North Sunderland - Seahouses, Northumberland
Category of lighthouse: harbour Position: 55°35'1.64"N, 1°38'56.24"W Status: active Date: 1900 Designer: not known Tower height: 26 feet Construction: brick hexagonal tower Colour scheme: white Focal plane height: 36 feet Characteristics: flashing green light Foghorn: none Google map view: google maps link |
I am a big fan of harbour lights. They are very much the poor relations, in pharology terms, to the great rock lights and major coastal lights and yet, the majority of them are still earning their keep on a daily basis and keeping harbour entrances safe for the type of small craft that use them. This particular example at Seahouses is an interesting design. The light shines through the small square window near the top of the tower and, from almost any angle that can be achieved with both feet on dry land, one could easily be forgiven for thinking that this wasn't a lighthouse at all but merely a day mark. However, once you are afloat its purpose becomes clearer. Just out of sight to the left of shot are the steps that passengers use to embark on the boats for the trips round the Farne Islands. In some references the location of this light is referred to as North Sunderland and in others as Seahouses and, if I were being honest, I would have to say that I am not entirely clear about the subtle distinction between the two.