Margate

Margate’s first lighthouse was designed by the architect William Edmunds and was completed in 1829. to mark the town’s newly built breakwater.

The original lighthouse was a round Doric column similar to the lighthouse at Whitby.. It had a square gallery and cylindrical lantern, but this tower became a victim of the Great Storm of 1953. Strong seas pushed the old tower over, leaving it leaning at a precarious angle for several hours, prior to it collapsing, along with a large section of the pier end.

In 1955, the current octagonal concrete tower was built, topped by a copper lantern housing a fixed red LED light.

This lighthouse features on the series G Bank of England £20 note along with the Turner Contemporary.

“Mrs. Booth,” or “The Shell Lady” as she’s affectionately known stands alongside the tower, gazing out to sea and was created in 2008 by sculptor Ann Carrington. The sculpture is a tribute to Sophie Booth, landlady and lover to J.M.William Turner.