Coastguard look-out tower and landmark 240m north of Portreath Harbour
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1005456
- Date first listed:
- 12-May-1973
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1005456
- Date first listed:
- 12-May-1973
- Location Description:
- Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Cornwall (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Portreath
- National Grid Reference:
- SW 65508 45637
Reasons for Designation
The Coastguard look-out tower and landmark 240m north of Portreath Harbour survives well and is an intriguing structure perched on steep cliffs and clearly visible from both land and sea. It was used for navigation by shipping and as a shelter for the watching Coastguards on land. It has been misidentified in the past as a true lighthouse although the watchmen may have signalled from the cliffs with torches or lanterns. It clearly has social, political and economic importance as part of national protection for shipping and for guarding against smuggling.
Details
The monument includes a coastguard look-out tower, situated on the northern tip of cliffs, to the north of Portreath Harbour south of Horse Rock coastal stack. The tower survives as tapering circular stone-built structure with a blocked doorway. There is a decorative finial for a weathervane on the conical stone roof. The tower stands to a height of approximately 7.6m and is painted white. Built in the late-18th or early-19th century as a landmark for mineral ships, it is known locally by several names including 'the Landmark', 'The Lighthouse' and 'The Pepper-pot'. A notice over the doorway reads 'HM Coastguard Board of Trade'. It is recorded in 1830 as 'Coast Guard Watch House'.
Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-426076
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- CO 914
- Legacy System:
- RSM - OCN
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 12:15:06.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.