1900s, Trinity House decided to build one new, very powerful lighthouse at Bill Point.
The new lighthouse was finished in 1905. After that, the two older lighthouses were no longer needed and were sold. In 1923, a scientist named Marie Stopes bought the Old Higher Lighthouse. She was a palaeobotanist, which means she studied ancient plants. She also founded the Portland Museum. She used the lighthouse as her summer home.
During World War II, the tower was used by the Royal Observer Corps as a lookout point. In the early 1960s, the lighthouse even became a restaurant! The lighthouse and its small houses were fixed up in 1981. Today, some of the cottages on the grounds, like Branscombe Lodge Cottage and Stopes Cottage, can be rented for holidays.
See also
- List of lighthouses in England
