Set in the western approaches to the Isle of Wight, the Needles form a narrow chalky peninsula which rises from jagged rocks to 120m cliffs. These rocks have always been a hazard to ships making their way up the Solent to Portsmouth and Southampton Water.
A light to warn shipping was first established on the Southerly tip of the Isle of Wight in 1323. Today the distinctive octagonal tower of St Catherine's Lighthouse provides a waymark for vessels navigating in the English Channel and a guide to vessels approaching the Solent