Dovercourt High Light

Dovercourt High Light is a cast-iron lighthouse built in 1863 on the beach at Dovercourt, the seaside district of Harwich in Essex, eastern England. It worked as one half of a pair of leading lights, alongside the Dovercourt Low Light, and today it stands as a protected landmark on the seafront.

What is the Dovercourt High Light?

It is the taller of two Victorian iron towers on Dovercourt beach. Trinity House, the authority responsible for navigation marks around the English coast, commissioned the pair. The towers are cast iron on a pile-style foundation, quite unlike the older brick lighthouses in Harwich's old town. They were never warning beacons in the usual sense: when a ship saw the two lights line up, it knew it was on the safe route into the harbour.

Why were they built?

The earlier Harwich lighthouses of 1818 stopped being reliable once shifting sandbanks changed the approach channel. Trinity House ordered replacements in 1862 and construction was complete in 1863. The towers sat on tracks so they could be moved as the channel shifted. They stayed in use until 1917, when a single light on the Harwich breakwater took over.

What is its status today?

After decommissioning, the lighthouses passed to the town. Together with the associated causeway they are protected as a scheduled monument on the Historic England register. A restoration took place in the 1980s with help from a local appeal, and in 2019 Historic England added one of the Dovercourt lighthouses to its Heritage at Risk register. Visitors do not normally go inside, so a visit means admiring the tower from outside.

How do you get there?

The lighthouse stands on the beach at Dovercourt, a short walk from the seafront promenade. From central Harwich you can follow the shoreline, and Dovercourt station is on the branch line from Manningtree. Drivers will find parking close to the seafront.

What else is nearby?

• Dovercourt Low Light, the second tower of the pair, nearer the water.
• Harwich High and Low Lighthouses, the 1818 brick towers in the old town and part of the Harwich Society's heritage trail.
• Dovercourt beach and promenade, plus walks along the Stour and Orwell estuaries.
• Old Harwich and its harbour, with ferry connections.

When should you visit?

Spring and summer suit beach walks and photography. In winter the wind off the North Sea is sharp, but a stormy sky gives the iron tower a dramatic backdrop. Allow anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour, longer if you combine it with the promenade.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside the lighthouse? No, it is a historic structure viewed from the beach and promenade.

Is it the same as Harwich High Lighthouse? No. The brick lighthouse of 1818 is in Harwich old town. Dovercourt High Light is a separate cast-iron tower from 1863.

When did it stop working? In 1917, when one light on the Harwich breakwater replaced the pair.

Is there an entry fee? Viewing the lighthouse from the beach is free.