Souter is a special place all year round and was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity. Opened in 1871, it was decommissioned in 1988 and opened to the public in 1990. Souter remains an iconic beacon, hooped in red and white and standing proud on the coastline midway between the Tyne and the Wear. Although no longer used to warn ships off rocks, the lighthouse still functions and we blast the foghorn weekly. Discover the Engine Room - the heart of Souter and the source of power for the whole station. You can also see the original optic from the lighthouse on Coquet Island off the Northumberland Coast in this room. The compass room has hands-on activities for all ages - try your hand at morse code, learn about shipwrecks and smugglers; the children can dress up as a pirate or princess and climb aboard the pirate play ship. To get the top of Souter you have to climb the 76 steps - 54 to the first landing and a further 22 to the lantern room. If you can't climb there's CCTV on in the compass room so you can still enjoy the views from the top. Visit the Victorian lighthouse keeper's cottage and see how they used to live at Souter. Kids will love our outdoor play area with pirate ship and the "Marsden Rattler". To the north The Leas is a two and a half mile stretch of magnesian limestone cliffs, wave-cut foreshore and coastal grassland. The cliffs and rock stacks of Marsden Bay are home to nesting Kittiwakes, Fulmar, Cormorants, Shags and Guillemots. To the south you can explore Whitburn Coastal Park with coastal walks to the Whitburn Point local nature reserve. Visit our coffee shop for hot drinks and delicious home-made scones, cakes and light lunches.
