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Belle Tout is a restored 1832 lighthouse perched on the chalk cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex, England, and today it’s a small bed and breakfast. Its most unusual room is the Keeper’s Loft, the original lighthouse keeper’s sleeping quarters inside the round tower itself. You climb a ladder to a double bed tucked into a loft, with an arched window looking out toward the Beachy Head Lighthouse and the white cliffs.
A Lighthouse That Was Moved Back from the Cliff
Belle Tout was built in 1832 and stopped operating as a lighthouse in 1902. By the late 1990s, the eroding cliffs had crept dangerously close, so in 1999 the entire lighthouse was moved 17 meters (56 feet) back from the edge. After a full restoration from 2008 to 2010, it reopened as a bed and breakfast with six rooms.
Belle Tout is adults only (16 and older), and pets aren’t allowed. Every stay includes a home-cooked breakfast for two.
The Original Keeper’s Room
The Keeper’s Loft fills a small round room in the tower, with curved brick walls, an arched window, and an antique writing desk. Built-in white cabinetry holds a tea and coffee station, and a ladder climbs to the bed on a mezzanine overhead. Stacking the bed above the room is the same space-saving trick you’ll find in many tiny homes.
Up the ladder, the double bed sits right against the curved brick wall of the tower, with string lights strung around the room. It’s cozy, quirky, and unlike any hotel room you’ve stayed in.
The room also has its own en-suite shower room with stone tile, a small sink, and a glass-door shower.
Views of the White Cliffs
Step outside and you’re right on the South Downs, with the coastal path running along the clifftop toward the red-and-white Beachy Head Lighthouse and the English Channel.
Good to Know Before You Book
The Keeper’s Loft is the smallest room at Belle Tout, and the ladder climb isn’t for everyone. Belle Tout notes that there are height and size restrictions for guests, and the room isn’t suitable for anyone with mobility issues, vertigo, or claustrophobia.
Stay Details
- Location: Belle Tout Lighthouse, Beachy Head, Eastbourne, East Sussex, England
- Room: Keeper’s Loft, the original keeper’s sleeping quarters in the lighthouse tower
- Sleeping: double bed in a mezzanine loft, reached by ladder
- Bathroom: en-suite shower room
- Breakfast: home-cooked breakfast for two included
- Guests: adults only (16+); no pets
- Restrictions: height and size limits; not suitable for guests with mobility issues, vertigo, or claustrophobia
What Makes This Stay Special
- You sleep in the actual lighthouse tower, in the room the keeper once used.
- The whole lighthouse was moved 56 feet back from the cliff edge to save it.
- A ladder-up loft bed shows how much a small round room can hold.
- Clifftop views over the white cliffs and English Channel.
If you love sleeping somewhere unusual, see this 1914 water tower loft in the Netherlands, the Jersey Jim fire lookout in Colorado, and The Lighthouse Cottage in Gold Beach, Oregon.
Learn More
Keeper’s Loft at Belle Tout Lighthouse
Room page: belletout.co.uk/accommodation/keepers-loft
History: belletout.co.uk/information/history
Instagram: @thebelletoutlighthouse
info@belletout.co.uk · 01323 423185
Beachy Head, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN20 0AE
Photos: Belle Tout Lighthouse.
Highlights
- Sleep in the original keeper’s room of an 1832 lighthouse
- Ladder up to a double loft bed in the round tower
- En-suite shower room and breakfast for two included
- Lighthouse moved 56 feet back from the eroding cliff in 1999
- Clifftop views of Beachy Head and the white cliffs
- Adults only (16+)
Explore More
- A 1914 Water Tower Loft in Strijen
- Jersey Jim Lookout: A 55-Foot San Juan Fire Tower
- The Lighthouse Cottage in Gold Beach, Oregon
- Tiny Lighthouse Cabin: Yolo County Cabin
- Vacations
- Tiny Houses For Rent
- Tours & Features
Would you climb the ladder to sleep in a lighthouse keeper’s loft, or is that a little too cozy for you?
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Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
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