Burnham-on-Sea High Lighthouse

The High Lighthouse in Burnham-on-Sea stands on the Somerset coast where the Bristol Channel meets the River Parrett. It is a tall, white-painted tower built in 1832 by Joseph Nelson for Trinity House. The lighthouse was designed to guide ships through shifting sands and mudflats that stretch more than two kilometres at low tide. Its original light used four oil lamps behind parabolic reflectors, visible up to 30 kilometres away. A red vertical stripe was added in 1890 to make the tower more visible by day. The building is now a private home but remains a Grade II listed structure. The lighthouse once worked with a Low Lighthouse to mark a narrow channel into the river. Their combined lights helped vessels avoid hazards like Gore Sand and Culver Sand. The High Light displayed an unusual intermittent beam, bright for three and a half minutes then dark for thirty seconds. In 1927 it became one of the first Trinity House lighthouses to switch to electricity, removing the need for keepers. The optic still contains its original Fresnel lens and prism panels, preserved as part of the listing. Inside, the tower has a spiral staircase replacing earlier ladders after its conversion to a house. The sixth floor was removed to create more space, and the Fresnel lens remains in place. The red stripe on the tower still lines up with the Low Lighthouse to guide mariners. From the top, views stretch across Bridgwater Bay where the tide can retreat over two kilometres. The building’s plain white walls and bold red stripe make it a landmark against the flat coastal landscape.