Lowestoft Lighthouse

Lowestoft Lighthouse is located at the top of Sparrow’s Nest Gardens, towering over the town.

The coastline along this part of the coast is scattered with sandbanks making navigation hazardous. There have been several lighthouses marking this stretch of coastline.

Trinity House established a pair of lighthouses at the Ness, along the foreshore in 1609, one taller than the other. The High and Low Lights were supported on a lattice framework and formed leading lights. When aligned, the two lights would guide vessels safely through the Stamford Channel, the deepest channel off the coast.

By 1628, the lighthouses needed repairing and were rebuilt. These new towers operated for a further fifty years until they were replaced in 1676. By this time, they had become partly obscured by fishermen’s huts on the shoreline. In addition, rival John Clayton had established privately built lights at Corton. So Trinity House moved the High Light to the cliff top. By October 1676 the new tower was established, displaying a coal fire instead of the candles previously used, increasing its range. The new High Lighthouse was designated a major light, not only warning of the Stamford Channel but also further offshore.

In 1706, the Low Light was discontinued due to the ever-changing coastline and having been damaged during a storm. It was not until 1730 that it was reinstated, following complaints from shipowners. A new timber structure with three oil lamps was constructed.

The structure was mounted on a moveable rail to be repositioned as the channel shifted.

The Low Light was again rebuilt in 1779 following further damage. By this time they were classed as separate stations, with separate keepers for each station.

In 1777/78, the High Light received a new glass lantern, and an experimental lighting system was installed. The experimental system consisted of a 7ft tall, 6ft diameter cylinder with 126 oil lamps and 4,000 small mirrors. It became known as the ‘spangle light’.

Both lighthouses were updated in 1796, and Argand oil lamps with parabolic reflectors were installed.

In the 1870s, Trinity House decided to install electricity. This was as a result of successful experiments carried out at South Foreland Lighthouse. However, the High Lighthouse was not strong enough to house the new equipment, so a new tower was built. The new 53ft high tower was completed in 1874. In the meantime, paraffin oil had become widely available and considered more efficient and cost-effective, so this was used instead of electricity.

The new lighthouse keepers’ cottages were built adjacent to the new tower at the same time.

In 1881 both the High and Low Lights were converted to coal gas from the town’s mains supply.

Meanwhile, the Stamford Channel continued to shift and slowly disappeared. By 1923, the Low Light was no longer necessary and was discontinued. It was finally extinguished on 27th August 1923.

Following the decommissioning of the Low Lighthouse, the high light became a “keeper and wife” station. This continued until the lighthouse was automated in 1975. A lower, fixed subsidiary light shone a red light over the offshore Scroby Sands.

Lowestoft has a number of Scores. These narrow lanes and steep pathways run down towards the beach and were used to link the High Street on top of the cliffs to the beachside below.

Adjacent to Sparrows Nest Gardens, across the Ravine, is Belle Vue Park. The Royal Naval Patrol Service memorial was built the same elevation as the lighthouse. It is said to have been designed so that the gilded ship on its top reflects the flash of the lighthouse beam. The treetops may obscure this to some extent today.

Lowestoft lighthouse is located alongside Sparrows Nest Gardens, where the nearby Maritime Museum is also located. The best way to see it is to drive along Whapload Road towards Sparrows Nest Gardens, where you can see the lighthouse through the gardens or along Lighthouse Score. The lighthouse is not open to the public. It can also be seen on the main A47 road.