Crow Point Lighthouse

Crow Point Lighthouse sits on a sandy spit in North Devon, where the joint mouth of the Rivers Taw and Torridge opens into the Bristol Channel. It is a small unmanned light, dating from 1954, on the southern edge of the Braunton Burrows dune system, facing the village of Appledore across the water.

What does the lighthouse do?

Trinity House, the body responsible for navigation marks around England, built it without a keeper. Its job is to guide vessels into the Taw-Torridge estuary, where shifting sandbanks make clear marking essential. The light is about 7.6 metres above mean high water, and one source gives the tower as roughly 25 feet tall with a range of around 5 miles.

What is it like, and where does it come from?

Do not expect a classic stone tower with a gallery. This is a modest steel structure, and the appeal lies in the setting rather than the architecture. It first ran on acetylene gas, switched to electric power in 1978 and to solar power in 1987. Today Trinity House monitors it remotely from its planning centre in Harwich, Essex.

It replaced the earlier Braunton lights: a tall tower built in 1820 (about 86 feet) and a lower lighthouse. The old tower lost its keepers in 1945 when the structure became unstable, and it was removed in the 1950s, though sources disagree on the exact year.

What else is there to see nearby?

Crow Point lies inside Braunton Burrows, one of the largest dune systems in Britain and part of the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. From the point you get a wide beach, the open estuary and views across to Appledore. It suits a long walk, birdwatching and sunrise or sunset photography.

How do you get there?

You walk, crossing the dunes of Braunton Burrows. There is no ticket office or opening hours, and the interior is closed to visitors. Bring water and sturdy shoes: the ground is sandy, exposed to wind, and there are no shops along the way.

When should you go?

Late spring, summer and early autumn on a calm day are the most pleasant. If you plan to follow the shoreline, check tide times first, because water levels in the estuary change fast.

FAQ

Can you go inside Crow Point Lighthouse? No. It is an automatic, unmanned structure run by Trinity House and not open to the public.

When was it built? In 1954, replacing the older Braunton lights.

Is it still in operation? Yes. It serves as a navigation mark for ships entering the Taw-Torridge estuary and has run on solar power since 1987.

Where exactly is it? At the southern end of Braunton Burrows, on the northern shore of the Taw-Torridge estuary in Devon, England.