One of Burnham-On-Sea’s most iconic landmarks is getting a makeover this month as painting work begins on the historic High Lighthouse, giving the 110-foot tower a fresh new look.
Scaffolding has been erected around the Grade II listed lighthouse, which was built in 1830 and once guided ships along the Somerset coast.
Burnham High Lighthouse is a privately owned home with round rooms on each of its eight floors.
Scaffolding has been installed around the historic building to allow workers to safely paint the 110 feet (33 metres) tall structure.
Burnham High Lighthouse originally lit up the Somerset coast with a paraffin lamp in the lantern room. In the early 1950s it became one of the first lighthouses in England to be automated. The automated lantern shone brightly across the Bristol Channel, visible for a distance of up to 22 miles, keeping mariners safe until the late 1980s.
The top floor of the tower still has its original lantern room, with Fresnel lenses, a beautiful copper domed roof and granite balcony.
On a clear day the lighthouse enjoys superb views across the Bristol Channel, taking in the whole of south-Wales, well beyond Cardiff and you can see the whole of Exmoor at the same time. The eight separate round rooms are connected by a total of over 120 stairs.