Tynemouth Lighthouse Heritage Open Days - Port of Tyne

Tynemouth Lighthouse
Heritage Open Days

The building of Tynemouth
Lighthouse was completed in
1896 and is still operational
today.
In 2008, for the first time in
over 100 years, Tynemouth
Lighthouse was opened to
visitors as part of the annual
Heritage Open Days.
Together with South Shields
Lighthouse and the Herd
Groyne, Tynemouth Lighthouse
is used by ships approaching
and entering the river Tyne.
On a calm, fine day it is
pleasant to stroll along the
piers, but in windy weather the
waves can break as high as the
lighthouses and in such
conditions the piers are closed.
Before the construction of the
piers, the mouth of the Tyne
was exposed to the full force of
the sea and many ships were
frequently wrecked.
During the early part of the
19th century, nine eminent
engineers presented their
designs for the north and south
piers. The chosen design was
by James Walker, President of
the Institution of Civil
Engineers (1835-1845) and the
foundation stones were laid in
1854 with final completion in
1895.
The building of the north and
south piers has been recorded
as one of the most difficult
undertakings of its kind carried
out in this country and for over
54 years it was an endless
battle against the sea.
In 1897 the north pier was
breached and reconstruction
completed in 1909.
North Pier breached in 1897

South Shields Lighthouse
Herd Groyne
The north pier is 899 metres
long and the south is 1,570
metres long. The distance
between the round heads is
360 metres. The original cost of
the north pier was £568,000
and the south £526,000.
However, the reconstruction of
the north pier was an extra
£450,000 taking the total build
cost to £1,544,000. The
ongoing annual cost of
maintaining both piers is
c£200,000.
Over 3,000,000 tonnes of stone
work was used in construction
of the piers and the stone used
on the lower courses, facings
and both lighthouses was
magnesium limestone quarried
at the Tyne Commissioners
Trow Quarry situated nearly one
mile from the south pier.
Both lighthouses were built of
radial blocks sawn and dressed
at the south pier block yard
and erected on the pier heads
in 1895. Installation of the
lanterns added an extra eight
months to complete
construction.
The north lighthouse is 26
metres high and has a white
navigation light over-arcing
the horizon for a distance of 26
miles.
The south Pier lighthouse is 15
metres high and has white, red
and green navigational lights
over-arcing the horizon for
distances of 13, 9 and 8 miles
respectively. Within the
harbour entrance on the Herd
Groyne is a small red
lighthouse which is 13 metres
high.

Further up the harbour are the
High and Low Lights, large
white painted masonry towers
which once guided vessels into
port.
Now no longer in use, the High
Light is 39 metres above sea
level and the Low Light is 25
metres.
The origins of these lights are
ancient. Their predecessors
were located at the harbour
entrance 450 years before the
construction of the piers and
their lighthouses were the only
means of making a safe entry
into the river Tyne clear of the
Black Midden Rocks.
Maintaining the piers is
challenging and finding
materials that fit the fabric of
the structure is becoming
increasingly difficult.
In 2008 the Port of Tyne spent
£55,000 in restoring the north
pier pavement and coping and
£140,000 for structural work
and repairs to the south pier
lighthouse.
R e g u l a r m a i n t e n a n c e
inspections are carried out to
ensure the structure of the
piers and lighthouses and
underwater masonry is fit for
purpose.
The Port of Tyne is proud to be
the custodians of such great
north eastern heritage and is
delighted to open the north pier
to visitors during Heritage
Open Days.