South Foreland Cliffs and Lghthouse from the Sea of Dover, England, 20th century. Victorian lighthouse on South Foreland in St. Margaret's Bay, Dover, Kent, England to warn ships approaching nearby Goodwin Sands. South Foreland was the first lighthouse to use an electric light in 1859. By 1875 the lighthouse was using carbon arc lamps powered by a steam-driven magneto. It was used by Guglielmo Marconi during his work on radio waves, receiving the first ship-to-shore message from the East Goodwin lightship.