Beachy Head Lighthouse

Lighthouse at Beachy Head, East Sussex, England

Beachy Head Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in the English Channel below the cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex. It is in height and became operational in October 1902. It was the last traditional style 'rock tower' (i. e. offshore lighthouse) to be built by Trinity House.

Beachy Head Lighthouse was built to replace the Belle Tout Lighthouse (which was completed in 1834) on top of the cliffs of Beachy Head. The Belle Tout lighthouse was not as successful as had been hoped, as its light was frequently obscured by sea mists. Thus it was decided to build a replacement at the foot of the cliffs. Belle Tout lighthouse was decommissioned in 1902, and still exists as a holiday home. From 1900 to 1902, under the direction of Sir Thomas Matthews, the Trinity House Engineer in Chief, Beachy Head Lighthouse was built, sited about 165 metres seawards from the base of the cliffs. For the construction, a temporary cable car from the cliff was installed for the transport of workers and stones to an iron ocean platform adjacent to the lighthouse. 3,660 tons of Cornish granite were used in the construction of the tower. The lighthouse was equipped with a first order revolving catadioptric optic made up of three double panels, giving two white flashes every 20 seconds; the lightsource was a Matthews designed paraffin vapour burner. The newly built lighthouse was also provided with an explosive fog signal, which was sounded every five minutes in foggy weather; it involved the keepers attaching a small explosive charge together with a detonator to each arm of a jib located on the gallery of the lighthouse; when winched into place, connection was made with a dynamo electric firing machine inside the lantern, from where the charge was remotely fired. The tower repainting was completed in October using a team including two abseilers. Five coats of paint were applied to the copper lantern at the top and three on each hoop of the tower. In 2019 with the impending demolition of the Royal Sovereign Lighthouse, Trinity House has said it will increase the strength of Beachy Head light to compensate for the loss of Royal Sovereign.

The lighthouse was a setting in an episode of The Prisoner called "The Girl Who Was Death". The lighthouse was shown in the 1968 film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after the car falls off the cliff and flies for the first time.