Portland Bill High Light

The Old Higher Lighthouse stands on Branscombe Hill on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. It is a 19th-century stone lighthouse that overlooks Portland Bill, a notorious stretch of coast where many ships have been wrecked over centuries. The lighthouse is Grade II listed, recognising its historical importance. Two lighthouses were originally built here in 1716 under a patent granted by George I. The higher one at Branscombe Hill and the lower one guided ships safely between Portland Race and the Shambles sandbank.

The lighthouse is worth the journey because it marks a turning point in British lighthouse technology. In 1788, it became the first in England to install Argand lamps, designed by Thomas Rogers, improving its light’s clarity. Later, in 1824, a three-sided revolving apparatus was added, though it reverted to a fixed light in 1835 after Start Point Lighthouse introduced Fresnel lenses. Trinity House rebuilt both lighthouses in 1869 with large fixed optics by James Chance. The site also has ties to Marie Stopes, who bought it in 1923 as a summer home.

Visitors find a group of four cottages within the lighthouse grounds, two of which are now holiday lets. The lighthouse itself was used as a lookout by the Royal Observer Corps during World War II and later operated as a restaurant in the 1960s. The cottages, including Branscombe Lodge Cottage and Stopes Cottage, offer a glimpse into the site’s layered history. The views from Branscombe Hill stretch across Portland Bill and the surrounding coastline. The lighthouse remains a quiet reminder of maritime safety’s evolution.