Pictures & background drawing courtesy of The National Trust.

Between South Shields and Sunderland there is a underwater reef called Whitburn Steel or Stile , which over the years has sunk many ships . Even the locals used to site false lights to lure ships on to the rocks so that they could get their hands on the cargo . As both towns prospered and grew , the amount of shipping increased so something had to be done about the hazard (human and natural ). The answer was to build a lighthouse . It was designed by James Douglas and opened in January 1871 . It was the first in the world to be powered by electricity . It flashed a White light for 5 seconds every 30 seconds . The original foghorns were shaped like clay pipes but were later changed to a more efficient design and were powered by compressed air at 60lbs / sqin . They were switched on when visibility was below 2 miles or when the lights on Shields and Sunderland Piers could not be seen . I can vouch for the fact that the noise was deafening , I lived about 1.5 miles away and I could hear it clearly . It meant sleepless nights for anybody living close by . The keepers got an extra 2p / hour for the inconvenience .Sadly it was closed down in 1988, and thankfully , taken over by The National Trust . It still serves a useful purpose as it is now a Radio navigation beacon. It is currently being renovated and they have found that the original colour was Orange not Red .When the lighthouse has been completed the surrounding buildings are to be re-roofed . It is open to the public and is well worth a visit and there are some beautiful cliff top walks nearby .

Souter Lighthouse - circa 1900		James Douglas		Souter Point Makeover - Sept 2000

Souter Point Foghorn		Souter Point - November 2000

Souter Point - November 2000

The Coast line adjacent to the lighthouse is magnificent , and what follows are few general views of the area . Along the coastal path many folk have had benches installed in memory of a loved one they have lost - it is very poignant to read some of the plaques . The first picture shows such a bench dedicated to Kenny Brennan , in the background is the former location of the "Wharry" , a wooden bridge that spanned the two cliffs.