Visiting Orfordness Lighthouse
**PLEASE NOTE - the last open day trip to Orfordness Lighthouse is now fully booked. We will not be offering further visits to the Lighthouse in 2019. It is not yet known if we will be able to offer visits to the Lighthouse in 2020. If you wish to be kept updated, please email us at orfordnesslighthouse@gmail.com to join our mailing list**
While it is still possible, we offer guided tours of this amazing place- you can either visit on one of the Open Days (listed on the Home Page) or arrange a private visit with us for a pre-agreed donation. Please note it is not possible to walk to the Lighthouse from the mainland.
Your trip to Orfordness Lighthouse will give you a real sense of the 'other worldliness' of Orford Ness and an in depth insight into the Light, it's history and it's future.
All of visits include a guided tour as well as ample time to enjoy the scenery and the atmosphere.
Reserve your space on one of our Open Day trips by emailing us at orfordnesslighthouse@gmail.com with the date you would like to visit and the number in your party. Please note that the number of places may be capped if numbers get out of hand!
The following information applies to all of our visit dates:
Please buy your boat tickets directly from the "Regardless" van on the Quay from 13.00 on the day of your visit. **please note the Ferry takes 29 passengers at a time so we often need to operate several trips across the river**
The ferry departs Orford Quay at 13.30 to Orford Ness landing stage.
The ferry will depart Orford Ness landing stage to Orford Quay at 16.30
(5th of May Visit, the ferry will depart at 5pm)
These ferry times allow for a relaxed walk to the lighthouse and back, a guided tour of the building and some milling around time.
Your 5 minute ferry trip across the River Ore is operated by a local boatman operating the licensed passenger vessel "Regardless". Their charge for the return trip is £3.50 per person. Tickets can be purchased on the day on Orford Quay from about 1pm onwards. Please purchase your tickets in good time before the ferry crossing. Unfortunately tickets cannot be purchased in advance.
There is no entry charge to the Lighthouse. However, the Orfordness Lighthouse Trust is a registered charity and our aim is to preserve the artefacts and structure of the lighthouse and keep its doors open for as long as possible. Some £25,000 has already been spent on defences to keep the structure protected. We receive no private or government grants so all donations to Orfordness Lighthouse Trust are gratefully received. We suggest £5 per visitor. We are a registered charity also registered for Gift Aid.
Before the crossing we will give a short brief on the Do’s and Don’ts while crossing National Trust land on the way to and from the Lighthouse. Our visits do not include the National Trust buildings.
Once on Orford Ness there is a 40 minute walk each way to the lighthouse along tarmac and compressed shingle paths. We recommend stout comfortable shoes suitable for walking and a warm waterproof jacket as the weather can be more extreme on the Ness than on the mainland. If walking is not an option for anyone in your party please speak to one of our volunteers when you arrive at Orford Quay and we'll transport you in one of our vehicles when we get to the Ness.
Unfortunately, as it is a SSSI site, the National Trust do not allow dogs on Orford Ness.
Toilet facilities are limited (we recommend using the public facilities in the Quay carpark before your trip) but we are allowed to use the National Trust loos on the Ness which are about half-way from the Ness Landing stage to the Lighthouse.
Once you arrive at the Lighthouse we'll divide you into groups for tours of the building, the tour takes roughly half an hour. You are welcome to bring your own refreshments or a picnic.
The lighthouse has 100 sturdy steps to the top of the lighthouse and a wonderful view from the top. The stairs do get progressively steeper and narrower nearer the top. For safety reasons children under 1 metre are not allowed to ascend the lighthouse. Children must not be carried up and down the stairs due to the low banisters and the steepness of the climb.
If you have any other questions about visiting the Lighthouse, please do not hesitate to contact us at orfordnesslighthouse@gmail.com
Orfordness Lighthouse Trust works with Regardless to deliver visitors to the Lighthouse across the River Ore. Regardless offer wonderful river trips down the river Ore- a fantastic opportunity to take in local wildlife & history from the water. Check out their website here
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