Lowestoft Harbour Lighthouses

The Lowestoft Harbour Lighthouses guide vessels into Lowestoft Outer and Inner Harbours.

Lowestoft is one of the oldest and most important harbours on the coast of East Anglia, located at Britain’s most easterly point. The earliest harbour at Lowestoft dates back to the 14th century when it was a strategic fishing hub for the herring industry. By the 19th century, the harbour had developed into a major port to support both fishing and commercial shipping.

Work on a new harbour began in 1827. It developed further from the 1840s with the arrival of a railway from Lowestoft to Reedham, which joined the Great Yarmouth to Norwich line. The railway line was built by Sir Samuel Morton Peto, who also helped develop the port, providing moorings for around 1,000 vessels. In 1845, the Norfolk Railway leased the port area, and work began to develop the dock system by the Eastern Counties Railway.

Two piers were built at Lowestoft by 1831 on either side of the harbour entrance, forming the inner harbour. This connected Lake Lothing to the sea. The outer harbour was built later, in 1937.

Both the Inner North and Inner South Piers were originally 500 feet long. The pier lighthouses were added in the 1840s. The two lighthouses are white hexagonal towers with a covered hexagonal pergola at the base, providing shelter.

The South Pier was extended in 1846, and various buildings were added, including a bandstand and reading rooms. The reading room was destroyed by fire in 1885, and a new pavilion had replaced it by 1890. The pier and pavilion were damaged during World War 2 and subsequently demolished. Following various refurbishment projects, the pier was reopened in June 1993. Further refurbishment took place in the ensuing years and in 2013 the pier was closed due to safety concerns, but in 2015 it was reopened.

The sheltered harbour of Lowestoft allows access into Lake Lothing and via lock gates into Oulton Broad. The inner harbour is accessed via the Bascule Bridge, and further into Lake Lothing is the newer Gull Wing Bridge, which opened in 2024.

ABP Ports Lowestoft is responsible for maintaining the harbour and lighthouses. Lowestoft Harbour is a busy port accommodating commercial fishing vessels, cargo vessels, offshore energy supply ships, and leisure boats.

The south pier is accessible but fenced off just before the lighthouse. The north pier is inaccessible but the lighthouse can be viewed from the south pier. There are boat trips available from Lowestoft Harbour.

From the north pier you can walk to Ness Point, Britain’s most southerly mainland point.  Close by is Lowestoft Lighthouse further up the cliff above Sparrow’s Nest gardens.