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St Mary's Island and Lighthouse

St Mary's Island (also known as Bait Island) is a tiny island just to the north of Whitley Bay, opposite Curry's Point on the mainland. The small rocky tidal island can be accessed between the tides via a short concrete causeway which is submerged at high tide.

The lighthouse and adjacent keepers' cottages were built in 1898 on the site of a monastery where a small sanctuary light would have acted as a guide to passing ships. The 125-foot high lighthouse, on a hazardous coast for shipping, remained operational until 1984 when it was superseded by modern navigational techniques. While it no longer functions as a working lighthouse it, together with the former keepers' cottages, is operated as a visitor centre by North Tyneside Council with a small natural history museum, and a café

LinkExternal link English Heritage Pastscape

The lighthouse, keepers' cottages and associated walling were given Grade II-listed status by English Heritage in 2012 (English Heritage Building ID: 1408299 LinkExternal link British Listed Buildings).

The island is part of a conservation area, together with the surrounding rocky landscape and the mainland area around it (LinkExternal link St Mary’s Island Conservation Area Character Appraisal - North Tyneside Council).
by David Dixon

Created: Thu, 26 Jun 2014, Updated: Thu, 26 Jun 2014


19 images use this description:

NZ3575 : View Towards St Mary's Island by David Dixon
NZ3574 : Whitley Sands - View towards St Mary's Lighthouse by David Dixon
NZ3575 : St Mary's Lighthouse by David Dixon
NZ3575 : Causeway to St Mary's Island by Andrew Curtis
NZ3475 : Lighthouse on St Mary's Island by Mat Fascione
NZ3575 : St Mary's Island and Lighthouse by Mat Fascione
NZ3575 : St Mary's Island by Mat Fascione
NZ3573 : Whitley Sands at Whitley Bay by Mat Fascione
NZ3475 : Coastal Grassland at Curry's Point by David Dixon
NZ3575 : Curry's Point and St Mary's Island by Philip Cornwall
NZ3575 : St Mary's Island by Stephen McKay
NZ3574 : Promenade at Curry's Point by Mat Fascione
NZ3575 : St Mary's Island by Andrew Curtis
NZ3575 : Causeway from Curry's Point to St Mary's Island by David Dixon
NZ3574 : Promenade towards Curry's Point and St Mary's Island by David Dixon
NZ3575 : St Mary's Island and Lighthouse by David Dixon
NZ3575 : St. Mary's from North Pier by DS Pugh
NZ3769 : Rocky shoreline at King Edward's Bay by Mat Fascione
NZ3575 : Shoreline near Curry's Point by Mat Fascione


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