The lighthouse which moved up the Sunderland coastline
It’s 40 years since a Sunderland lighthouse went on the move.
A new home had to be found for the 125-year-old lighthouse which was originally on Sunderland’s old South Pier.
The lighthouse was under threat because the old pier needed to be repaired and reconstructed.
A structure of special interest
But the huge white structure was listed as being of special architectural and historical interest. And so a plan began to move it to a new home in 1983.
The Joint Ports Committee of Tyne and Wear was asked to approve the removal and take the building to Cliffe Park, at Roker.
It was a painstaking task which needed the approval of Sunderland Borough Council committee and the Department of the Environment for the plan.
Foundations and an electricity supply were paid for
The Joint Ports Committee was given good news when it heard that the first stage of the restoration work in the pier would cost less than expected.
That freed up £70,000 which was the same sum that it would take to re-site the lighthouse.
Borehole tests were crucial
And not only that, the money would pay for the foundation and an electricity supply.
Borehole tests in Cliffe Park showed that it was a suitable place for a new home.
Tell us if you watched the lighthouse on the move. Email [email protected]