Nab Tower

Nab Tower is a concrete-and-steel lighthouse standing alone in the sea about 10 km east of the Isle of Wight, marking the eastern approach to the Solent on England's south coast. From shore it looks like a small, slightly leaning shape on the horizon, and it ranks among the strangest navigation marks in the English Channel.

Why is there a tower in the middle of the sea?

It began as a First World War anti-submarine project. The idea was a chain of fortified towers across the Strait of Dover. They were built at Shoreham Harbour under heavy secrecy, earning the nickname "Mystery Towers". Only one was finished before the war ended, and that is the one that ended up at the Nab.

In 1920 it was towed out and sunk onto the Nab Rock, replacing the lightship that had marked the spot. The honeycomb concrete base holds 18 watertight compartments. The tower settled with a lean of roughly three degrees to the north-east, which you can still see today.

What has it been used for?

The Royal Navy ran it as a signal station. During the Second World War it carried Bofors anti-aircraft guns. It stayed in Ministry of Defence hands until 1984, when Trinity House, the body responsible for lighthouses in England and Wales, took the freehold. The light has been automated since 1983, so nobody lives on it.

In 1912 the RMS Titanic paused near the Nab after leaving Southampton so the pilot could climb down. Today the route past the tower carries ferries, yachts and container ships heading in and out of the Solent.

In the 2010s the tower was cut down from 27 m to 17 m. The upper sections of the outer steel structure were removed to reduce maintenance costs.

How can you see Nab Tower?

You cannot visit it like a regular lighthouse: it is an active offshore aid to navigation. Seeing it from outside is the way to go.

• From the shore: on a clear day you can pick it out from around Bembridge on the island's eastern tip. Bring binoculars.
• From the water: boat trips and sailing charters in the Solent can get closer, and the tilt is easy to spot from there.
• From a ferry or yacht: routes between Portsmouth or Southampton and the open Channel pass nearby.

Choose a bright day with good visibility, most often in spring and summer. In haze or fog the tower disappears from view.

What else is nearby?

On the island side, Bembridge has its own lighthouse history and a harbour. East Wight's beaches are close, and across the Solent Portsmouth's sea forts, such as Spitbank and Horse Sand, belong to an earlier era but also guard the same waters.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Nab Tower? At roughly 50.67 N, 0.95 W, at the eastern entrance to the Solent and about 10 km off the Isle of Wight.

Can I go inside? No. It is a working offshore lighthouse with no regular public access. Viewing is from the coast or from a boat.

Why does it lean? When it was sunk in 1920 it settled unevenly on the seabed and tilted about three degrees towards the north-east. The structure is stable.

Who owns it? Trinity House, since 1984. It also manages most other lighthouses in England and Wales.