Souter lighthouse
Souter lighthouse
4.5
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Opened in 1871, Souter was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity. Now owned by the National Trust, the iconic landmark stands on the coast between the Tyne and Wear. To the north, The Leas is 2.5 miles of magnesian limestone cliffs, beaches and wildflower rich grassland. Marsden Bay's cliffs and rock stacks are home to nesting seabirds. South of the lighthouse is Whitburn Coastal Park and Nature Reserve – reclaimed colliery land, now a haven for wildlife. Be sure to: climb the tower for great views, take a coastal walk for fresh air, cliff top scenery and wildlife watching, sample freshly made cakes and bakes, breakfast or lunch in the Lighthouse Café, discover the life of a lighthouse keeper, relax and play in the Foghorn Field. NB car parks are open daily for access to the coast (charges apply, free to National Trust members). The lighthouse is closed in winter, cafe hours differ. Please check National Trust website for details.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
165 within 3 miles
Attractions
104 within 6 miles
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
252 reviews
Excellent
147
Very good
85
Average
13
Poor
3
Terrible
4
tom k
Alnwick, UK33 contributions
Aug 2022
We decided to visit the NE Coast further up for a change, Whitby has become gridlocked lately, we had a lovely walk along Roker Pier Lighthouse met some friendly people called in for a coffee at one of the new Cafes which was good. We then moved on to Whitburn and walked along the cliff tops to Souter Lighthouse, a beautiful setting. The enclosed garden area at the lighthouse makes it an ideal place for children to play safely and it was quite full of young families.
We were a little peckish so called into the Cafe in the building, the smell as we walked in was amazing "fresh baking" the cheese scones had just come out of the oven so we had one each, two squares of butter with each scone, they were the best cheese scones I've ever eaten, and that's more than I can count, I asked the young lady who made them and she replied we just take turns when we run out, I think Gavin made the batch we tried so I complimented him as we left.
We were a little peckish so called into the Cafe in the building, the smell as we walked in was amazing "fresh baking" the cheese scones had just come out of the oven so we had one each, two squares of butter with each scone, they were the best cheese scones I've ever eaten, and that's more than I can count, I asked the young lady who made them and she replied we just take turns when we run out, I think Gavin made the batch we tried so I complimented him as we left.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NumberZen
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK330 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
This is a wonderful sanctuary of a place.
The lighthouse itself is something to behold, staggeringly beautiful, and to be fair the same can be said about the views. It’s a rare mix of wildness and tranquility.
There’s a decent little cafe, plenty of seats around the lighthouse where you can take in the views and the cliff side walk is worth an hour or so of anyone’s time.
Just beautiful
The lighthouse itself is something to behold, staggeringly beautiful, and to be fair the same can be said about the views. It’s a rare mix of wildness and tranquility.
There’s a decent little cafe, plenty of seats around the lighthouse where you can take in the views and the cliff side walk is worth an hour or so of anyone’s time.
Just beautiful
Written August 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HiggyBristol
Bristol, UK493 contributions
Sep 2022
A very well maintained lighthouse, in fact it looked like it had been freshly painted that week. Inside the old machinery and equipment that runs the light and the station's foghorn was also well maintained and interesting. Good toilets, easy parking and a cafe on site.
Written September 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
76harton
los angeles2 contributions
Aug 2022
We spent a week in Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage 2 at Souter while visiting family in the North East. Although it was late August and good weather, the cottage was really cold and grim. The central heating is set very low and for limited hours and guests are unable to change the setting. We froze in the evenings and had to sit under blankets. The people in the next door cottage told us they resorted to turning the oven on for heat. The furniture is not as shown in the photographs on the Trust's website. It is mostly too large for the space, and very junky. The wardrobe in the master bedroom STANK so much we had to keep it closed. It was like something had died in there. How can that happen? The bathroom also was very spartan and with nowhere to put anything. And the lighting had been changed in the bedrooms so it was cold and glaring, also not as shown in the photographs. We had an awful week there, quite an ordeal. Luckily we ate most of our meals with family, but I would never dream of staying there again and would not recommend it to anyone, despite the beauty of the location. The place is a disgrace.
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirky
Green Hammerton, UK295 contributions
Apr 2022
The parts of the building you visit are the recreated flat of a lighthouse keeper (no original artefacts), a plant room and, of course, the light room. Few visits will last longer than 20 mins. Barely worth the £7.50 entry, to be honest. You may as well just observe from outside and read the panel.
Written May 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kayley
Sheffield, UK45 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Visited here on a Thursday. The grounds are well looked after and staff really friendly.
Please note that the lighthouse closes for lunch between 13:00 and 13:30. Still able to use the cafe during this time. Prices are quite high but it appears this is standard for national trust cafes and shops.
Had a guided tour of the lighthouse by Peter who was very knowledgeable and found out the answers to questions if he didn’t already know- thanks to Keith for informing us how much the weights weighed! Peter was very friendly throughout our visit. Thanks Peter!
View from the top of the lighthouse is lovely- beware that some of the steps inside are pretty steep!
Would definitely return.
