Coquet Lighthouse

Coquet Lighthouse is located on the south west shore of Coquet Island, around a mile offshore from the town of Amble. Coquet Island is owned by the Duke of Northumberland, who purchased it in 1753.

The waters off Amble are shallow in places and scattered with sandbanks, tidal channels, and rocky outcrops. One of the most notable hazards is the Coquet Sands, which extend offshore and shift with tides and storms. In the 19th century, before modern surveying and dredging techniques were developed, these sands posed a significant danger to coastal shipping and fishing vessels.

To mitigate these dangers, Coquet Lighthouse was built in 1841 on the small island of Coquet, just offshore. Its primary role was to mark the entrance to the river and warn ships away from the sandbanks while guiding them safely along the coast.

The island was inhabited in Norman times by St. Henry of Coquet, a Danish hermit, who was allowed to live on the island by the monks of Tynemouth. He became a prophet and died in 1127, being enshrined in Tynemouth.

Much of Henry’s Benedictine monastery was incorporated into Coquet Lighthouse, which was built in 1841. The square castellated building was designed by James Walker and included the keepers’ cottages attached to the tower.

Coquet’s first lighthouse keeper was William Darling, an elder brother of Grace Darling. William was the second of Grace Darling’s brothers to become a Trinity House Lighthouse Keeper.

Red sectors were added to the lantern in 1854 to warn vessels off Boulmer Rocks to the north and Hauxley Point to the South. A separate sector light was later added from a lower window in the tower.

Coquet Lighthouse was automated in 1990, at which time the original optic was removed and replaced with an array of sealed beam lamps. The former optic was transported to the Trinity House Museum, the former Trinity House depot in Penzance. When the museum closed, it was transferred to Souter Lighthouse, where it was put on display. However, in 2025, Trinity House planned to remodel the original optic using the latest lighting technology and reinstall it.

The RSPB manages Coquet Island as a bird reserve, protecting the puffins and roseate terns that return here each year. The resident wardens use the former keepers’ cottages for their accommodation.

It is not possible to land on the island, but boat trips depart from Amble and pass close to it, and the lighthouse can also be seen from the fishing town of Amble.