Mr Monkey walked through an area which claims to be Cliffords Fort, built as a defence against the Dutch during the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672. There's not really much of a fort left now, but there is the Old Low Light*. This was painted black when it stopped being a seamark to guide ships into the Tyne, so that seagoers didn't mistake it for the new Low Light (that's the white thing behind the cottage). He kept going, and was soon able to see the lighthouses on the ends of the piers guarding the mouth of the Tyne.
* There's a high light up the slope; if a ship lines up the low light and the high light, it should be going in the right direction to get into harbour.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 28 February 2006