Category: Tour Diary

What a great day! I managed seven lighthouses all in one day and without any major hurry either.

My first stops were two lighthouses on the River Ouse, one in Whitgift and the second in Goole. Unfortunately I was not able to access the structure in Whitgift as it’s on private land, but it was visible from the road. Just along the road from the lighthouse at Goole is the Yorkshire Waterways Museum, which details the creation of Goole and its harbour. Although it’s not a huge museum it’s still worth a visit (and free) if you’re ever in the area. They run boat trips on Fridays and weekends too.

I may have “accidentally” parked on double yellow lines in Hull today, but I’d missed the turning for the car parks and the Spurn Light Vessel was just sitting there in the harbour waiting for me to stop and say hello. So I did! It’s really well-positioned next to the main road running through Hull (it may, in fact, be part of the A63) and is open to the public. Even better!

Paull and Thorngumbald were my next stops. It was in Paull that I got a bit windswept for the first (but definitely not the last) time today! A very tiny little place and a modest little lighthouse to match! Access to the lighthouse at Thorngumbald was, unfortunately, not possible, but I spotted it from a distance and took a bit of a ‘Where’s Wally’ picture of it.

Then I moved on to the most amazing so far: Spurn Point! It was really windy, but I drove out onto the spit, stopping occasionally to take some pictures, wherever it was possible to open the car door without it being torn off by the wind! The new lighthouse (pictured) and the old are both wonderful and it was great to see them next to each other at one point. The drive to the lighthouse was a huge part of the experience. I would encourage anyone who likes the coast, walking or lighthouses (of course) to go! Bit of a sticky situation on the way back when I nearly got stuck in the sand at a passing point, but I forced Little Car out (phew)! So, if you’re ever anywhere near it, just go!

My final stop of the day was Withernsea where the lighthouse (as in Southwold) is in the middle of the town. It’s a great little place with an intriguing entrance tower-type structure on the seafront.

What a day! It’s had its highs and its lows and now (thankfully) I’m settled into my tent in a tiny tiny village/hamlet called Brandy Wharf. There’s a cider centre just down the road, but I’ve been very good at keeping my sensible head on! Well done me!

So, my first night in the tent provided some “suitable” weather for testing its strength. I am pleased to report that it battled on through the strong wind and rain this morning and we both made it out the other side. Success!

My trip to Cromer involved taking a road that was signposted ‘no public access’, but when did that ever stop me! I knew people drove up there as there are holiday cottages in the buildings around the lighthouse, so I decided they were lying and went ahead and drove on up! I only captured a few shots (unfortunately none on my phone so no picture tonight I’m afraid – unless you like windmills, of which there are quite a few) as it was very cold and very wet.

Luckily, by the time I reached Hunstanton and the old lighthouse on the cliffs overlooking the beach, the rain had cleared up and, although it was still cold, I braved a short walk on the beach. Very lovely!

Sutton Bridge got me moving after that! I got a bit too keen with turning immediately after crossing the bridge and ended up parking and walking for around an hour to reach the intriguing lighthouses at the The Wash. They are on opposite sides of the river, but I was fortunate enough to be on the side of the lighthouse that, at its base, had a conservatory-looking affair with an almost 180 degree view of the river and its entrance. A really good walk!

I drove for a long time to reach my final destination of the day: Killingholme. It rained, it hailed and the sun came out throughout the course of my journey. Once I had spent an hour in the maze of streets and stinky factories of Immingham, going in and out of North and South Killingholme, I almost had to quit on one of the lighthouses (or should I say two – one white, one red). I made it there eventually, but I’m certain I will never go back to Immingham again!

The first two days of the tour have taken me on a bit of a trip down memory lane. The stretch of coastline in Suffolk, in particular, was host to The Smith Family Clan a number of times and it was great to be able to re-visit some of these places this weekend.

My first stop was Walton-on-the-Naze and the Naze Tower (pictured), which clearly no longer operates as a navigational aid, but has a great community behind it, which ensures it is well-maintained and much-loved as the nearby cliff is slowly falling away. The Tower will eventually fall into the sea, but it is clear that every effort is being made to prolong its presence.

In brief, I will sum up each of the other lighthouses I have visited so far in 1 (or a few) word(s). Dovercourt (two lights): strange, but beautiful. Harwich (two lights): a little uninspiring considering the town is home to Trinity House who own so many lighthouses in England and Wales. Orfordness: such a shame I missed the last boat to reach it, but looked great from afar anyway. Pakefield: a really lovely start to my second day and began with a very helpful man at Pontins! Lowestoft harbour: where I first realised that I’ll be seeing lots of fishermen on the tour! Lowestoft: wonderfully hidden, but really glad I found it, she’s a beauty. Gorleston: my favourite place so far and a very impressive lighthouse. Winterton: could see the back of it from afar, but it’s tucked away on private land now (which is a true reflection on the place, in my opinion). Happisburgh: just as stunning as it looks in all of it’s pictures!

First stop on day 3 – Cromer! 🙂