Black Nore Lighthouse

North Somerset, United Kingdom

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Find out more

Black Nore Lighthouse is a grade II listed cast iron structure built in 1894 by Trinity House in Portishead, Somerset, to guide shipping through the Severn Estuary toward Bristol Harbour. Standing eleven metres tall and painted white, the lighthouse marked a small outcrop where the estuary opens into the Bristol Channel, a strategically vital location given the area's extreme tidal conditions—the Severn Estuary experiences one of the world's largest tidal ranges, reaching approximately 14.8 metres at nearby Avonmouth. These dramatic tides created fast currents and narrow windows for safe passage, while shifting sandbanks such as the Welsh Hook and English and Welsh Grounds added further navigational hazard. The lighthouse's decommissioned lens was a rotating fourth-order 250 mm biform optic that flashed twice every ten seconds.

Built: 1894
Type: lighthouse
Materials: cast iron
Heritage: Grade II listed building
Height: 11 m
Place: North Somerset, United Kingdom