St Mary’s Lighthouse

St Mary’s Lighthouse was built to replace a former light at Tynemouth Priory, a few miles further south. The lighthouse stands on St Mary’s Island, between Whitley Bay and Seaton Sluice. The sandstone island is connected to the mainland by a tidal causeway.

St Mary’s Lighthouse was built in 1898 on the site of an 11th-century chapel. The monks maintained a light on the chapel tower dedicated to St Helen.

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Thomas Bates became the owner. Bates was Queen Elizabeth I’s surveyor for Northumberland. This is probably how the island became known as Bait Island, although it is thought the name was confused with its use by fishermen.

On the northern side of the island is a deep rocky channel known as Smugglers Creek. This may have been named after Anthony Mitchell, Surveyor of Customs, who was found dead here in 1722. He is reputed to have been murdered by brandy runners.

Michael Curry, a worker at a local glassworks in Seaton Sluice, was executed for murdering the landlord of the Old Hartley inn. Curry’s body was hung from a gibbet at what later became known as Curry’s Point, at the landward end of the tidal causeway. On 4th September 1989, a plaque was unveiled to mark the 250th anniversary. The stone and plaque are visible just in front of the car park.

In 1799, the island was used as a cholera isolation hospital for Russian soldiers on their way to fight Napoleon. Those soldiers who died are buried on the island.

In 1855, George Ewen, a local fisherman, built a cottage and turned it into a pub in 1862. Ewen was evicted by Lord Hastings in 1895 in an ownership dispute, following complaints about noisy customers trespassing on local land. John Crisp then turned the cottage into a temperance hotel, providing alcohol-free refreshments.

Numerous shipwrecks had occurred on and around St Mary’s Island, but in June 1891, the Gothenburg City was wrecked with no survivors during thick fog. This finally expedited the need for a lighthouse on the island.

The 125ft tall tower was built in 1898 by John Livingstone Miller to the design of Thomas Matthews. It was built from brick and cement render. A lighthouse cottage was built adjacent to the tower, linked by a covered passage. St Mary’s Lighthouse was first lit on 31st August 1898. The old Tynemouth Priory Lighthouse was then discontinued. The first two lighthouse keepers, Principal H H Roberts and Assistant Keeper W G Monk, at St Mary’s were transferred from the Tynemouth light.

Although the lighthouse was operational, the families did not move into their two-storey accommodation until the following February as construction work continued.

The lighthouse was not painted white until almost two years after construction.

Access to the island, which is cut off completely at high water, was by stepping stones. In 1929, the first causeway was built; this was replaced in 1966.

Originally, the light apparatus was a first-order Chance Brothers Fresnel optic powered by paraffin vapour. Although the island became electrified in 1957, the lighthouse was only connected in 1977. The paraffin light was used for the final time on 28th September 1977 and became the last oil-lit lighthouse of Trinity House in the UK.

St Mary’s Lighthouse was automated in 1982 and following a review of navigation aids, and despite much protest, the lighthouse was discontinued on 30th November 1984.

Following decommissioning, North Tyneside Council took ownership of the lighthouse complex. The original Chance optic was removed and put on display at the National Lighthouse Museum in Penzance.

In the late 1980s, North Tyneside Council opened St Mary’s Lighthouse as a visitor centre. However, as the original optic was in Penzance, Trinity House offered a smaller lens from Withernsea Lighthouse. With the assistance of the Territorial Army, the optic was installed in the lantern.

After several attempts by the Friends of St Mary’s Island to provide additional amenities, North Tyneside Council carried out extensive repairs and repainting in 2007.

The lighthouse was opened as a visitor centre to the public in 2007. In addition to the Withernsea optic at the top, there is also a lightvessel optic on display at the base.

The 137 steps spiralling to the top give superb views across the North Sea and the surrounding coastline.

In 2024 a major re-painting and repair programme required the island/causeway to close for the summer months. Following extensive repairs, the lighthouse reopened in November 2024.