Portland Bill and Chesil Beach are the graveyards of many vessels that failed to reach Weymouth or Portland Roads. The Portland Race is caused by the meeting of the tides between the Bill and the Shambles sandbank about 3 miles SE. Strong currents break the sea so fiercely that from the shore a continuous disturbance can be seen. Portland Bill Lighthouse guides vessels heading for Portland and Weymouth through these hazardous waters as well as acting as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel. The Shambles sandbank is marked by a red sector light.
Today's Lighthouse
Position 50o 30'. 82 N 02o 27'. 30 W
Established. 1906
Height of Tower. 41 Metres
Height of light above mean high water. 43 Metres
Optic. 4 panel 1st order catadioptric fixed lens
Lamp. 1 KW MBI
Character. White Group Flashing 4 times ever 20 seconds
Intensity. 635,000 Candela
Range of Light. 25 sea miles
Fog Signal Character. 1 3.5 second blast every 30 seconds
Portland Bill Lighthouse Today
Portland Bill lighthouse acts as a waymark for vessels navigating the English Channel and as a landfall for vessels approaching the ports of Portland and Weymouth.
The main light which flashes four times every 20 seconds is visible for 25 miles. A fixed red light exhibited from a window in the tower marks the notorious Shambles Bank. If vessels navigating in the area see the red light they should proceed with extreme caution.
A fog signal with a range of 3 miles sounds once every 30 seconds during periods of poor visibility. Operation of the fog signal is controlled by an automatic fog detector which measures the amount of water vapour in the surrounding atmosphere.
Portland Bill lighthouse was converted to unmanned automatic operation on 18 March, 1996, and is now controlled and monitored 24 hours a day from the Trinity House Operations Control Centre in Harwich, Essex.
A part-time Attendant lives on station and performs occasional husbandry tasks such as changing the light bulbs, cleaning the optic and lantern glazing and providing tours of the lighthouse to members of the public.
Lighthouse Tours and Visitor Centre
Trinity House in partnership with the Crown Estate have developed a Management Plan to open the Lighthouse to the Public. Visitors may join a guided tour of the tower under the guidance of Peter Fitch, the former Principal Lighthouse Keeper.
In a separate development the former Keepers dwellings have been converted into a Visitor Centre with a free exhibition on the Isle of Portland and Lighthouse heritage.
The Isle of Portland - A hazardous Coastline
Over the centuries, the hazardous Portland Coastline has been the graveyard of many a ship. In particular there are three main hazards that the mariner should be wary off:-
1. The Portland Race
South of Portland Bill lies the Portland Race which can give severe and dangerous sea states. The Race occurs at the confluence of two strong South flowing tidal streams which run down either side of Portland Bill. The southerly streams meet the main East West stream of the Channel, producing large eddies on either side of the Bill. The irregular depths of the seabed which varies from over 100 metres to less than 9 metres greatly increases the violence of the Race. The Race normally extends 2 miles south of Portland Bill but can extend further South during bad weather.
2. The Shambles
The Shambles is a bank with several shoal heads three miles East of Portland Bill which should be avoided at all times. In response to numerous requests from the Admiralty and shipowners, Trinity House placed two navigation buoys over the bank in 1824 which were later replaced by a lightvessel in 1859. Today the Shambles Bank is marked by the red sector light from Portland Bill lighthouse and lighted buoys at the east and western extremes of the bank.
3. The Portland Ledge
The Portland Ledge is a large mass of rock and loose stones which extends approximately 50 yards out to sea from the tip of the Bill. Irregular water depths over the ledge can give rise to rough seas. To warn shipping of the ledge, in September 1844, Trinity House erected a 9 metre high white obelisk on the cliff edge in front of the Lighthouse.
The History of Portland Bill Lighthouses
Trinity House obtained a patent from King George in 1716 which described ...'the passage by the island of Portland in dark nights being very dangerous and many ships ... in a little space of time lost there'. Upon receipt of the patent, Trinity House awarded a lease to William Borrett, Francis Browne and others to erect one or more lighthouses '...so that Ships might the better come to ports without peril...'.
Two lighthouses were built by the consortium which were completed by November, 1716. Both lights had coalfired lanterns that required the use of bellows which the keepers pumped during the night to keep the flame bright. It appears that the lights were badly kept and sometimes not lit at all so upon expiry of the lease after 61 years Trinity House assumed possession of the lights. Trinity House operated the lights for 10 years before they were rebuilt in 1788 at a cost of £2,000 with Argand oil lamps replacing the coal fired lights. Portland was in fact the first lighthouse to use oil lamps.
In 1866, the decision was taken to rebuild the lights in order to increase their height and visibility to counter the gas lights from the nearby Grove Prison, as shipping frequently confused the prison lights for the lighthouses. The new High light had a light range of 21 nautical miles and was commissioned in March, 1867; the Low light had a range of 18 nautical miles and was commissioned in October of the same year.
Following severe storms which led to the wrecking of 15 ships in 1901, Trinity House commenced designing a new lighthouse. In October 1903, construction contractors, Wakeham Brothers Ltd of Plymouth began construction of the tower which is in use today. The lighthouse which cost £13,000 to build was officially lit for the first time at 16:30 on 11th January, 1906.
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