Discover: Black Rock’s Point Lighthouse
On the golden sands of Bamburgh beach, the retreating tide exposes the weathered remains of a shipwreck believed to date back to 1770. What’s left of the wooden vessel acts as a stark reminder of just how hazardous the waters are just a stone’s throw from the peaceful village of Bamburgh. The first nautical navigational aids at Bamburgh are thought to have been introduced by Dr John Sharp. In the late 18th century, he ran a charity school which occupied the severely dilapidated Bamburgh Castle. Acutely aware of the frequent maritime disasters plaguing the coastline, Dr Sharp worked to establish an elementary lifeboat station in the village and also devised a warning system of bells and guns which were rung and fired respectively from the castle ramparts. In thick fog, he arranged for a signal gun to be fired at regular intervals, and during harsh storms he hired riders to patrol the beach at night, keeping watch for any ships in distress. It was a generous operation and any would-be shipwreck survivors arriving on shore were provided with food and shelter in the castle for seven days at no expense. Once survivors made it to safety, Dr Sharp also ensured the provision of chains for dragging ships onto the beach where they could be repaired, and pumps were made available for bailing out the vessels.
Thankfully for mariners, the signalling methods at Bamburgh were appropriately modernised at the beginning of the 20th century, and today at Black Rock Point, above the north end of Bamburgh Beach, you will find a small but characterful unmanned lighthouse which has guided shipping along the Northumberland coast for over 100 years. This unusual-looking lighthouse was first built in 1910 as a circular metal-framed tower with acetylene gas lamps fuelled by an adjacent support building. In 1975, the lighthouse was extensively modernised, the metal structure was abandoned and a light was added to the roof of the support building which you now see today. It remains the most northerly land-based lighthouse in England and is adored by visitors due to the astonished expression the lighthouse permanently displays.
As featured in ‘Beacons of the North Sea’, This Is Northumberland 2024