Photograph by @darylswalker — Photograph by @peterforster

From Tyne to Tweed you’ll find a variety of magnificent lighthouses scattered all along the Northumberland coastline.

Built to provide safe passage to approaching, departing and passing vessels ‑ each beacon possesses its own distinctive charm and character.

If you love a good lighthouse, these are a selection we would strongly recommend visiting on any Northumberland 250 adventure.

Tynemouth Pier Lighthouse

Situated at the furthest point of Tynemouth’s 900‑metre‑long pier, the lighthouse is observed most dramatically during winter storms when north sea waves relentlessly pound the sea wall.

On a calmer day than pictured above, the walk to the pier lighthouse is rewarded with magnificent views of the river entrance and back towards Tynemouth Priory & Castle.

Built: 1864

Tower Height: 26 meters

Interesting Fact: Tynemouth Pier was originally curved, intended to be a mirror image of the south pier at South Shields. However, during freak gales and heavy seas in 1897 the pier was extensively damaged, effectively marooning the lighthouse. The pier was then redesigned and rebuilt in the straight line we see today.

St Mary’s Lighthouse

An icon of the North‑East coastline ‑ for over a century the unmistakable white beacon of St Mary’s has warned mariners away from the dangerous rocks that lie perilously close to Whitley Bay. Climb the 137 steps to the top of this magnificent lighthouse for spectacular views of the surrounding coastline.

The small rocky island on which St Mary’s is built is linked to the mainland by a short concrete causeway. This becomes submerged at high tide, so be careful not to get stranded!

Built: 1898

Tower Height: 46 meters

Interesting Fact: The lighthouse as you see it today was built on the site of an 11th‑century monastic chapel. Previously monks from the Monastery maintained a lantern on the tower to warn passing ships of the danger of the rocks. ⁣⁣

Blyth East Pier Lighthouse

At the end of the East Pier at Blyth, you’ll discover a distinctive, weather-beaten 14m‑high white tower built over a century ago to guide safe entry for ships into Blyth Port.

Access to the East Pier is no longer permitted as the pier infrastructure is extensively damaged and is considered a significant risk to personal safety.

Built: 1907

Tower Height: 14 meters

Interesting Fact: The town of Blyth has another 18-metre lighthouse located 100 yards inland which dates back to 1788. Over the years, the Blyth High Lighthouse has had to be increased in height twice due to the growing number of tall buildings being built around it.

Coquet Island Lighthouse

Found on the south western shore of Coquet Island, this lighthouse was built on a small low tract of green pastureland lying off the Northumberland Coast.

The square tower is made of sandstone surrounded by a turreted parapet with walls in excess of 1m thick. The dwelling houses are an integral feature of the fortress‑like structure and is where the lighthouse keepers lived during their periods on duty.

Built: 1841

Height of Tower: 22m

Interesting Fact: The first keeper appointed to man Coquet Island was William Darling, elder brother of famed rescue heroine Grace Darling.

Longstone Lighthouse

The unmistakable red and white watchtower of Longstone Lighthouse is found just a few miles off shore in the Outer Staple Islands of the Farne Islands National Nature reserve. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Also known as ‘Grace Darling lighthouse’, this is from where a lighthouse keeper and his daughter rowed through a storm in 1838 to aid survivors of a shipwreck.

Built: 1826

Tower Height: 26m

Interesting Fact: In the years following the famous rescue, huge numbers of Victorian tourists would visit the famous family lighthouse to hear tales of the extraordinary event first‑hand.

Bamburgh Lighthouse

Found above the rocks at the north end of Bamburgh Beach, this lighthouse was built to guide shipping along the Northumberland coast and in the hazardous waters around the Farne Islands.⁣⁣⁣

When it was first built in 1910 the lighthouse was a circular metal‑framed tower with acetylene gas lamps and an adjacent support building. In 1975 the lighthouse was extensively modernised, abandoning the metal structure and adding a light to the roof of the support building which you now see today.

Built: 1910

Tower Height: 9m

Interesting Fact: Bamburgh Lighthouse is the most northerly land‑based lighthouse in England.

Berwick Lighthouse

Located at the end of the 960-metre-long pier on the shores of the historical town of Berwick upon Tweed, this charming lighthouse continues to guide shipping at the entrance to the River Tweed and Berwick Harbour.

Previously the light was run on oil, then gas and eventually electricity. For a time the light was powered from large unwieldy batteries which had to be charged in the town. The charge lasted about a week and Friday was set aside to trundle the renewed batteries on a wheelbarrow from the town and along the pier to the lighthouse.

Today the light is now connected to the main electricity supply and shows a fixed green light which flashes seaward every 5 seconds and can be seen from over 10 miles away.

Built: 1810

Tower Height: 13m

Interesting Fact: Locals find amusement in the red conical-shaped hat the lighthouse appears to exhibit.

Northumberland’s Unmissable Lighthouses