Old Lower Lighthouse, with boundary walls and coastguard house

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 12/12/2019

SY67NE 969-1/1/164

PORTLAND Portland Bill PORTLAND BILL ROAD, (south east side) Old Lower Lighthouse, with boundary walls and coastguard house

21/09/78

II Lighthouse and house with bird observatory. 1869, modified 1960. Rendered and painted, slate roofs. Slender tapered cylindrical tower, lantern top; domestic block to northeast, linked by flat-roofed one- storey annular extension of c 1960.

Tower has various openings, two-light casements set in deep reveals under cambered projecting lintels and plain cills, crowned by bold cornice carrying cast-iron balustrade with heavy posts and three plain rails to balcony around lantern. Single storey extension has C20 steel casements. Domestic block in two storeys with original three-window unit and a slightly smaller and lower unit added, left. Twelve-pane sashes; central gabled porch, coped verges to bold kneelers, boldly modelled linked triple stack to left gable, and double stack to ridge, right of entrance. Extension also with gable stack to left.

First lighthouse here built 1716, replaced 1789, and again in 1869. Decommissioned 1906 with opening of New Lighthouse (qv); at this time the commemmorative plaque of 1789 removed to the New Lighthouse. Since 1962 used for bird observatory. Used in conjunction with the Old Higher Lighthouse (qv).

Subsidiary Features: enclosed in rubble boundary wall to half-round oversailing copings and a set-back quadrant at entry on the north side, with pair of square piers to pyramidal cappings.

Listing NGR: SY6811768973