Bite Sized Britain - Britain’s amazing history and culture

This Week’s Selected Theme

24 Aug - 30 Aug 2026

Lighthouse stories

This week we shine a light on Britain's sea beacons - their history and their place in the landscape.

The First Eddystone Lighthouse

The First Eddystone Lighthouse

The first Eddystone lighthouse was built over three years from 1666 and was a wonderfully eccentric structure. It protected ships until it vanished along with its creator in a great storm in 1703.

Bell Rock Lighthouse - first to take on the cruel sea

Bell Rock Lighthouse - first to take on the cruel sea

The Bell Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Angus, Scotland, constructed at beginning of the 19th century, is the world's oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse - one built out at sea, often on a rock or reef.

Belle Tout Lighthouse - accommodation to look out for

Belle Tout Lighthouse - accommodation to look out for

The Belle Tout Lighthouse is a decommissioned lighthouse, now holiday accommodation, and a much-filmed British coastal landmark located on Beachy Head, East Sussex. It is the precursor of the current Beachy Head lighthouse that stands in the sea at the foot of the cliffs.

The Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery

The Flannan Isle Lighthouse mystery

The Flannan Isle Lighthouse is on a remote Scottish island off the Outer Hebrides. In December 1900, all three lighthouse keepers vanished, and their fate remains a mystery to this day.

Port Lynas Lighthouse - protecting the approach to Liverpool

Port Lynas Lighthouse - protecting the approach to Liverpool

Point Lynas Lighthouse on the north coast of Anglesey in North Wales was built in 1835, replacing a lighted pilots’ lookout established in 1766.

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses - an illuminating day out

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses - an illuminating day out

The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses is based in the fishing port of Fraserburgh on the North-east corner of Aberdeenshire. The museum is in a purpose-built museum alongside the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse – the very first lighthouse on mainland Scotland .

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Some of our other fascinating themes

Medicine and Disease

Medicine and Disease

This week, our theme is medicine - and the practitioners and discoveries that saved so many lives.

Incredible insects

Incredible insects

Few people in Britain pay much attention to insects, but they are an important part of our native natural history - and in some cases have played their part in human history as well. This week, we take a closer look at some of our more fascinating insects - plus that insect-borne disease that we've half-forgotten.

The world of Isaac Newton

The world of Isaac Newton

This week's theme centres on the world of one of our greatest scientists - Sir Isaac Newton. Discover more about his life and times, his creations, and some of the places he would have known.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls

This week we present some of the loveliest waterfalls in Britain.

The British love affair with all things sweet

The British love affair with all things sweet

The Belgians might have fancy chocolates, the French might have petit-fours, but we British have proved adept in producing everyday affordable sweet treats. Here are a few of our stories about these delights and their history ...

Botanic Gardens and Conservatories

Botanic Gardens and Conservatories

The stories we've gathered this week are on the theme of botanic gardens and glasshouses around the country.

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Selected articles - with dozens more for you to discover!

Spaceguard in Wales - watching out for the end of the world

Featured article

Spaceguard in Wales - watching out for the end of the world

High on a hill in mid-Wales, the Spaceguard Centre near Knighton is an independent observatory which monitors the potential threat to our planet posed by 'near earth objects'.

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Invention

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