Tynemouth Iron Age and Romano-British settlements, monasteries, site of lighthouse, cross, motte, enclosure and artillery castles and later coastal defences

Scheduled area

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History & significance

Tynemouth is a complex heritage site located at the mouth of the River Tyne in Northumberland, encompassing multiple periods of occupation and defence spanning from the Iron Age to the modern period. The site contains evidence of Iron Age and Romano-British settlement, followed by an important early medieval monastery founded in the seventh century, which became a significant religious centre until its dissolution. The headland was fortified progressively over centuries, with the addition of a motte, enclosure defences, and artillery fortifications reflecting changing military technology and coastal defence strategies from the medieval period onwards. A lighthouse was established on the site in the seventeenth century, and subsequent nineteenth-century coastal defences were constructed to protect the strategic harbour entrance, making Tynemouth a palimpsest of defensive and religious architecture across nearly two millennia.

Tynemouth Iron Age and Romano-British settlements, monasteries, site of lighthouse, cross, motte, enclosure and artillery castles and later coastal defences is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015519. View the official record →

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