Harwich High Lighthouse

Harwich High Lighthouse stands on the Essex coast beside its shorter partner, the Low Lighthouse. The pair were built in 1818 of red brick to guide ships into the harbour. They replaced 17th-century lights that once used coal fires and candles. The taller tower was designed by Daniel Asher Alexander under John Rennie’s supervision. Both lights once shone oil lamps and reflectors before being replaced in the 19th century. Trinity House took over the lease in 1836 but later found the channel shifting. By 1863 the lights were no longer needed and were sold to the Borough Council. The High Lighthouse is now a Grade II* listed museum of local interest run by the Harwich Society. It opened to the public in 1995 after being leased to the National Vintage Wireless and Television Museum Trust. The Low Lighthouse houses the town’s Maritime Museum, established there in 1980. Both buildings still stand on the seafront where the original wooden and stone predecessors once stood. The Low Lighthouse once served as a VHF station and lookout for Trinity House pilots. Its upper balcony and angled windows were added when it became a pilot station in 1969. Visitors find two brick towers side by side near the harbour entrance. The High Lighthouse’s museum displays wireless sets and television sets from past decades. The Low Lighthouse’s Maritime Museum shows the town’s seafaring past with models and artefacts. A canopy shelters the base of the Low Lighthouse, offering a place to rest on the seafront. The Dovercourt lights, once replacements, also remain nearby but no longer guide ships. The pair recall Harwich’s long history as a naval base and trading port.