Portland Bill is a narrow promontory (or bill) at the southern end of the Isle of Portland, and the southernmost point of Dorset, England. One of Portland's most popular destinations is Portland Bill Lighthouse. Portland's coast has been notorious for the number of shipwrecked vessels over the centuries. The dangerous coastline features shallow reefs and the Shambles sandbank, made more hazardous due to the strong Portland tidal race. The Bill is an important way-point for coastal traffic, and three lighthouses have been built to protect shipping. The original two worked as a pair from 1716, and they were replaced in 1906 by the current one. History From Roman times, beacon fires were lit to warn ships of the danger of the Bill. A petition to Trinity House was put forward for a lighthouse in the early 18th century, but Trinity House opposed it. They later conceded that a lighthouse was needed and George I granted the patent on 26 May 1716. Trinity House issued a lease to William Barrett and Francis Browne to build and maintain one or more lighthouses. One lighthouse was built at Branscombe Hill, while the other was situated on lower land nearer the coast. The two lighthouses were lit for the first time on 29 September 1716. The lights were poorly maintained, and Trinity House terminated the lease after an inspection in 1752. In 1789, the Old Lower Lighthouse was demolished and rebuilt. In 1844, Trinity House erected a stone obelisk at the southern tip of the Bill as a daymark, and the first lightship was placed at the Shambles sandbank in 1859. In 1869, Trinity House had both lighthouses rebuilt. Pulpit Rock is an artificial stack of rock that was formed in the 1870s by quarrying operations at the Bill. At the turn of the 20th-century, Trinity House put forward plans for a new lighthouse which was completed in 1905 and first shone on 11 January 1906. The original two lighthouses were decommissioned and sold. The Old Lower Lighthouse later became a bird observatory in 1961. The Old Higher Lighthouse was owned by Marie Stopes from 1923 to 1958 and is now a holiday let. A proper road to Portland Bill was laid in 1922 and this helped the Bill become a tourist destination. A coastguard lookout at Portland Bill was built in 1934. It closed in the 1990s but was taken over by the