Berry Head Lighthouse
The smallest in the uK
Berry Head is a tiny little lighthouse, one of the smallest in the whole of the British Isles. Its tower is just 5 metres (16 feet) high, but it doesn’t need to be any taller because it’s already perched on a headland above near-perpendicular cliffs rising to 58 metres (190 feet) above sea level. That makes Berry Head one of the highest lighthouses in Great Britain!
I have visited this place in July 1993 and June 2024.
Facts & figures
Berry Head Lighthouse lies to the east of the town of Brixham on the coastal headland of the same name that forms the southern boundary of Torbay in Devon. It was built in 1906 by Trinity House. It was automated in 1921 and electrified in 1994.
Stunning Views
Have you ever wondered how far you can see from Berry Head? Well, I’m happy to tell you that the views are absolutely stunning! On a clear day, you can even see Portland Bill, which is fourty-two miles (67 km) away. During my visit, I met a man with his dog who has been coming to Berry Head regularly for nearly 30 years. He told me that he had never spotted Portland Bill, not even in clear weather!
Berry Head overlooks the whole of Torbay and the Jurassic Coast in neighbouring Dorset.
On a clear day, even the Portland Bill should be visible. However, we didn't catch a glimpse of it.
The Portland Bill Lighthouse is the setting for my slightly spooky story Black Dog H(a)unt.
natural beauty spot
And there’s more! Berry Head is also home to the remains of a Napoleonic fort, in addition to its iconic lighthouse. But even in the Iron Age, around 2000 years earlier, there was already a primitive cliff fort at this gorgeous spot. The name Berry Head derives from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘bury’, which means fort.
Above all, Berry Head is now a National Nature Reserve. The beautiful limestone plateau is teeming with a vast array of plants, some of which are truly rare. What’s more, it’s a fantastic place to go birdwatching and look for butterflies! The high cliffs offer nesting opportunities for waterfowl. They’re host to the largest breeding colony of guillemots on the south coast of England with around 900 breeding individuals!
Please don’t disturb the guillemots!
To protect the guillemot colony, an ‘Area of Special Protection’ has been put in place for the small marine area at Berry Head. This means that water vessels and users are not allowed to enter the cove during the guillemots breeding season (March – July).
Within the UK guillemot numbers have decreased. The guillemots lay only a single egg in a season. If they have to take flight when disturbed they waste valuable energy and have to leave their egg or chick vulnerable to predators. So please take extra care when exploring the coastline and don’t disturb the birds!
For more information about the guillemot colony at Berry Head and to view the map of the ‚Area of Special Protection‘ please visit the site of the Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust.
Guillemots are easily disturbed by watersports. It is therefore forbidden to enter the bay at Berry Head during the breeding season.
Photo: Dobe | iStock
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Here you can find some of the other lighthouses that I have visited.
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