[1] There already were two navigation light towers built in 1829 and operating in Durham county at Seaton Carew and another at Hartlepool to guide ships clear of Coatham Rocks off Redcar and then onto the Fairway Buoy outside the bar of the River Tees.
The building of South Gare lighthouse was planned and supervised by John Fowler, engineer to the Tees Conservancy Commissioners.
[4][6][7] Small porthole windows in the north and south side of the column light an internal helical newel staircase.
[2] The current light source is a 45 Watt high intensity LED[1][5] with a fourth order prismatic lens and can be seen for a range of 20 miles (17 nmi).
[5] Set 53 feet (16 m) above mean high water[1] the light operates automatically exhibiting sectored red and white with a 0.5 s flash every 12 seconds with an effective intensity of 150,000 Candelas.