Portland_Breakwater_Lighthouse,_Dorset
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, Dorset
Lighthouse in England
The Portland Breakwater Lighthouse is a functioning lighthouse located at Portland Harbour, Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is situated on the southern end of the north-east breakwater.[2]
The lighthouse, a white hexagonal cast-iron structure, was established in 1905.[3][4] Built by Chance Brothers,[5] initially it displayed a white flash every five seconds and had a visible range of 14 nmi (26 km; 16 mi).[6] It was also provided with a fog bell, sounding once every ten seconds in foggy weather.
The light was originally lit by oil, later changed to gas and is today lit electrically with a modern LED lamp.[7][8] The light was owned by the Admiralty, but managed by Trinity House (who, until the light was automated in the late 1960s, provided three resident keepers accommodated in a nearby dwelling on the breakwater).[5]
The lighthouse was restored and repainted in 1995, prior to the closure of Portland Naval Base; subsequently, ownership of the lighthouse (along with the harbour as a whole) was vested in Portland Port Ltd, and the Portland Harbour Authority took over its management.[5]
The lighthouse underwent restoration again in 2016.[9] The lighthouse's current use continues to aid navigation of boats in the area, warning mariners of the breakwaters by giving a white flash every 10 seconds.[4] Surrounding the lighthouse are various defensive buildings such as pillboxes.[10]
The former optic from the lighthouse has been placed in Weymouth Museum.[5]