The first lighthouse at the Lizard point (the most southerly point of Britain) was built by Sir John Killigrew who paid for the construction at his own expense. Though he was willing to build the tower he was unable to finance the maintenance of the tower and intended to to fund maintenance by collecting fees from passing ships. The tower was completed by Christmas 1619 however the shipowners failed to help with the upkeep and mounting costs were bankrupting Killigrew.
James I then set a fee of one halfpenny a ton on all vessels passing the light but this caused so much uproar from the shipowners that it ultimately led to the light being extinguished and the tower demolished. In 1748 Trinity House supported a request by the private entrepreneur Thomas Fonnereau to construct a new light and it was first lit on 22nd August 1752. The construction consisted of two towers with a cottage built between them both. In 1771 Trinity house assumed responsibility for the lights and commenced making improvements to the site by replacing the coal lights with oil lights in 1811. A further 3 cottages were added in 1845 followed by the construction of an engine room in 1874 which made it possible to have a new fog signal and electric power.
In 1903 a new first order optic was fitted to the eastern tower supplied by Chance Brothers of Smethwick near Birmingham. This had a high powered carbon arc light and the western lantern was extinguished and removed. Though the Chance lens is in situ at present (July 2022) it is likely that this will be removed and replaced in the next two years. In 1936 an electric filament lamp was fitted and in 1998 the light was automated and the keepers withdrawn. In July 2009 HRH the Princess Royal officially opened the Lizard Lighthouse Centre made possible with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund which was used to renovate the engine room which is now an excellent visitor centre for all ages. The Heritage Centre takes regular tours to the lightouse tower and it is possible to climb the steps to the lantern room. Some of the lighthouse keepers accommodation has now been made into holiday cottages
