Construction of Perch Rock Lighthouse began in 1827, although a light was maintained on the rock from 1683. It was designed akin to Eddystone Lighthouse and built of marble rock from Anglesey, each piece of stone interlocked into the next. The finished stonework was coated with ‘Puzzellani’ a volcanic substance from Mount Etna which, with age, becomes rock hard. The first 45 feet is solid; a spiral staircase leads to where the keeper lived and then on to the dome. The revolving light was said to be the first in the country. It rises 90 feet above the rocks and is considered to be a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Prior to its decommission in 1973 having been superseded by modern navigational technology, Perch Rock Lighthouse flashed a series of three lights, two white followed by one red.

In April 2016, New Brighton Coastal Community Team New Brighton Coastal Community Team re-illuminated the Grade II* listed lighthouse through a grant for £6,160 from the Coastal Revival Fund. The body of the lighthouse underneath its walkway is now lit at night and lights flash from its dome in the same colours and sequence as it did when it was first built.

The Lighthouse is privately owned and is unoccupied. It is a very short walk from Fort Perch Rock and its exterior can be viewed closely when the tide is out.