South Foreland Lighthouse

You’ll start the South Foreland Lighthouse walk at the entrance to the White Cliffs visitor centre. Housing a wonderful cafe and information hub,  this clearly marked route along the edge of the North Downs is a great walk whatever the time of year.

The South Foreland Lighthouse walk forms part of the King Charles III England Coast Path. It leads around Langdon Hole and Fan Point towards the National Trust’s South Foreland Lighthouse complete with 1950’s tearoom!

This section of the cliff tops was an important part of England’s defences in the Second World War, and remnants of gun emplacements and other wartime structures are still visible.

Langdon Hole was part of an underground system which also included a radio command centre, the underground tunnels, known as Fan Bay Deep are open for visitors at selected times.

The distinctive South Foreland Lighthouse is bright white and was built in 1843, to mark the dangerous offshore banks of the Goodwin Sands. It was used by Guglielmo Marconi for his work with radiowaves and received the first ship-to-shore message from the East Goodwin lightship. It also received the first international radio transmission from Wimereux, in France, in 1899.

The lighthouse, which is conserved by the National Trust, is open to the public between April and October. Be sure not to miss out on the wonderful 1950’s Mrs Knott’s tearoom for a slice of cake! Named after the family who used to live here with their 13 children, this vintage experience is a lovely addition to the South Foreland Lighthouse walk.