St Agnes Lighthouse

St Agnes Lighthouse stands on the western tip of St Agnes, the most southerly of the inhabited Isles of Scilly. Built in 1680, it is one of England’s oldest surviving lighthouses and the second to be erected in the western approaches. The tower rises 23 metres above ground and 42 metres above high water, with unusual gun ports cut into its stonework. Trinity House chose the site because St Agnes lies closest to the treacherous Western Rocks where strong tides and currents endanger shipping. Two captains, Hugh Hill and Simon Bayly, supervised its construction after earlier petitions had been refused. The light first burned coal in an open brazier, then switched to oil lamps in 1790 and adopted Argand burners in 1790. By 1806 it housed thirty oil lamps with 21-inch reflectors on a three-sided revolving frame, an innovation copied at other lighthouses. Upgrades in 1880 and 1891 increased the flash rate and brightness under the direction of Sir James Douglass. The lighthouse guided ships until 1911, when Peninnis Lighthouse took over, but it remains a recognised daymark. Visitors reach the tower across grassy paths that cross low heathland on the island’s western edge. The stone lantern at the top still shows the 1806 rebuild, its sash windows and multiple chimneys preserved. Inside, the thick walls and spiral stair contrast with the bright Atlantic views over the Western Rocks. The site is a Scheduled Monument and Grade II* listed building, maintained as a landmark for passing vessels.