Pictures of the Belle Tout Lighthouse
Over the years, I have taken tens of thousands of
photos of Belle Tout and the surrounding area, as well
as collected postcards and pictures, some very rare
indeed.
I share some with you here although my new book 'The
Story of the Belle Tout Lighthouse' contains many
pictures, including some unlikely to have been seen by
many people.
Belle Toute in its original position
The above picture is very interesting as you can still see the
original lamps in the lantern room before Belle Tout Lighthouse was decommissioned.
Belle Tout in its original position, before relocation
Belle Tout in its original position, before relocation
Belle Toute during the relocation in 1999
The extensive construction process to move a lighthouse.
The move was a highly publicised world-wide watched event.
A scene from the BBCs Megalab '99 which covered the move. Notice the
artists impression of concrete the platform (yellow) that was built
underneath the lighthouse to enable it to move, and the concrete
runners (white) that the lighthouse slid back upon to take up its
resting place on the new storey.
Belle Toute in 2007
I ran the Trust to try to acquire the
old Belle Tout Lighthouse at Beachy Head.
It was a year that was to present huge challenges, deep frustration,
huge joy and an overall amazing experience.
There is no doubt that Belle Tout was in quite a bad state in 2007.
The Lantern Room and the balcony was rusty, windows were rotting and
pools of stagnant water lay underneath floors. I was doing all I
could to raise money and awareness to buy Belle Tout to renovate it
and protect it for future generations.
Belle Tout in 2008
David and Barbara Shaw bought Belle Tout in 2008 and they had
similar plans as the Trust, to renovate it and open it to the public
- even many of the ideas for the rooms and themes were similar.
Belle Tout opened to the public
In 2010, the work on Belle Tout was completed and it finally opened
to the public. People could now come and stay in this magnificent
building and marvel at its unique design, fascinating history and
breathtaking views of the English Channel, dramatic white cliffs and
surrounding countryside.
Belle Tout is a wonderful place to stay.
Every part of Belle Tout has been renovated with great attention to
detail.
The new access road provides direct access up to the private car
park for guests.
The Lantern Room gives a breathtaking 360 degree view.
A stay at Belle Tout is an experience that you will never forget.
The Story of the Belle Tout Lighthouse
Since my involvement with Belle Tout, I have become somewhat of an
expert on its history and have had the privilege to follow it
closely since 2007. I have collected rare pictures and taken many
thousands of my own photos to form a library the likes of which
no-one else has.
In 2011 I published
The Story of the Belle Tout Lighthouse so that I could tell
people more about Belle Tout's fascinating history and it is on sale
now from Belle Tout, various outlets in and around Beachy Head and
from this website.
I am now working on a much more detailed, The History of the Belle
Tout Lighthouse to tell more stories and share more pictures about
this remarkable building. If you would like to help or contribute to
this book, please get in contact with me as I am looking for
anecdotes, memories, old photos and pictures.
The official
website of the Belle Tout Lighthouse.
More Photos by Rob Wassell on Flickr
You can see a great many more of my photos on
Flickr.
Please contact me if you would like to use any of these photos for
any books or publications or media usage. If you can't see what
you're looking for, let me know as the chances are that I will have
it in my collection.
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