More than half a century after it was first automated, one of Britain's rare lighthouse conversions is now looking for a new keeper - preferably one with a head for heights.

Burnham High Lighthouse in Somerset, a Grade II* listed lighthouse tower built in 1830, has been converted to a three-bedroom home with round rooms on each of its eight floors.

The local landmark stands at 110 feet (33 metres) tall and is solidly engineered in both brick and huge blocks of solid granite. It has a guide price of £525,000.

Packed with original features, from the historic glass Fresnel lenses in the lantern room, to the dramatic vaulted domed brick ceiling on the ground floor, the tower has been updated with modern features such as reinforced glass floor, French cast-iron roll top bath and its own industrial sprinkler system- complete with solid bronze fittings.

The ivory tower, with its distinctive vertical red stripe, was originally bought from Trinity House, the lighthouse authority for England & Wales, just over two decades ago by a member of the Rothschild Family.

David Rothschild decided not to pursue the challenging conversion and instead decided to sell the former working lighthouse at a public auction in 1995.

At that time, it was rumoured either an internationally renowned pop star, or comedian Julian Clary, hoped to buy the tower to convert it into a dwelling.

A young television journalist was dispatched to the auction rooms to cover the unfolding news story. When no celebrities appeared to bid on the lighthouse and the news story collapsed - he decided to take a risk - by bidding himself.

Burnham High Lighthouse originally lit up the Somerset coast with a paraffin lamp in the lantern room. In the early 1950’s it became one of the first lighthouses in England to be automated.

With the Keepers deemed surplus to requirements, their quirky cottages attached to the base of the tower were sold as private dwellings, but a private driveway was retained for access as the lighthouse continued to provide valuable service.

The automated lantern shone brightly across the Bristol Channel, visible for a distance of up to 22 miles, keeping mariners safe until the late eighties.

At that time, with greatly reduced volumes of local shipping, it was deemed a separate lower lighthouse could be bought back into service. So, a smaller wooden structure on stilts on the nearby beach was restored to service and still shines to this day.

The high tower, a local landmark, loved by both townsfolk and seafarers alike badly needed a new raison d’être or lease of life.

The solid brick shell was essentially a folly without planning permission and with eight solid granite floors linked by vertical steel ladders - staircases would need to be reinstated for the building to be practical.

At its base the walls are well over a metre thick, rendered in lime mortar. Over the centuries houses have been built across the sand dunes, so rather unusually the lighthouse now towers over a residential area.

The stunning sandy beaches have become popular with thousands of tourists who flock to Somerset seaside resort, set less than two miles from the M5 and less than half an hour from Bristol airport.

The top floor of the tower still has its original lantern room, with Fresnel lenses, a beautiful copper domed roof and granite balcony.

On a clear day the lighthouse enjoys unrivalled views across the River Severn taking in the whole of south-Wales, well beyond Cardiff and you can see the whole of Exmoor at the same time.

Today a glass floor and open-plan design at the top of the tower allows guests to look up from the dining room, through the galley kitchen and into the lantern room where sunlight floods into the building.

The eight separate round rooms are connected by a total of over 120 stairs and all three bedrooms are en suite.

As one might expect the tower has many nautical features including a huge ship’s bell, antique barometer, enormous bronze portholes and original bronze air vents, more commonly found on classic yachts. The tower is kept safe in storms by its own lightning conductor.

The sympathetically restored tower is for sale by informal tender by CJ Hole with Edward Creswick, Burnham-on-Sea with a guide price of £525,000. For more information, call 01278 780000.