Lighthouse has been the wrong colour for 160 years

A lighthouse will be repainted as it has been the wrong colour for more than 160 years, a council says.

Somerset Council said the Watchet landmark's red colour meant it was not compliant with the navigation system used in UK waters, which calls for sea-facing structures on the starboard side to be green.

The council said the red paint had "the potential to cause confusion for vessels during daylight hours or restricted visibility" and near-miss incidents had been reported.

It added painting the sea-facing panels of the structure green, while leaving the others red, had been agreed "as a proportionate solution that balances navigational safety with local sensitivities".

The lighthouse was built in 1862 at a cost of £75 by Hennet, Spinks and Else of Bridgwater, based on a design by James Abernathy, whose work was chosen over that of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

The light emitted from the building is green and can be seen as far as nine miles (14.5km) out, but Watchet's harbourmaster Captain Jessica Tyson said green paint would help the building itself be identified correctly by seafarers.

As first reported by the West Somerset Free Press, the issue was discussed at a meeting of the town's harbour advisory committee which followed a 2025 inspection of the lighthouse by Trinity House - the designated lighthouse authority in the UK.

This inspection found the lighthouse's colour did not comply with regulations set out by the International Organisation for Marine Aids to Navigation.

Watchet's mayor, Loretta Whetlor, said the change in colour was needed to ensure the town complied with the body's rules.

Whetlor, who is also chair of the harbour advisory committee, said the front panels of the lighthouse would be painted green and the back could be left red, which she thought would look "quite nice".

Somerset Council said it had a legal responsibility to ensure the safe navigation of vessels entering and leaving the harbour.

No instruction to carry out the work has yet been issued yet, the council added.

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