Hand held panorama showing the Belle Tout Lighthouse on the cliffs of the South Downs Way. Virtual tour taken while walking the Seven Sisters in July 2012. It was towards the end of the walk and the weather was closing in. The cliffs here are still eroding, soon this lighthouse will be no more. Next stop Beachy Head.

Belle Tout Lighthouse - Eastbourne visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Belle Tout Lighthouse' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from East Sussex.

The Belle Tout Lighthouse is a prominent landmark on the South Downs Cliffs in East Sussex. The lighthouse stands on cliffs between Birling Gap and Beachy Head just west of Eastbourne. A light has shone from these cliffs to help sailors since the late 17th century, but the Belle Tout was erected in 1828 by James Walker. It is circular and about 14m high. A stable light on the cliffs helped show where the shoreline was and also helped combat medieval wreckers who would hang lights on grazing animals which then moved and appeared to show safe waters.

Unfortunately, the Belle Tout light was often enshrouded in mist and had limited effectiveness. It was abandoned in 1899 and replaced by the Beachy Head Lighthouse which stood at sea level beneath Beachy Head.

Today, the Belle Tout Lighthouse is a luxury hotel, but has had to be moved 15m in recent years to prevent it falling into the sea. This action is likely to be required again soon as the cliffs here erode at a rate of about 50cm per year.

Belle Tout Lighthouse Hotel
Beachy Head
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN20 0AE

Bus: Seven Sisters Country Park Centre (12A), East Dean, adj Seven Sisters Sheep Centre (13X)
Road: A259 runs inland along the Seven Sisters. Parking available at Seven Sisters Country Park centre about 6.5 miles from Eastbourne.
Train: Eastbourne Station to the east with links to London, Seaford Sation to the west.
Walk: South Downs Way