Berry Head Lighthouse

Berry Head Lighthouse stands at the end of Berry Head near Brixham in Devon. It is one of the shortest lighthouses in Great Britain at just five metres tall. Yet it is also one of the highest, perched fifty-eight metres above sea level. The optic was originally turned by a weight falling down a forty-five-metre shaft, making it the deepest of its kind. The lighthouse has been active since 1906 and was designed by Trinity House’s chief engineer Thomas Matthews. The lighthouse once used oil gas stored in large external tanks, purchased from the Great Western Railway at Exeter. Its revolving optic gave a double white flash every fifteen seconds, visible for twenty nautical miles. In 1921 it switched to acetylene, with an AGA conversion that included a Dalen sun valve for automatic operation. Since 1994 it has run on mains electricity, and in 2019 its optic was replaced by LED lanterns while keeping the original light pattern. Visitors reach the lighthouse along paths that wind past Berry Head’s historic forts. The surrounding cliffs offer wide views over Torbay and the English Channel. Inside, the old clockwork mechanism and external tanks still stand as reminders of the lighthouse’s past. The site remains an active aid to navigation, guiding ships along the Devon coast.