Souter Lighthouse

Souter Lighthouse is a lighthouse located to the North of Whitburn, South Tyneside, England. (It was generally known as Souter Point Lighthouse when in service). Souter Point was the first lighthouse in the world to be actually designed and built specifically to use alternating electric current, the most advanced lighthouse technology of its day. The light was generated by a carbon arc lamp: first lit on 11 January 1871, it was described at the time as "without doubt one of the most powerful lights in the world". After being decommissioned by Trinity House (the national lighthouse authority) in 1988, Souter Lighthouse was acquired by the National Trust, who now manage it as a visitor attraction with holiday lets.

Location

The lighthouse is located on Lizard Point, but takes its name from Souter Point, which is located a mile to the south. This was the intended site for the lighthouse, but it was felt that Lizard Point offered better visibility, as the cliffs there are higher, so the lighthouse was built there instead. The Souter Lighthouse name was retained in order to avoid confusion with the then recently built Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall. Souter Lighthouse is approximately three miles south of the mouth of the River Tyne. Some four miles or so to the north of the mouth of the Tyne is a sister Victorian lighthouse, St Mary's Lighthouse, on St Mary's Island. It has also been decommissioned, and is open to visitors. St Mary's Lighthouse can be seen with the naked eye from the top of Souter Lighthouse.

History

The lighthouse was a much-needed aid to navigation due to the number of wrecks on the dangerous reefs of Whitburn Steel which lay directly under the water in the surrounding area. In one year alone – 1860 – there were 20 shipwrecks. This contributed to making this coastline the most dangerous in the country, with an average of around 44 shipwrecks per every mile of coastline.

19th century

20th century

Conversion to oil

In 1914 the pioneering electric light at Souter was replaced with the latest type of incandescent oil lamps (i.e. paraffin vapour burners). At the same time Chance Brothers provided a new, much larger lens system: a bi-form first-order catadioptric revolving optic (a bi-form lens is double-height, containing two lamps, one above the other). At the same time a new lantern was provided, to accommodate the taller optic. Red shades were placed around the lamps, within the lenses, so that the light now flashed red, once every 5 seconds. The 1914 optic remains in situ in the tower; it weighs 4.5 tonnes and floats on 1.5 tonnes of mercury. A separate lamp was used for the fixed red/white sector light, which continued to shine from its window lower down in the tower. Having removed the two Holmes magneto-electric machines from the engine room, the Corporation of Trinity House presented one to the Institution of Electrical Engineers in 1915; it is now on display at the Science Museum, London. The fog signal was improved in 1919 when a more powerful siren was installed, sounded through a pair of Rayleigh trumpets. (These replaced the twin Holmes trumpets formerly employed; the foghorn house was remodelled at the seaward corners to accommodate them). The siren gave a 4-second blast every minute. Hornsby oil engines were installed to drive the compressors for the new siren.

Reversion to electricity

In 1952 the lighthouse was again converted to run on electric power (this time using incandescent lamps, powered by mains electricity). The 4,500W bulbs used for the main light were the largest in the Trinity House service. Should the electricity supply fail, a diesel generator would be engaged (and in the event that it too were to fail, an additional emergency battery lamp would be engaged). The mechanism which turned the lenses continued to be driven by clockwork at this time, until 1983 when it was replaced by a pair of electric motors. The fog signal was upgraded in 1953: a Stone Chance diaphone signal was installed and a pair of exponential horns replaced the Rayleigh Trumpets on top of the foghorn building. At the same time the engine room was provided with two new Reavell compressor sets, one driven by an electric motor, the other by a diesel engine. The diaphone produced a five-second blast every 30 seconds in poor weather, and remained in use up until 1988, when the lighthouse was decommissioned.

Decommissioning

Souter Lighthouse was decommissioned by Trinity House in 1988, but continued to serve as a radio navigation beacon up until 1999 when it was finally closed.

Gallery

Souter Lighthouse - geograph.org.uk - 1774910.jpg|The lighthouse viewed from the south-east. Souter Lighthouse Engine Room 3.jpg|Diesel compressor and standby generator in the Engine Room. Souter Lighthouse Engine Room.jpg|Electric compressor and air tanks for the foghorn in the Engine Room. Souter Lighthouse incandescent oil burner.jpg|An incandescent oil burner: these replaced the arc lamps in 1914. Souter Lighthouse lamp cupboard.jpg|Some of the electric lamps used at Souter from 1952. Souter Lighthouse battery room.jpg|The emergency battery room. Souter Lighthouse radio beacon and weight tube.jpg|Radiobeacon equipment at the base of the tower.

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