EARLIER this year the Harwich Society took over the High Lighthouse in Harwich.

From the top, the hub of the lighthouse, the view takes in the Treadwheel Crane, fishing boats, Felixstowe Port, Landguard Point and fort, Beacon Hill and the Redoubt Fort.

On a good day it is even possible to see Sealand, the British-built platform declared as an independent state by its owners.

Plans are now taking shape for each of the six rooms to house a themed display, including one on the Merchant Navy history of Harwich and the 1953 flood.

The top floor, with a panoramic view across the shoreline, will be focused on Harwich today.

  • The Harwich Society, which runs other historic monuments in the town, is on the look out for old photographs and stories of the lighthouse to use in exhibitions inside.