South Pier, South Shields

The South Pier in South Shields is a pier and lighthouse built between 1854 and 1895, designed by James Walker and later John F Ure for the Tyne Improvement Commissioners, with PJ Messent as the resident engineer and Benjamin Lawton as the contractor.

The pier is made from local rock-faced sandstone and concrete blocks, stretching 1,570 meters in length and curving towards the northeast end where the lighthouse is located. It serves as the southern pier of a pair that protect the mouth of the River Tyne. The outer wall facing the sea features a low shelter wall made of stone and concrete blocks, topped with double-chamfered coping stones and remnants of a cast-iron mounting for a travelling crane. The inner wall facing the river has a replacement metal railing and several flights of stone steps, including stairs at the northeast end. A stub of a structure extending into the river is believed to be the remains of a landing stage shown on the 1898 second edition Ordnance Survey map. The northeast end has ashlar coping, and large concrete blocks act as wave breaks at the base. The surface of the pier is primarily concrete, but towards the northeast end, it consists of stone sets and retains partial remnants of a narrow railway track.

The lighthouse itself is constructed of concrete blocks, featuring a recessed entrance on the north side and a window above. A stone gallery with metal railings supports a bronze fog bell and a cast-iron and glazed lantern.