Plan your visit to St Mary's Lighthouse with North East Escapes. Cross the tidal causeway at Whitley Bay and find nearby coastal holiday homes. |
Visit St Mary's Lighthouse, A Tidal Island Treasure on the Tyne Coast
St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay is one of the most distinctive and charming coastal landmarks on the Tyne and Wear coast, a striking white-painted lighthouse on a small tidal island connected to the mainland by a causeway that floods at high tide. The lighthouse is the centrepiece of a visitor centre and nature reserve managed by North Tyneside Council, and whether you come to climb the lighthouse's 137 steps for the views, explore the rock pools at low tide, watch birds on the rocks or simply walk the beautiful coastal path, St Mary's is a genuinely rewarding destination.
St Mary's Island Lighthouse was built in 1898 by W.T. Douglas to replace the nearby Low Lights at Whitley Bay, which had guided ships along this section of the Northumberland coast for centuries. The lighthouse was automated in 1984 and decommissioned in 1984, at which point the island was opened to visitors. The lighthouse building, keepers' cottages and associated structures have been converted into the current visitor centre. The island is a designated wildlife reserve, with the rocks and grassland supporting a variety of coastal species including grey seals, which haul out regularly on the rocks below the lighthouse, and a variety of seabirds and migrant species during the passage seasons.
The lighthouse interior is open to visitors during low tide crossing periods, and the climb to the lantern room rewards with panoramic views along the coast north towards Blyth and south towards Tynemouth and beyond. The tide pools around the island base are excellent for rockpooling, with crabs, anemones, sea urchins and various fish regularly found. The wildlife centre provides information on the reserve's resident and visiting wildlife, and grey seals are often visible on the surrounding rocks. The coastal path south from St Mary's to Cullercoats and Tynemouth is one of the finest short coastal walks in Tyne and Wear.
St Mary's Lighthouse is located at St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE26 4RS. Access is by foot across the causeway, which is impassable at high tide: crossing times must be checked on the North Tyneside website before visiting. Parking is available in the car park on the mainland side of the causeway. The visitor centre and lighthouse charge a small admission fee. The nearby Spanish City and Whitley Bay town centre are within easy driving or walking distance.
North East Escapes offers holiday homes near St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay and the surrounding North Tyneside coast, perfect for visitors wanting to combine the lighthouse with Spanish City, the Whitley Bay beaches and easy access to Newcastle Upon Tyne via the Metro. Our coastal Tyne and Wear properties are popular with families and couples seeking a seaside break that combines beach life with the cultural richness of one of England's great cities just 25 minutes away.
