Belle Tout Lighthouse celebrates 70 years since the Cullinan family saved it

Descendants of the family who rescued Belle Tout Lighthouse from ruin join its current owners and East Sussex dignitaries to celebrate seven decades of preservation, restoration and an extraordinary place in local history.

One of Britain’s most remarkable coastal landmarks has celebrated a special milestone, marking 70 years since the Cullinan family began the restoration that saved Belle Tout Lighthouse from ruin.

The celebration brought together two generations of the families who have helped secure Belle Tout’s future. Emma Cullinan and Kate Cullinan, daughters of the late architect Ted Cullinan, joined their cousin, architect Dominic Cullinan, and current owners David and Barbara Shaw for a special gathering at the lighthouse.

Guests included the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Margaret Bannister, the High Sheriff of East Sussex, Michael Bedingfield DL, and the Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, Councillor Stephen Holt, alongside a host of local dignitaries and VIPs.

The occasion celebrated not only the lighthouse’s remarkable survival, but also the vision, determination and investment of the people who have protected it for future generations.

From Victorian lighthouse to family restoration project

Belle Tout Lighthouse first began operating on 11 October 1834, guiding ships along the treacherous coastline below Beachy Head. Its working life as a lighthouse ended on 2 October 1902, when it was decommissioned and subsequently sold.

During the Second World War, the building was damaged by ‘friendly’ Canadian gunfire, leaving it in ruins.

In 1956, Dr Edward Revill Cullinan and his wife, Joy Cullinan, leased the lighthouse from the council and embarked on an ambitious restoration project with their architect son, Ted Cullinan.

Their intervention gave the building a new lease of life and began a remarkable chapter in Belle Tout’s story. Seventy years later, their descendants returned to celebrate the family’s enduring legacy.

A lighthouse on the move

Belle Tout’s story is inseparable from the changing coastline on which it stands. As coastal erosion threatened the building, an extraordinary engineering operation was undertaken in 1999 to move the entire lighthouse further inland.

Architect Dominic Cullinan played a role in this remarkable feat, designing the new floor onto which the lighthouse was moved.

He explained that the lighthouse’s next move could bring another intriguing chapter to its architectural evolution.

“When it is moved again, it will gain a new ground floor, to maintain the height of the lantern room at its present height, which means that each time it moves, it will get taller from the ground upwards.”

The next move is expected to be required in approximately 15 to 20 years. Engineers have left the mechanism in place to facilitate the operation when the time comes.

There is another special Cullinan family connection to the 1999 move. It was Joy Cullinan who returned to switch on the hydraulic pump that set the lighthouse moving away from the cliff edge, helping to protect the building her family had worked so hard to save.

A new chapter as a celebrated coastal retreat

David and Barbara Shaw purchased the freehold of Belle Tout in 2008 and began a comprehensive, careful restoration of their own. In 2010, they opened the lighthouse as a bed and breakfast, allowing visitors to experience its extraordinary setting first-hand.

Today, Belle Tout offers guests a distinctive stay overlooking the Seven Sisters, the South Downs and the English Channel. The lighthouse has become a destination in its own right, combining its historic character with the experience of staying in one of the most dramatic locations on the Sussex coast.

During the anniversary celebration, the lighthouse’s continuing evolution was marked by the re-naming of three bedrooms, each reflecting the landscape beyond its windows.

The Mayor of Eastbourne officially opened the newly named Beachy Head bedroom, while the High Sheriff of East Sussex opened Seven Sisters. David and Barbara Shaw then opened South Downs.

The names celebrate the natural landmarks that make Belle Tout such a distinctive place to visit, connecting the guest experience directly to the landscape and history of the surrounding area.

Reflecting on his role in the lighthouse’s continuing story, David Shaw said: “I feel very privileged to be part of Belle Tout's amazing history. It is nice to do something different in life; something to be remembered by”.

“May Belle Tout Lighthouse stand positively upon these cliffs for many generations to come.”

The event raised over £500 for local charity, Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team.

www.BelleTout.co.uk