Maryport New Lighthouse

Maryport New Lighthouse stands at the end of the south pier in Maryport, Cumbria. It is a small aluminium tower only 4.7 metres tall, painted white and topped with a lantern. The pier itself was extended in the 19th century and the lighthouse was added later. Trinity House provided the new light in 1996, replacing an older cast iron structure that no longer serves as a navigation aid. The old lighthouse remains on the pier, a Grade II listed building with an octagonal metal plinth and stone base. Both lights guide vessels into the harbour, though their roles have changed over time. The lighthouse is worth the journey for its engineering history and cultural links. Robert Stevenson inspected an earlier oil lamp in 1796, and James Chance designed a fixed optic in 1858 that extended the light’s range to twelve nautical miles. The painter L. S. Lowry featured the scene in several works, capturing the industrial harbour and its maritime structures. Trinity House managed the lights from 1961 until responsibility passed to the local harbour authority in 2010. The old lighthouse was restored in 2017 as part of a regeneration scheme for seaside towns. Visitors find a quiet spot at the end of the pier with views across the Solway Firth. The aluminium tower’s flashing white light can be seen six nautical miles out to sea, while the restored cast iron lighthouse stands nearby as a historic landmark. The surrounding harbour area includes docks and jetties where coloured lights once marked safe channels. The pier extension offers a long walk with changing perspectives of the coastline and passing ships. The lighthouse site is part of Maryport’s maritime heritage, recognised by the Round Table of Britain and Ireland in 2017.