Please note that the lighthouse closes for lunch between 13:00 and 13:30. Still able to use the cafe during this time. Prices are quite high but it appears this is standard for national trust cafes and shops.
Had a guided tour of the lighthouse by Peter who was very knowledgeable and found out the answers to questions if he didn’t already know- thanks to Keith for informing us how much the weights weighed! Peter was very friendly throughout our visit. Thanks Peter!
View from the top of the lighthouse is lovely- beware that some of the steps inside are pretty steep!
Would definitely return.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
machinmad
Yaxley, UK2,278 contributions
Aug 2021
We’d just done a long walk round the surrounding countryside and needed refreshment. Good to see NT are finally stocking a more varied range of cold drinks ... we also partook of a piece of Victoria sponge which was delicious. Sitting in deckchairs, scoffing cake with the sea-air on your face ... what a treat.
Written October 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip H
Whitehaven, UK57 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Visit Souter lighthouse. Lovingly restored by the National Trust. I can remember when it was actually working. The foghorns regularly boomed out in the fog. The light could be seen 12miles out to sea. Easy access from the road between South Shields and Sunderland. Car park entrance is quite a way to the south side. Pay and display but trust members free. Also a great place to start your walk along the Leas, the cliff tops also preserved by the trust. You can walk and see Marsden Rock, and then have some refreshment in the Grotto, a pub in a cliff cave! But the lighthouse, inside see the original machinery and then climb to the top for the amazing view. Not for the feint hearted or unfit. A lot of steep stairs, hope you have a head or heights, the final section is almost a ladder about the height of a house! At the top on a clear day you can see miles along the coast or out to sea. The original fresnel lens is there still. This was the first lighthouse lit by electricity, an arc light. There are plans for the foghorn to be restored to working order, hope they warn the neighbours. Finally back on the ground see the lighthouse keepers cottage, then through the typical Trust shop and visit the cafe. This is a treat. . Hot food and drink and don’t miss the locally baked produce. The “singing hinnies” are a must. ( if you don’t know what they are then visit Souter). Outside if the weather is nice is a huge picnic area and “wild garden” for the kids to explore. You don’t have to be a Trust member to visit the cafe.
Written March 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigelsmith
Birmingham, UK4 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Visited the lighthouse early on 29th March 2023 and given a tour by John. What a font of knowledge he was. His tour made this the best National Trust property we have visited. For a relatively compact building, we were there for 90 mins. Got to the top of the lighthouse and actively encouraged to handle and move items around including the lens. Attached to the lighthouse is a lovely tearoom. Car parking facilities at the location, free to park for NT members.
Written March 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen W
Whitley Bay, UK26 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Souter Lighthouse looks like a proper lighthouse, red and white stripes, standing defiantly on top of a rugged coastline looking down on the cold North Sea.
It also has the distinction of being the world’s first electric powered lighthouse, so it’s worth the visit for that alone. But if you are a walker, or have a dog, the windswept coastal walks around the lighthouse are stunning! You could walk for a couple of hours around the area and there’s good car parking on site. Great place to visit.
It also has the distinction of being the world’s first electric powered lighthouse, so it’s worth the visit for that alone. But if you are a walker, or have a dog, the windswept coastal walks around the lighthouse are stunning! You could walk for a couple of hours around the area and there’s good car parking on site. Great place to visit.
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ian T
Gateshead, UK30 contributions
I’ve heard that you can buy a key for the bird observatory at Whitburn Point reserve looked after by the National Trust at Souter Lighthouse? How much does it cost to buy the key? I’ve heard the key is expensive to buy. Hope someone can help!
yesses
South Shields, UK125 contributions
You can buy a ticket for£12
kw015
County Durham, UK2 contributions
Is this place suitable for disabled people and does it have disabled access
tynesalmon
South Shields, UK118 contributions
Yes it is disabled accessible with slopes instead of steps from adjacent car park to the south of light house , the cafe is easily entered with a wheel chair
alijones60
7 contributions
Do u pay for the car park..
TheUKwanderer
Kent, Uk99 contributions
Hi
You do pay and display for the car park unless you are a National Trust member and are displaying the correct colour sticker in the car window in which case it's free.
Hope this helps.
Dom T
Halifax, UK4 contributions
can you take dogs thanks Dom
bryanjustin
South Shields, UK44 contributions
No dogs, narrow entrance and staircase.
Souter lighthouse (South Shields) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Souter lighthouse
- Souter lighthouse is open:
- Sun - Sat 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near Souter lighthouse:
- (2.63 mi) The Lemonfield Hotel
- (3.16 mi) Beechwood Guest House
- (3.16 mi) Forest Guest House
- (3.18 mi) The Clifton
- (3.73 mi) Tynemouth 61 Guest House and Tea Rooms
- Restaurants near Souter lighthouse:
- (3.22 mi) Italianish Spanish & italian Restaurant
- (2.80 mi) Miller & Carter Steakhouse
- (1.89 mi) Bistro Romano
- (3.19 mi) Delhi 6
- (4.55 mi) Aperitif