For years, I’ve had a “stay in a lighthouse” on my bucket list — something about sleeping where light once guided ships through the dark feels both romantic and adventurous. When I started looking, I realised most lighthouse stays were either abroad, clinging to remote coasts in the Netherlands or in the north of England. Even then, most places offer rooms in the former keeper’s cottage, not in the actual tower itself.
Then I discovered The Belle Tout Lighthouse, perched dramatically above Beachy Head, near Eastbourne in East Sussex — often called Britain’s most famous inhabited lighthouse for very good reason. It sits proudly on the Seven Sisters cliffs, overlooking the English Channel, where the South Downs roll into the sea.
What makes Belle Tout so remarkable is its history. It was built in 1832 to warn ships of the perilous headland, it served until 1902, when its light was often shrouded by sea mist and a new lighthouse was built below at Beachy Head. Since then, Belle Tout has led many lives — partly destroyed during World War II, rebuilt in the 1950s, and famously, in 1989, the entire Grade II-listed structure was moved in one piece, pulled 56 feet back from the cliff’s edge to save it from coastal erosion.
It’s also something of a star. The BBC once owned it, using it as a filming location, and you can spot Belle Tout in screen classics like The Life and Loves of a She-Devil and James Bond’s “The Living Daylights”
Today, Belle Tout is a stunning bed and breakfast with just six beautifully themed rooms, each designed to make the most of the panoramic views of the Downs and the Channel. We stayed in the Captain’s cabin which had a little fireplace and ensuite activities.
The most spectacular room was however the former lamp room at the top which is now a 360-degree glass lounge — where we sipped many a nice glass of wine watching the sun go down.
Drink at the bar at the top of the lighthouse
At five o’clock each evening we were invited for a convivial happy hour but not charged for our drinks. Selling alcohol so close to the cliff is prohibited. The hosts were wonderfully welcome. The five other rooms were booked and I got the impression from chatting to various people that they were frequent returning guests. We nipped out for some pub grub nearby as the lighthouse doesn’t serve meals and enjoyed a delicious pie.
The breakfasts were amazing – full English breakfast with pastries and fruit. In fact there was no need to eat anything all day and the generous hosts even gave us some food to take with us.
We we walked along the two sides of Belle Toute, along the cliffs. The deposit on the beach were white and the water around the cliffs a pale blue, due to the chalk mixing with the sea.
If you’ve ever dreamed of staying somewhere utterly unique, you don’t need to go abroad. Book a stay at Belle Toute
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