I thought it might be nice (for those who are interested) to be able to get a little bit more information on the actual heritage sites we run past while we’re doing this year’s challenge. So I’ll add the main features here as we continue our run.
North Shields/South Shields Ferry
The ferry between North and South Shields has been running since at least 1377. Until the 19th century, sculler boats rowed by oarsmen would be used and by 1863 there were three different routes to cross the river by ferry. Nowadays there is only one route left and that ferry is operated by Nexus.
North Shields Fish Quay
The quay’s history goes back to 1225 when it was a simple village of shielings, close to the mouth of the River Tyne (the current town of North Shields takes its name from the shielings). The quay’s location was ideal to serve the nearby Tynemouth Castle and Priory and although these days it is going through redevelopment, it is still used as a fishing port.
Tynemouth Priory and Castle
This ancient site dates back to the 7th Century when the first monastery was built. In the 11th century the monastery was replaced by a Norman priory to which Tynemouth Castle was added in the 14th Century. It was once one of the largest fortified sites in England but nowadays only the ruins remain.
Spanish City & Dome (Whitley Bay)
Designed to be a smaller version of Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach, the Spanish City opened in 1910 as a concert hall, restaurant, roof garden and tearoom. A ballroom was added in 1920 and later they also added a permanent funfair.
Dire Straits mention this building in the song “Tunnel of Love” but unfortunately by the late 20th century it had fallen into disrepair and was closed to the public. It was reopened in 2018 as a dining and leisure centre.
St Mary’s Lighthouse (Whitley Bay)
The lighthouse and adjacent buildings date back to 1898. The lighthouse was built on the site of an 11th-century monastic chapel, whose monks maintained a lantern on the tower to warn passing ships of the danger of the rocks. The site is actually a small island, connected to the mainland by a causeway which can only be crossed at low tide.
Seaton Sluice Harbour
This harbour dates back to the 17th century when it was built by Sir Ralph Delaval. It became the focus for glassworks, brewery, brickworks, lime kiln and quarry – all situated around the harbour. The Hartley Bottle Works was a major post-medieval concern brought to the area by the apparently unlimited supply of sand and coal.
These days local fishermen and leisure users can be found here but it’s not a commercial port anymore.
Holywell Dene
This is a steep-sided valley of semi-natural woodland with the Seaton Burn
running through. First recordings go back to 800AD, although at the time it was known as Merkel Dene. In 1066, the Dene was granted to Hubert de Laval who came to Britain with the army of William the Conqueror. It later became part of the Delaval
Estate which is still the case today. Small settlements of farmers and coal workers have lived there for centuries and even as late as 1911, there were still 77 residents living there. A lease for a watermill and windmill for grinding corn (known as Hartley Mill) was granted in 1828 and lasted for about 150 years.
Today, Holywell Dene is a nature reserve where people can spend time running, walking or spotting wildlife. There are, however, still remnants all over the Dene that go back to its industrial past (over-ground pipelines, ruins of buildings and a now repurposed wagonway).
Blyth and Tyne Railway
The railway was used between the early 1800s and late 1970s to transport coal from the Northumberland Coalfield to Blyth as well a the river Tyne. By the end of the 1970s mines were closing all over the UK and so transport of coal came to an end. When the current Tyne & Wear Metro was established in the early 1980s, some of the old railways were repurposed as part of that network, going out to The Coast. The rest is currently still open for freight although it’s not frequently used.
Burradon Tower
These ruins used to be part of a tower house and are now a protected site. The tower was most likely built around 1553 by Bertram Anderson after substantial damage was done to the original Manor of Burradon by the Scots in the 15th Century. The building was abandoned in the late 17th/early 18th Century and was declared derelict by 1769. In the 19th Century it was incorporated in a larger farm building and you can still visit it on the estate today.
Weetslade Country Park
This area used to be a colliery but after the mines were closed, it was re-purposed as a country park.
The 6 Mile Bridge
The bridge was named for being located at exactly 6 miles from Newcastle. Before 1838 there used to be a small, rural hamlet in this area but due to the influx of workers when the mines opened, population soon began to rise.
Big Waters Reserve
Another country park that used to be a colliery. Deep mine works caused a collapse which then filled up with water and turned into the lake we can see there today. After the mines closed, the site was re-purposed as a nature reserve and recreational area.
Prestwick Carr
Prestwick Carr was once a lake surrounded by marshy wet land. It was used as a source of peat and, when flooded, would be used for fishing. Nowadays it’s an area of wet grasslands where wild ponies and other wildlife can be seen.
Ponteland
Ponteland has existed since Saxon times. In 1242, the church was the scene of the signing of a peace treaty between King Henry III of England and King Alexander of Scotland.
Confessions of a Running Freak 