The Antiques Roadshow episode filmed at Souter Lighthouse in Whitburn will air on Sunday, September 27, at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
The team visited the North East landmark over the summer, and in the programme presenter Fiona Bruce explores the history of the UK's first purpose-built, electric-powered lighthouse and its keepers.
Treasures from the North East
The episode also features treasures found in homes across the North East, each with its own local story. Paintings specialist Rupert Maas comes across a striking seascape painting by a local artist, saved from a skip, and expert Joanna Hardy finds a gold brooch of a mouse playing the violin.
Fiona's antiques knowledge is tested as ceramic expert Will Farmer challenges her to work out which pieces of glass from the North East are worth the most.
History of Souter Lighthouse
Kate Develin, senior collections & house officer, said: "It is wonderful to be able to showcase this special place through hosting the Antiques Roadshow."
"Souter Lighthouse represents the rich maritime and industrial heritage of the North East. It was the first purpose built electric lighthouse in the UK and its powerful light protected ships carrying coal and other goods from the industrial ports of Newcastle and Sunderland."
Opened in 1871, Souter Lighthouse was a marvel of its age and remains an iconic beacon. Hooped in red and white, it stands on the coastline midway between the Tyne and the Wear, and was the first lighthouse in the UK designed and built to be powered by electricity.
Visitor information
Souter Lighthouse is open from Saturday to Wednesday, 11am to 4pm, until Sunday, November 1. Visitors can freely explore the leas and foghorn field and visit the Lighthouse Café daily from 10am to 4pm. From November, café hours shorten for the winter season to Friday to Sunday, 11am to 3pm.
To the north, The Leas is a two and a half mile stretch of magnesian limestone cliffs, rocky bays and coastal grassland. The cliffs and rock stacks of Marsden Bay are home to nesting kittiwakes, fulmar, cormorants, shags and guillemots. South of the lighthouse is Whitburn Coastal Park and Nature Reserve – reclaimed colliery land, now a haven for wildlife.
