The lighthouse was built-in 1874 underneath the direction of Sir James Douglass. It's underneath the authority of Trinity House and is classified as a Grade II tower. Hartford Point's lighthouse is 18 metres tall. The lamp is 37 metres above sea level and can be seen as much as 40 km from the coast. It had been built to accommodate four keepers and their loved ones and the concrete structures designed to supply water to the inhabitants still stand. The keepers ‘homes have since been demolished to create way for a helipad. Considering that the tower was automated in 1984, this has become necessary as the trail ultimately causing the lighthouse is in unreliable condition and prone to rock falls and landslides. Today the gates tend to remain locked, as access is very hard and therefore discouraged. It has actually been proposed that usage of the lighthouse be discontinued as GPS systems are now more heavily relied upon than lighthouses for maritime navigation. Still, the lighthouse makes a powerful contribution to the Hartland Peninsula and its surroundings.
From the lighthouse there is a cliff's edge path that has been once employed by the coastguard to travel from station to station while trying to identify smugglers. It's close to the cliffs and has an excellent point of entry to exploration of the peninsula's landmarks and scenery. They are distinguished by the current presence of the unusual white-topped dome of the Ministry of Defense's radar station and the shipwrecked form of the MS Johanna. The MS Johanna was driven aground quite close to the lighthouse in 1982 and since that time has been decaying slowly on the beach below it, reminding other crafts to take care.