Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Seaton Sluice and Lighthouse.
It was a cold grey morning.
We drove east, skirting the northernmost parts of Newcastle.
It was bitter and bleak on the east coast - but beautiful.
We had a little walk at Seaton Sluice.
The word "sluice" conjures up images of mucky drains - but not in these parts.
The Seaton Burn flows into The North Sea and in earlier times formed an important harbour. There were salt from local salt pans, coal, and bottles to be transported.
The bottle works was a village in itself, with breweries, granaries, pubs, shops, a chapel.
The little estuary silted up easily and Lord Deleval created a pier and sluice gates trapped water at each high tide. These were opened at low tide and the force of the water flushed the sand out of the harbour.
There is hardly a sign now of the manufacturing and industry of earlier times.
The coal trade was badly hit when 204 men and boys perished after the beam of a pumping engine fell down the mineshaft. A lesson was learned and from then on mines had to have 2 shafts.
The bottle works closed in 1872.
The salt trade ceased earlier - in 1798 the salt tax put an end to the trade.
Bigger harbours were developed at Tyne and Blyth.
Seaton Sluice is now a quiet backwater.
The sands stretch northwards to Blyth.
The Cut. Lord Deleval had this cutting made - facing the sea in an easterly direction. It was an easier approach for the ships.
It was not a day to sit and relax and enjoy the view.
Son and grand daughter stride out to the modern pier.
Looking back to the village.
The Deleval stately home is a little inland and is now a National Trust property.
My man looks cold.
I was determined not to look cold.....and I was protected by many layers of clothing.
Son and grand daughter look out to sea.
The moods of the sea.
St Mary's Lighthouse.
This would be our next destination. It can only be reached when the tide is low and the causeway is uncovered.
Playing on a relic of the old harbour.
Sadly, I didn't make it to the lighthouse.
Stupid me - I tripped over a kerb stone and went flying, flat on my face; fortunately onto grass.
I bumped my knee and my right hand took the full weight of my body landing on it. Was it broken? I didn't think so, though it hurt like anything.
I was quite shaken and went to sit in the car, whilst the others went to explore.
This is from a BBC website - and was almost my view from the car.
The men folk went to the top of the tower.
The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1984.
View from the top to Witley Bay.
Witley Bay was our next destination. I needed a nice cup of tea, painkillers, a crepe bandage and to get warm.
As a result, Witley Bay was very welcoming!
We did a little shopping afterwards - charity shops and the Christian Centre.
Very satisfying finds for one and all.
By the time we thought to photograph my hand over 48 hours had elapsed - so not very dramatic.
We drove east, skirting the northernmost parts of Newcastle.
It was bitter and bleak on the east coast - but beautiful.
We had a little walk at Seaton Sluice.
The word "sluice" conjures up images of mucky drains - but not in these parts.
The Seaton Burn flows into The North Sea and in earlier times formed an important harbour. There were salt from local salt pans, coal, and bottles to be transported.
The bottle works was a village in itself, with breweries, granaries, pubs, shops, a chapel.
The little estuary silted up easily and Lord Deleval created a pier and sluice gates trapped water at each high tide. These were opened at low tide and the force of the water flushed the sand out of the harbour.
There is hardly a sign now of the manufacturing and industry of earlier times.
The coal trade was badly hit when 204 men and boys perished after the beam of a pumping engine fell down the mineshaft. A lesson was learned and from then on mines had to have 2 shafts.
The bottle works closed in 1872.
The salt trade ceased earlier - in 1798 the salt tax put an end to the trade.
Bigger harbours were developed at Tyne and Blyth.
Seaton Sluice is now a quiet backwater.
The sands stretch northwards to Blyth.
The Cut. Lord Deleval had this cutting made - facing the sea in an easterly direction. It was an easier approach for the ships.
It was not a day to sit and relax and enjoy the view.
Son and grand daughter stride out to the modern pier.
Looking back to the village.
The Deleval stately home is a little inland and is now a National Trust property.
My man looks cold.
I was determined not to look cold.....and I was protected by many layers of clothing.
Son and grand daughter look out to sea.
The moods of the sea.
St Mary's Lighthouse.
This would be our next destination. It can only be reached when the tide is low and the causeway is uncovered.
Playing on a relic of the old harbour.
Sadly, I didn't make it to the lighthouse.
Stupid me - I tripped over a kerb stone and went flying, flat on my face; fortunately onto grass.
I bumped my knee and my right hand took the full weight of my body landing on it. Was it broken? I didn't think so, though it hurt like anything.
I was quite shaken and went to sit in the car, whilst the others went to explore.
This is from a BBC website - and was almost my view from the car.
The men folk went to the top of the tower.
The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1984.
View from the top to Witley Bay.
Witley Bay was our next destination. I needed a nice cup of tea, painkillers, a crepe bandage and to get warm.
As a result, Witley Bay was very welcoming!
We did a little shopping afterwards - charity shops and the Christian Centre.
Very satisfying finds for one and all.
By the time we thought to photograph my hand over 48 hours had elapsed - so not very dramatic.
