Inner Farne Lighthouse

Inner Farne Lighthouse is located on the largest and closest of the Farne Islands. The Farne Islands are an archipelago of low-lying islands off the coast of Northumberland, stretching between one and five miles offshore.

The furthest island from the shore is Longstone, famed for being the home to heroine Grace Darling, daughter of the Longstone Lighthouse Keeper.

Closest to the mainland is the largest of the Farne Islands, which is Inner Farne. St Cuthbert is believed to have established a small monasterial cell here in the seventh century. A warning light is thought to have been shown from the island since the fifteenth century.

Prior Castell’s Tower was originally built for Thomas Castell, and was used as monks’ accommodation and later as a garrison. By 1637, the tower was derelict, and in the 1670s, Captain John Blackett was granted permission to establish a beacon on its summit.

In the seventeenth century, Sir John Clayton proposed a chain of lighthouses along the east coast of England. A tower was built on Inner Farne, but was never lit.

In 1776, a century after Clayton’s first proposal, two lighthouses were built by Captain John Blackett in arrangement with Trinity House; one on Inner Farne, and the other on Staple Island. The latter is located in the centre of the island group. Both lights were lit for the first time on 1st December 1778.

The lighthouse on Staple Island suffered storm damage in 1784. The light was re-established, but by 1791, a coal brazier was being used on top of the 30ft high Pele tower on neighbouring Brownsman Island.

By the early 1800s, both Inner Farne and Brownsman lights were in poor repair, and Trinity House took over their management, with the Blackett family continuing to hold the lease.

Inner Farne Lighthouse was rebuilt to the design of Daniel Alexander and under the stewardship of Joseph Nelson. The new tower, 43ft high, was located on the highest part of the island and displayed an arrangement of seven Argand lamps with reflectors.

In 1810, a low light, 27ft high, was built on the low cliff at the western tip of Inner Farne, displaying a white fixed light. Brownsman Light was also improved.

The lease on the lights was eventually bought by Trinity House in 1825, resulting in the building of a new lighthouse on Longstone. Following the establishment of Longstone Lighthouse, Brownsman Lighthouse was discontinued.

Three detached keepers’ cottages were built on Inner Farne, stretching between the High and Low Lights.

In 1910, the Low Light on Inner Farne was discontinued, and the current tower was converted to Acetylene gas, enabling the keepers to be withdrawn. An Acetylene house was built to convert the carbide into gas, and the cliffs below were whitewashed by the waste carbide.

Probably during the improvements, the first order optic was installed, and a red sector was shown over the northern section. With a newly established light on Black Rocks Point at Bamburgh, navigation was much improved through the Farne Islands.

In 1925, the National Trust took over the Farne Islands. St Mary’s Chapel on Inner Farne was used for many years as a storeroom by Trinity House, but in 1969 this was transferred to the National Trust.

The Acetylene light was replaced in 1996 by an electric unit, and solar panels were installed.

In 2005, the National Trust bought Inner Farne Lighthouse, although Trinity House still operates the light. Wardens now occupy the lighthouse for monitoring the birds.

In 2022, the range of the white light was reduced from 10 to 8 nautical miles, and the red sector increased to 8 miles.

Around ten miles up the coast is the larger island of Holy Island, or Lindisfarne as it is also known, which is marked by the Guile Point beacons.

Inner Farne can be reached via boat, although landing is not always possible. However, boat trips to Longstone Lighthouse are possible.