Berry Head Lighthouse


Berry Head Lighthouse is an active lighthouse, located at the end of Berry Head near Brixham in Devon. It was originally built in 1906, and was then automated and converted to run on acetylene in 1921, and further modernised in 1994 ; in 2019 it was converted to LED operation. Berry Head is reputedly the shortest lighthouse in Great Britain, but also one of the highest, being only tall, but above mean sea level. It was also said to be the deepest because the optic was originally turned by a weight falling down a deep shaft.
Placed within a revolving third-order dioptric optic, the light had an intensity of 4,200 candela and a range of ; it gave a double white flash every 15 seconds. In 2019 the optic and lamp were removed and replaced with a pair of self-contained LED lanterns ; the old characteristic was retained. The installation was the first application by Trinity House of its so-called 'simple lighthouse scheme', intended to be extended to all other shore-based mains-powered lighthouses, except those with more complex display requirements.
Semaphore signalling apparatus was on Berry Head before 1875 and acted as the Lloyds' Signal Station for Torbay.