Belle Toute Lighthouse On the Market Again
By Sue Clark on Jan 7, 2008 in Lighthouses For Sale 
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New Hope For the Trust?
Belle Toute Lighthouse in Suffolk, UK, is back on the market after the latest purchase offer fell through. And this time at a greatly reduced price. It originally went on the market for £850,000 last September, and the Belle Toute Trust was created to buy it and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, a private party put in an offer, which was topped by a second offer from another person. And the Trust lost its opportunity. Now the owners are offering it again, but this time for only £595,000. Translated to US dollars, that’s a drop from $1,677,747 (today’s rate) to a mere $1,174,423.
A Recap of its History
This beautiful lighthouse on the coast was originally built in 1826 (replaced with current structure in 1834) and decommissioned by Trinity House in 1903. At that time it was sold and turned into a Tea House. It changed hands several times and was ultimately bought by a surgeon in 1923, who made the tower into a solarium and added some rooms. It was badly damaged by shelling during World War II and was given to the Eastbourne Borough Council.
The current owners, Mark and Louise Roberts, bought the light in 1997 for what was then about $338,940 (£200,000 - exchange rate as of January 1997) and promptly had to spend another £250,000 of their own money moving the lighthouse away from the eroding chalk cliffs (see photo at right). It is expected that the lighthouse will again have to be moved, and according to Belle Toute Trust’s Chairman and Trustee Rob Wassell, in a show of that famous understated Bristish humor, it is a “diminishing luxury.” How so? “Well the lighthouse is a diminishing investment as it is losing its land at a certain rate per year.”
The lighthouse was featured in a 1986 British television drama, The Life and Loves of a She Devil, and also in the BBC’s Changing Rooms show. It also made an appearance in the James Bond movie, The Living Daylights.
Awaiting Word
Lighthouse News has sent in an email to Belle Toute Trust asking if plans are being made to offer to buy the lighthouse again. Due to time zone differences, any reply might not be forthcoming until tomorrow. I would hope that this time they are successful. It would be great to see another lighthouse become available to more than just the privileged few, and as a Bed and Breakfast it would benefit many more than just one person. And the income would help when it comes time to move again.
- Photo Credits:
- Belle Toute Lighthouse photo by howzey on Flickr (Creative Commons)
- Foggy Beachy Head photo by krembo1 on Flickr (Creative Commons)
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