South Gare Lighthouse

There already were two navigation light towers built in 1829 and operating in Durham county at Seaton Carew and another at Hartlepool to guide ships clear of Coatham Rocks off Redcar and then onto the Fairway Buoy outside the bar of the River Tees. The building of South Gare lighthouse was planned and supervised by John Fowler, engineer to the Tees Conservancy Commissioners. Both light systems were used until 1892 when use of the light towers at Seaton Carew was discontinued by the Tees Conservancy Commissioners. The South Gare lighthouse light was originally lit by a paraffin wick lamp. and perhaps subsequently by a pressurised paraffin burner.

The lighthouse is 43 ft high, with a cylindrical cast-iron-clad stone tower all painted white. Small porthole windows in the north and south sides of the column light an internal helical newel staircase., a world first. This arrangement is more reliable than the mains electricity supply along the exposed breakwater because of its vulnerability in storms. The lighthouse is a listed building and has the Admiralty code A2626, NGA code 2020 and Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) code ENG-131.