New Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre at Souter Lighthouse to officially open its doors

Whitburn's new Coastal Conservation Centre will officially open its doors at Souter Lighthouse from next week.

With building work completed in autumn, the new centre is a space where community groups and visitors can learn more about the wildlife, landscape and history of the coast.

The new centre will play a key role in delivering the aims of the SeaScapes Partnership which is supported by the National Lottery’s Heritage Fund.

Formed In November 2017, the SeaScapes Partnership consists of more than 20 organisations including the National Trust, South Tyneside Council, Durham County Council, Durham Wildlife Trust and Natural England.

It aims to connect people with the coast between the Tyne and Tees rivers through 23 projects focussing on heritage, nature and improvements to coastal access.

Eric Wilton, general manager at Souter Lighthouse, said: “The addition of a fresh new visitor space at Souter is an exciting development.

"It will allow far more people to engage in activities and hands on experiences around nature and heritage than the lighthouse alone can accommodate.

"Previously, the ranger team and Whitburn Coastal Conservation Group didn’t have an indoor area to deliver events or carry out activities such as bird ringing, so they’re looking forward to making good use of the centre.

"We want local residents and visitors to enjoy using it too, for it to feel like a natural link between the lighthouse and the coastal park, a sort of steppingstone between a historic building and the outdoor environment.”

The centre is an accessible multi-use space.

There’s room for exhibitions and interpretation about the Northeast coast and marine conservation issues, as well as scope to deliver new events and activities at Souter Lighthouse.

The National Trust and partners will be putting the centre to good use for meetings and events in 2024. In the longer term, they hope it will be well-used by local community groups with an interest in improving mental or physical health, protecting the coastal and marine environment, exploring local heritage or delivering coast-related educational activities for children or adults.

Later this year the Souter team will reveal how community groups sharing any of these aims can book the centre.

Jenny Swainston, SeaScapes Delivery Manager, said: “The Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre provides a new coastal hub for the community and partners of the SeaScapes project, the main room being available for community groups at a low cost.

"There is also great potential for school groups to come and learn about and enjoy the amazing coastal environment of the site.  It opens up a whole raft of new learning possibilities.”

The building was funded by a combination of the National Lottery Heritage Fund via the SeaScapes project and the National Trust, partly through their Neptune Coastline Campaign Fund.

And thanks go to the generosity of Gordon Cooper who, after just one visit to Souter Lighthouse and despite living miles away in Lancashire, left a gift in his will which helped to fund the new centre.

Designed by Newcastle based Mawson Kerr Architects, Whitburn Coastal Conservation Centre is a single-story building intended to blend sensitively with the coastal landscape.

Its eco-friendly features include recycled plastic tile cladding, sustainable and sturdy cross laminated timber panels (layers of wood glued together perpendicular to each other), and thick insulation to maximise energy efficiency.

Close to the centre, visitors can take a seat on a recently installed bespoke wooden ‘Story Bench’. Facing the sea and carved with scenes inspired by themes from real conversations, it’s a place designed to encourage visitors to pause, reflect on and share stories of their love of the coast and perhaps discuss how they feel about climate change.

 A Changing Places accessible toilet at Souter Lighthouse, in partnership with South Tyneside Council, was also completed in 2023. Featuring an adjustable changing bench and a hoist, it allows more people to visit the coast, confident that their comfort needs will be met.