Cromer Lighthouse

Cromer Lighthouse stands on the cliff top at Foulness, east of the town of Cromer in Norfolk. The first light here shone from the parish church in medieval times, guiding ships along the coast. In 1669 Sir John Clayton proposed a lighthouse at Foulness, and with George Blake he received a patent from King Charles II. The tower cost £3,000 to build, but it was never lit and collapsed around 1700 because of coastal erosion. A new lighthouse was lit in 1719 under Edward Bowell and Nathaniel Life, using a coal fire in a glazed lantern. The lighthouse was rebuilt inland in 1833 after repeated cliff falls threatened the old site. The present tower is octagonal, 18 metres tall, and made of masonry. It originally held thirty oil lamps with parabolic reflectors, revolving every three minutes to give one flash per minute. The light could be seen up to 50 kilometres away, making it one of the most powerful on the English coast. In 1897 the equipment was updated to fourteen mineral oil lamps, still showing one flash every minute. Visitors find a quiet spot beside the lighthouse, with views across the North Sea from the cliff top. The tower’s lantern has been reduced in size since its early days, but the octagonal shape remains. A short path leads from the town to the lighthouse, passing the site of the first coal-fired beacon. The surrounding cliffs show signs of past erosion, with sections that have slipped into the sea. The lighthouse garden offers a place to stand and watch ships passing along the coast.