Old Higher Lighthouse With Boundary Walls

PORTLAND

SY67NE PORTLAND BILL ROAD, Portland Bill 969-1/1/163 (North West side) 21/09/78 Old Higher Lighthouse with boundary walls (Formerly Listed as: PORTLAND BILL ROAD OLD HIGHER LIGHTHOUSE(BRANSCOMBE LODGE)STABLE BUILDINGS TO W & ENCLOSURE WALL)

II

Former lighthouse, now dwelling. 1869. Rendered and painted, slate roofs. A low circular tower linked by short corridors to east and south to identical domestic blocks, formerly coastguard accommodation. The whole set on simple plinth; tower has cylindrical shaft to heavy moulded cornice carrying lofty late C20 wood and glass lantern set to a balcony with 15-bay cast-iron balustrade to heavy moulded posts and three plain rails; various openings, 2-light casements set in deep reveals to cambered raised lintels and plain cills. The Trinity House badge set in on north-west face at first-floor level. Short pitched-roof passages connect to dwelling units in one storey with 12-pane sashes throughout to heavy stooled cills. Hipped roofs to central valley, on box eaves; large paired stacks to each ridge (four stacks in all) to bases and stepped conjoined cappings. These, and the dwelling blocks all with stopped chamfer corners, and each unit has a swept-down addition containing door; porch and C20 door to north-south passage. Interior of tower retains the heavy rivetted ring beam with radials at first and second-floor levels, also stone stair with iron balustrade following curve, ground to first floor, and a tighter spiral in slate treads to the lantern. Much of the joinery and other fitting within appears to be original or carefully restored. Subsidiary Features: all enclosed in rubble stone wall to half-round oversailing coping; pair of square piers to pyramidal cappings on SW corner opposite former paraffin store, transformed in the C20 into studio dwelling. The stable building referred to in the previous list demolished 1990. The first lighthouse on the site dated from 1716, replaced by current structure in 1869, and taken out of service in 1905 with the opening of the new Lighthouse (qv); at that time it was sold for »405 (in 1907). Occupied as a holiday home for about 30 years by Dr. Marie Stopes (see Portland Museum, Wakeham), the building became derelict, but has been rescued and fully restored in the 1980's. Thomas Hardy is reputed to have been a visitor in the early C20. (Royal Commission on Historical Monuments: Dorset: London: 1970-: 253).

Listing NGR: SY6774069268