Bright spot: historic lighthouse once lived in by the ‘patron saint’ of conservation for sale in Lincolnshire wilderness

A historic Lincolnshire lighthouse, which was once lived in by the man described by David Attenborough as the "patron saint of conservation", is for sale for only the third time since it was built, 188 years ago.

East Bank Lighthouse, in the village of Sutton Bridge close to the Norfolk border at the mouth of the River Nene Estuary is commonly referred to as the Sir Peter Scott Lighthouse after the pioneer of global conservation who once lived there.

Overlooking one of England's last great wildernesses, The Wash nature reserve, which is an important breeding area for wildfowl and other migrating birds, the building proved to be the ideal home for Peter Scott, son of Robert Falcon Scott, aka Scott of the Antarctic.

In 1933, during a storm, the then-24-year-old was washed ashore at the foot of the lighthouse.

Captivated by the building, he leased it for £5 a year.

When he moved in the building offered nothing more than the tower and a small extension. Scott refurbished and extended the lighthouse and custom built a double-aspect reception that served as his first art studio.

He then set about collecting wildfowl, travelling the world to source geese for his collection.

Through his travels he realised that wildfowl numbers were falling due to habitat destruction, so was inspired to found the Wildlife and Wetlands Trust and later co-founded the World Wildlife Fund, leading David Attenborough to describe him as conservation’s "patron saint".

Scott lived in the lighthouse until the outbreak of World War Two in 1939, when he left to serve in the Navy.

He commanded the First Squadron of Steam Gun Boats against German E-boats in the English Channel, among other roles, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for Gallantry.

The lighthouse also inspired Scott’s friend, American author Paul Gallico, to write his famous novella The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk.

Commissioned as one of a pair in 1830, to mark the entrance and exit from the fens out into the North Sea, the lighthouse was designed by John Rennie, the engineer responsible for Southwark and Waterloo Bridges and is now Grade II* listed.

Accommodation is spread across almost 2,500sq ft.

On the ground floor there’s a reception room, dining hall, kitchen, two bedrooms and a gallery and studio space. There are two further bedrooms – on the first and second floors – and a light room at the top of the tower.

The lighthouse sits in 1.7 acres of grounds, which includes gardens and wetland wildfowl ponds. Planning permission has been granted for a separate visitor centre and car park.

For sale for £600,000 through Fine & Country.