Fish Quay Old High Light

The Fish Quay Old High Light stands on Dockwray Square in North Shields, a pair of former lighthouse towers built in 1727 to guide ships along the Tyne. They replaced earlier wooden structures that had proved unreliable, and were themselves replaced in 1810 by taller lights further downriver. Both towers are grade II listed buildings, with the Old High Light now a private home and the Old Low Light part of Clifford’s Fort. The lights were first lit by tallow candles, later upgraded to oil lamps and then gas, before electricity took over in 1927. Their alignment helped pilots avoid the dangerous Shields Bar and Black Middens, and the dues they raised helped fund their upkeep. The Old Low Light became a fish warehouse in the 20th century, then a training centre, before being restored as a museum in 2014. Visitors to the Old Low Light find a café on the ground floor, a permanent exhibition on the first floor about the lighthouses and Clifford’s Fort, and an event space above. The Old High Light remains a private dwelling, while the newer towers nearby still serve as daymarks for ships entering the Tyne. The site offers a clear view of the river mouth and Fish Quay, linking the area’s maritime past with its present.