Military In Tynemouth, Tyne And Wear
A six storey lookout tower used to assist gun turrets in both World War 1 and 2.
Heading along the coastal road near Tynemouth lives an unusual white tower block on Percy Gardens. It's not directly on the sea front, so easy to miss, but this was a former lookout post for World War 1 and 2.
Following naval attacks on Scarborough and Hartlepool, in addition to German Zeppelin attacks on Tyneside, the north east coastal defence needed strengthening and two guns were installed at Seaton Sluice and Marsden in South Shields. However to accurately hit the target, you needed to be able to see your target and so this six storey lookout was erected at Tynemouth behind a house owned by the War Office. At the time it was the tallest of its kind and even had its own gun emplacement.
Although the planning for the tower was drawn up in 1916, it wasn't until after the war that the tower and turrets were actually completed. The guns were fired a single time and then retired, but the lookout tower was continued to be used throughout World War 2 most likely for the guns of Tynemouth Battery at Tynemouth Priory.
After the war, the tower was sold as a private residence and is now Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England.
There is also a short podcast about the lookout tower on the BBC website.
Get 1 point if you have visited this place. Already visited by 19 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.
What three words
mock.return.older
Lat / Long
55.02214, -1.422428
Show Place On Google Maps
What three words
hype.ruins.bared
Lat / Long
55.02117, -1.421064
Plenty of parking along the sea front.
Contributed by Simon Hawkins
Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue Pele tower up a remote hill or a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.
A 900m long pier protecting ships when entering the River Tyne at Tynemouth.
A Grade II* listed monument in Tynemouth, dedicated to Vice Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood. A Napoleonic-era admiral noted for being second-in-command to Admiral Lord Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar.
A statue of Queen Victoria by sculptor Alfred Turner in Tynemouth.
WW1 acoustic mirror, which detected German Zeppelins as they approached the coast.
A monument marking the Battle Of Fodden where the Scottish army of King James IV were heavily defated by the English in a brutal encounter.
Site of the battle of Newburn Ford and Ryton Willows Local Nature Reserve
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.