Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse

The Burnham-on-Sea Low Lighthouse stands on the foreshore where the River Parrett meets the Bristol Channel. It is one of three historic lighthouses in the town and the only one still active. Built in 1832 by Joseph Nelson, it originally worked with the High Lighthouse for 137 years. The Low Lighthouse was deactivated in 1969 but restored to service in 1993. Known as ‘the Lighthouse on Legs’, it has long been a local landmark on the shifting sands. The lighthouse plays a key role in guiding ships through the dangerous mudflats of Bridgwater Bay. With the second highest tidal range in the world, the channel shifts constantly and the light helps vessels avoid hazards. In 1844, Trinity House warned that the sands had moved so far that the original leading lights no longer marked safe water. Extra red beams were added in 1866 to guide ships past Gore Sand and upriver. Visitors find a small white wooden tower with a single red stripe on the seaward side. The light flashes white every 7.5 seconds and shows directional colours to mark safe channels. Photographers often visit to capture its striking position on the sands. The lighthouse remains a working aid to navigation and a quiet symbol of Burnham’s maritime past.