Souter Lighthouse is in Marsden in South Shields
and is owned by the National Trust. It was built in 1871 and
continued to be in use up until 1988. When we visited, we were able to go up
to the top of the lighthouse as well as see the engine room, the lighthouse
keepers’ living area and the foghorn.
The Engine Room
In the engine room, you can see the generators used to power the
foghorn. They also have a miniature model of the lighthouse, coastline
and keepers’ cottages to look at. Souter was the first lighthouse in the
world designed and built to be powered by electricity.
The Lighthouse
There are 76 steps to the top of the lighthouse. After you’ve
climbed the first set of spiral steps, the second is more like a ladder, so it’s
probably best not to go to the very top if you have a problem with
heights. One of the guides took us up to the very top of the lighthouse, where you can see along Whitburn beach and St Mary’s lighthouse at Whitley Bay. I was also able to spin the light at the top.
The Keepers’ Living Area
You can have a look in a few of the rooms that would have been where the
lighthouse keepers would have stayed. I’ve added pictures
below of the fireplace and a newspaper dating back to 1873. You can also
view the bedrooms upstairs.
