A most unusual B&B – West Usk Lighthouse

After their replacement, quite a number of lighthouses became homes and hotels, but West Usk Lighthouse B&B is uniquely designed even amongst these.

The lighthouse is situated on the coast close to Newport in South Wales and originally dates from 1821, although it was decommissioned in 1922 as a lighthouse. Designed as the first venture of the famous Scottish architect James Walker who later built a further 21 lighthouses, West Usk is unique amongst these structures for it’s low and very wide stance rather than the usual tall narrow stature.

West Usk B&B still features the traditional stone spiral staircase, but this is in the centre of the property rather than taking up the entire width making the house a lot more habitable and not claustrophobic feeling compared to the usual narrow design.

Guests will still know they are very much by the coastal waters of the estuary as the tide, which is the second fastest in the world, races up beside the walls of the lighthouse twice a day. This makes one side of the house very nautical, but on the other side very peaceful with perhaps the sound of the odd cow in the neighbouring fields.

The house is ideally suited for visitors to Celtic Manor Resort – home of the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament – and only 5 minutes from Tredegar House (where visitors check in for the Rydar Cup).

For reasons that are not exactly clear on the website, there’s a lifesize Dalek at the bottom of the stairs….but you could never call West Usk Lighthouse B&B “normal”.

More Newport Links:
More lighthouse B&Bs
Hotels in Newport
Things to do in Newport