Coastal Watch Mirror
Military In Sunderland, Tyne And Wear
WW1 acoustic mirror, which detected German Zeppelins as they approached the coast.

I love it when I stumble over a place that's totally new to me, and the Fulwell Coastal Watch Mirror is one of those places. I had seen something on TV recently about acoustic mirrors, but as there are only 10 left in the country, had never seen one. This one at Fulwell on Namey Hill popped up on maps recently, so we had to pay a visit.
The coastal watch mirror was built during WW1 in 1917, and was invented by Major William Sansome Tucker. Development of the acoustic mirror continued until the mid-1930s when radar made them redundant.
The acoustic mirror detected sound from German Zeppelins, giving a 15 minute warning that the Germans were on their way. A microphone would have been positioned on the plinth in front of the mirror and an operator hiding in a nearby trench would have heard the sound of the Zeppelins through headphones.
As mentioned, there are only 10 left in the country, mainly in Kent and along the North East Coast. If anyone has any photos of the others, we'd love to see them.
The acoustic mirror had been hidden behind weeds and nettles until fairly recently when work was undertaken to restore the area. In 2014, £68k from English Heritage, Sunderland Council and Heritage Lottery Fund was used to open out the area, an interpretation board was installed and the mirror itself was restored to it's former glory. Interestingly (to some!), repairs were made to the concrete dish and to make it look aged rather than brand new, diluted sheep droppings were used to tone in the repair work.
There is a blue plaque on the side of the mirror which claims it is convex, but we reckon it's concave. A little quirk of this amazing piece of history.

Get 4 points if you have visited this place. Already visited by 10 VIPs.
Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.
How To Find Coastal Watch Mirror
Where Is Coastal Watch Mirror?
Lat / Long
54.929671, -1.393886
What three words
Where To Park For Coastal Watch Mirror?
Lat / Long
54.933444, 54.933444
What three words
There is parking along a quiet road close to Miller and Carter Steakhouse restaurant. Parking in Miller and Carter car park is not recommended as it is for patrons only.
Contributed by Sandra Clemens
I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.
More Places from Sandra
More Places In Sunderland
Find more fabulous places in Sunderland, Tyne And Wear and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.

Ryhope Engines Museum
Museum Sunderland Tyne And WearAn original working Victorian Water Pumping Station operated by steam.

Cretehawser Wreck
Military Sunderland Tyne And WearThe wreck of concrete tug 'Cretehawser' which sits on the banks of the River Wear.

Men Of Steel
Art Sunderland Tyne And WearFour sculptures outside the Stadium Of Light that commemorate the city's industrial past.
More Militaries
So this military wasn't enough and you want more? Don't worry we have you covered.

RRH Brizlee Wood Radome Golf Ball
Military Alnwick NorthumberlandA radome housing an RAF radar at Brizlee Wood sitting on top of Alnwick Moor.

Clifford's Fort
Military North Shields Tyne And WearA defensive gun battery established near the mouth of the Tyne during the Anglo Dutch Wars in the 17th Century and used during various later conflicts.

Cretehawser Wreck
Military Sunderland Tyne And WearThe wreck of concrete tug 'Cretehawser' which sits on the banks of the River Wear.
Find Us On Facebook
We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.
Join Our Facebook Group