Lighthouse At End Of Folkestone Harbour Outer Pier

This lighthouse, built between 1897 and 1904, stands at the end of Folkestone Harbour’s Outer Pier as part of an extension designed by Coode, Son and Matthews. The lighthouse is constructed of granite, with a metal and glazed lantern.

The circular lighthouse sits upon a plinth and is connected to a curved flight of stairs, with an adjoining pier bearing inscriptions documenting its history. The lighthouse itself is a tapering cylindrical tower of two storeys, featuring a deep moulded plinth and cornice rising above the raised south wall of the pier. The upper storey has three cambered fixed windows. A cambered headed doorcase with a four-panelled door is located on the west side of the lower storey. Above the tower, a metal handrail surrounds a central glazed cylindrical lantern, topped with a domed metal cap and a metal weathervane. It is accessed by a flight of five steps from the main pier surface.

To the north of the lighthouse is a curved flight of granite steps with solid balustrading and a square pier. This pier's centre is constructed of polished red granite, with raised panels bearing inscriptions. One inscription details the pier’s construction, undertaken between 1897 and 1904 by the South Eastern Railway Company and the South East and Chatham Railway Company, with engineering by Coode, Son and Matthews and construction by William Rigby. Another inscription records that the stone was laid by Paul Gambon on 12th July 1904.

The lighthouse replaced an earlier one, and it was built following increases to the harbour's business which began in 1843 and were initially served by a pier built between 1861 and 1863. This earlier pier sustained storm damage and was rebuilt and extended between 1881 and 1883. Further work, including the new lighthouse, was planned as early as 1882 and subsequently extended in 1897 to include tracks for travelling cranes.

The lighthouse is designated for its elegant design, featuring a moulded cylindrical tower, the quality of its materials and craftsmanship, particularly the use of polished granite, its largely intact exterior and setting, and its importance as a harbour beacon. It is comparable to other listed examples of late 19th-century lighthouses.