Bidston Lighthouse And Lighthouse Cottages

Bidston Lighthouse and Lighthouse Cottages were built in 1873 by the Mersey Dock Estate to aid navigation into the Mersey estuary, as part of a wider system of coastal aids. The lighthouse tower is constructed of rusticated ashlar, with a sheet metal roof and a conical cap housing the light chamber. It has three stages, with recessed sash windows on each stage, and a doorway on the west side bearing the inscription 'Mersey Dock Estate 1873'. The lowest stage of the tower is battered, with a corbelled walkway supported by consoles and fitted with railings. A modillion eaves cornice adorns the light chamber. The tower is topped with a metal roof roundel finial. Attached to the east of the lighthouse is a range of single-storey cottages with hipped Welsh slate roofs, paired sash windows, and rusticated stone stacks. These cottages provided accommodation for the lighthouse keeper's family and the observatory groundsmen.