The Lighthouse Trail cycle route overall rating:
(Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of)
The Lighthouse Trail is a stunning 13 mile ride along the very scenic North East coast, passing a total of seven lighthouses, as it follows the coast south.
Almost all the route is along traffic free paths, except a short section along the fish quay in North Shields, which is a 20mph zone and quiet. The route is mainly flat with no large or steep climbs.
The starting point is in Whitley Bay and follows NCN1 down the North Tyneside coast though Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth, then North Shields to the Shields ferry across the Tyne. If you want to be a purist, then there’s a short out and back section along NCN1 to St Mary’s lighthouse which is about 10 minutes’ cycle ride.
Once off the ferry, the route picks up NCN1 again to wind though South Shields before reaching the sea front. Once there it follows the coast road south past a long stretch of open grassland on the cliff tops (famous for the finish of the Great North Run) before passing Souter lighthouse.
NCN 1 then continues through Whitburn and then the Seaburn and Roker suburbs of Sunderland before finishing on Roker seafront. The route can be ridden in either direction, but north-south has been written up for completion.
For the more adventurous and experienced, it is possible to make this a 33 mile round trip along quiet roads and paths going via the Tyne cycling tunnels. The map for that longer route is also included further below.
Most of the details, and all the photos for this route was provided by Gazza_D – do yourself a favour and follow him on Mastodon – but any errors or omissions are mine alone.
Surface on the Lighthouse Trail
Save for a section of self-compacting gravel through Whitburn, the remainder of the route has a decent tarred surface.
Refreshments
As the route follows a popular seaside location, there are plenty of refreshment stops along the way.
Bikes
Practically any type of standard bike can use this route. Some cargo bikes, and trikes may struggle to get through the A-frames.
Toilets
There are plenty of toilet stops along the route, in various places.
Hilliness
The route is almost completely flat.
Safety from traffic
There’s one short on-road segment, along a normally quiet, 20mph road.
Social safety
This is a popular route, and help should never be far away.
Points of Interest
It’s a coastal route with stunning views along the coast and out across the North Sea. On a clear day you can see the North Yorkshire coastline.
Spanish City in Whitley Bay was immortalized in a song by Dire Straits, and some of the lyrics have been embedded in the public space in front of the venue.
Tynemouth and it’s Priory are worth a visit as is Souter Lighthouse which is a National Trust property
South Shields has a small amusement arcade and funfair, and the north and south marine parks are splendid Victorian parks. South marine park has a small boating lake, and a miniature railway.
If you divert via NCN72 south of the ferry, it leads to a large roman fort – Arbeia. You can then follow the paths through North Marine park to the seafront and rejoin the route.
Souter Lighthouse is owned by the National Trust. It was constructed in 1871 and was the world’s first electrically powered lighthouse. The field just north of the lighthouse used to be a small mining village until the 1960s when it was demolished. The structures near Souter are old lime kilns which used to take limestone from the quarry behind, and coal from the mines to produce lime for the steel industry
Routes nearby
- The Lighthouse Trail
- Reivers Route – UK Coast To Coast Routes
- C2C – UK Coast to Coast Routes
- Lanchester Valley Railway Path
- Deerness Valley Railway Path cycle route
- The Waskerley Way traffic-free cycle route
- Thorpe Thewles to Ryhope traffic-free cycle route
- Derwent Walk Cycleway
- Two Rivers Cycleway
- Consett & Sunderland Railway Path
- Bowes Railway Path Traffic-free Cycle Route
Barriers
Sadly, there are several A-frame barriers.
Cycle Hire
You can hire bicycles from Northerly Swell.
Child friendliness
This route is suitable for even fairly young kids.
Weather forecast for the Lighthouse Trail
What the Lighthouse Trail looks like
Getting to the Lighthouse Trail
There are national rail stations in Newcastle and Sunderland, and Metro stations along the route as well as being fairly close to either end. The Metro closest to the start point is Monkseaton which is about half a mile from the route start. The metro closest to the finish point is St Peters which is about 5-6 minutes from the finish point.
Please note that there are cycle restrictions on the Metro. They are allowed outside of peak time, except in the tunnelled sections through Newcastle city centre. Folding cycles are allowed at all times. The current guidance can be found at https://www.nexus.org.uk/cycle/bikes-metro. As ever, read my Bikes On Trains guide for useful and helpful tips for taking your bike on the train.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
DayCycle
DayCycle routes are routes that can can easily be cycled by most people in a day, or part of a day. Do have a look at all the other DayCycle routes available on WillCycle.