St. Mary’s Island

Family commitments in Whitley Bay. My son had an athletics meeting with races at half past one and five o’clock leaving three hours to kill. So I went for a wander along the coast.

I love the coast. So exhilarating, especially when gales force winds are blowing and the sea is like a washing machine.

This is St.Mary’s Island. A true island only at high tide. When the tide is low a causeway connects it to Curry’s Point. The lighthouse was built in 1898 but is no longer in use. Made redundant by modern gps systems.

The monks of Tynemouth Priory built a chapel on the island around 1090.

Curry’s Point is so named because a Michael Curry was gibbeted there in the 18c.

Link to map: http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=435394&Y=575510&A=Y&Z=120