Pictures from a visit to the County Durham coast.
Marsden Rock [54 58 21 N, 1 21 50 W]. The wind was strong and biting and everybody but the birds was indoors…
The window just visible on the left of the tower used to provide a distinctive split red/white light to guide vessels into the mouth of the Wear to the south.
Souter Lighthouse [54 58 14 N, 1 21 52 W] and foghorn.
The lighthouse was technically very advanced when built in 1871 and the machinery in the plant room here is still in good working order, although in these days of GPS, the lighthouse is no longer in operation. The 5 tonnes of rotating lenses used to concentrate the light float on a 1.5 ton mercury reservoir and were turned by just a weight falling the height of the tower…