Coast

The relocated lighthouse.

Hartlepool grew around a natural harbour and by the 1840s, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, there was more and more need of a port, and an increased number of ships coming in and out of the area.

Unfortunately the coastline has a lot of dangerous rocks and in 1844, after a public meeting demanded it, a lighthouse was built, which (and here's another first for Hartlepool) was probably the first successful gas-lit lighthouse in the world.

So everyone was happy, ships came in and out safely, and life went on pretty well for the lighthouse, until the Heugh Battery was built in 1859, approximately 100 yards away.

The plaque at the Headland

Unfortunately, during the bombardment on 16th December 1914, the lighthouse got in the way of the fire, stopping the soldiers from protecting their family, friends, and town efficiently.

The first death of the Great War to happen on British soil happened during this bombardment.  To hear more about it click the link at the top right of this page.

It was decided that the lighthouse should be moved elsewhere so it could still do its job, so its top section was used as a temporary wooden lighthouse which stood on the Town Moor until 1927, before being replaced by a new, smaller and less annoyingly situated lighthouse.

An innovation in defence.

So with the lighthouse dealt with and the war over, the Heugh Battery was left to disappear underground.

But even though it had gone from sight, it had not left the memory of the locals.

One night, during an evening in the pub, a group of men decided to dig it up, and put it back to it's war time glory.

Underground in the battery.

They started by digging out the magazines and checking everything was still there, and have progressed to the point where they're now making historical finds, including their latest - one of the last remaining examples of World War One camouflage.

They do tours around the Battery in full army dress and working weapons.

They're hoping to get extra funding to make it into an interactive site, offering audio stories of what it would have been like during the bombardment, and realistic noises.

After you've had a good look around the lighthouse and Heugh Battery, take yourself back to the main road - the Headland Promenade.

From here you need to follow the road along the coast, take in the sites of the sea and a good lung full of fresh air, and you'll be at point 7 on the walk.