Over 700 miles of coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently under the National Trust's protection.

As part of this work, we care for the many surviving small structures and features along our coast, such as harbours and slipways. We also look after domestic architecture typical of coastal areas.

Lighthouses

With so much coastline under our protection, we protect many lighthouses.

The National Trust owns the South Foreland Lighthouse, near Dover, built in 1843. This lighthouse was the site of early experiments by Marconi in the first ship-to-shore radio transmissions.

There is also a Marconi Memorial in Cornwall – commemorating the first wireless transmission across the Atlantic in 1901. This can be found on Trust land on the Lizard, near Mullion village, Cornwall. More details of Marconi’s history are shown at the Lizard Wireless Station and Marconi Centre.

Souter Lighthouse, near Whitburn, Sunderland, contains what was pioneering electrical equipment in its day. The original Holmes lighthouse generator was displayed in 1867 at the Paris Universal Exhibition, and put into service at Souter Lighthouse in 1871, providing electricity for one of the most powerful lights in the world. It served until 1900 and is now displayed in the Science Museum, London.

On the island of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel, there is a Georgian lighthouse, the Old Light.

Older still is the 14th-century St Catherine’s Oratory, on the Isle of Wight, a tower which was used as a lighthouse in medieval times.

Harbours and quays

The picturesque harbour and village of Boscastle in north Cornwall is owned by the Trust.

Another Cornish harbour is Mullion. This tiny fishing harbour on The Lizard was built between 1893 and 1895 with the costs provided by Lord Robartes of Lanhydrock as recompense to the local fishermen for several disastrous pilchard seasons. In the pilchard industry's place the Mullion fishermen built up a thriving crab and lobster industry.

In Wales, the charming fishing village of Portdinllaen lies on the north-coast Llyˆn Peninsula. In the south, Solva harbour on the St David’s Peninsula is cradled by steep slopes.

Coastal defences

The threat of a French invasion prompted the construction in 1862 of The Needles Old Battery on the Isle of Wight. This spectacularly sited fort still retains its original gun barrels. The laboratory, searchlight position and position-finding cells have all been restored.

The Palmerston Fort at Brean Down in Somerset was built after an invasion scare swept the country in 1858. The French fleet had just launched the 'Glorie', its first iron-clad warship. Though the battery was ready for action in 1877, the invasion never happened. The fort was re-garrisoned during the Second World War but never saw action.

More unusual maritime features

The vertiginous rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede, Northern Ireland, is used by salmon fishermen to cross a 24m deep and 18m wide chasm over the roaring sea.

Lindisfarne Castle's access is dictated by the sea: it sits on a rocky crag on the tidal island of Lindisfarne, and is only accessible via a causeway at low tide.

Also governed by the sea is St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. Accessible by a causeway at low tide, and otherwise by boat, the dramatic castle on top of the crag dates from the 12th century. On the water’s edge there is a traditional harbourside community. The quay was formerly an ancient trading place for tin and other Cornish goods.