WHITLEY BAY

Here’s a brain-teaser for those old enough to remember chart-topping songs from the early 80s. Which band wrote these lyrics: “And girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did//Like the Spanish City to me when we were kids.” (** Answer at the bottom.) You may wonder why I am banging on about a Spanish City when I’m supposed to be blogging about the Tyne and Wear coast. Well, during the 20th century Spanish City was Whitley Bay’s answer to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Suitably whitewashed, with a huge dome on top, giving it the appearance of a Brighton Pavilion gone wrong, the Spanish City was a permanent funfair which was first opened in 1910, initially as a concert hall and roof garden with refreshment facilities. A ballroom was added later, then later still the funfair. The complex was closed in the early 2000s, having seen better days. However, there is now a plan to regenerate the site. Earlier this year, it was predicted that the regeneration would “pump millions of pounds into the economy”. Let’s hope this prediction proves true, because this economically troubled part of the country could do with a helping hand.

Whitley Bay’s history goes way back beyond the creation of Spanish City, with its first mention around 1100 during the time of King Henry I. Along with Cullercoats, it developed into a seaside resort around 200 years ago, with many day-trippers making the short journey from Newcastle to enjoy a relaxing spell on Whitley Bay’s seafront with its golden sandy beach. More recently, the town’s nightlife has made it a magnet for Stag and Hen parties, no doubt to the consternation of local residents. As well as the beach, the town's attractions include the Playhouse Theatre.

**Answer: Dire Straits (Tunnel of Love).

Map of the area.

Whitley Bay (2373170). Photo by Lisa M Moskwa, via Wikimedia Commons.

CULLERCOATS

The seaside village of Cullercoats, which has latterly become absorbed into the conurbations of neighbouring Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, was deemed by the American artist Wilson Homer to be picturesque enough to warrant a two-year stay. While there he captured the traditional life of the local fishing folk in paintings such as "Mending The Nets". Another charming painting of the village was by John Davison Liddell, born in North Shields, who named the work simply “Cullercoats”.  Another architectural relic from the old days of fishing is a row of fishermen’s cottages which were preserved during the redevelopment of the village in the 1970s. As well as fishing, the harbour here owed its existence to coal, which was extracted in a primitive type of mine called a “bell pit”, the coal being extracted with a bucket, similar to the way water is drawn from a well. As early as the 17th century, Lady Elizabeth Percy, daughter of the last Earl of Northumberland, had a quay built for the export of the coal produced by her own and neighbouring collieries. The present-day Cullercoats has a small but perfectly formed sandy beach popular with families.

Map of the area.

Baie Cullercoats North Tyneside 15. Photo by Chabe01, via Wikimedia Commons.

TYNEMOUTH

One thing that makes the north-east coast of England special is the large number of monastic ruins and romantic castles to be found at intervals along the shore. Just two examples are the equally famous Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, and Lindisfarne in Northumberland. Midway between these two are the impressive ruins of Tynemouth Priory and Castle, run by English Heritage. The Priory was built in 1090 on the site of a 7th century monastery and was used by the military until after the Second World War. There is still a gun battery and magazine on view. Nelson’s second-in-command at Trafalgar, Admiral Collingwood, was born in Newcastle and there is a statue of him below the Priory.  Nearby is the Life Brigade Watch House, which includes a museum dedicated to shipwrecks and lifesaving activities in the area.

The huge stone breakwater of Tynemouth Pier stretches out to sea from the foot of the Priory with a lighthouse at the end. There is also a promenade stretching to the north, backing onto Long Sands beach. The Blue Reef aquarium is on the promenade.  Meanwhile, one unlikely attraction of Tynemouth is its Metro station, which  has undergone an award-winning restoration and is one of Britain's finest examples of Victorian railway architecture.  At weekends the station hosts markets selling books, antiques and collectables.

Charles Dickens visited Tynemouth in 1867 and while there was evidently caught out by inclement weather, as he wrote a letter describing heavy seas and high winds, which he seemed to rather enjoy, even though he was knocked over and soaked by a wave crashing over him. Another famous visitor to the port was Giuseppe Garibaldi, who sailed in in 1854 and stayed a short while. The house where he stayed, in Huntingdon Place, bears a commemorative plaque.


Map of the area.

Tynemouth Castle1. Photo by Dposte46, via Wikimedia Commons.

NORTH SHIELDS

North Shields on the north bank of the Tyne used to have three collieries but like the other collieries in the area they are a thing of the past. There were also a number of shipyards, also gone. However, there is still some fishing activity, with trawlers selling their catches each morning on Fish Quay. The fishing port was set up in the 13th century by the Prior of Tynemouth to provide fish for the Priory at the mouth of the River Tyne. Another activity with which the area is associated is the railways, and railway fans can relive the glorious days of steam at the Stephenson Railway Museum. The museum houses many engines from the steam age including one christened “Billy”, which was a forerunner of the Rocket. North Shields also acts as an international ferry port for sailings to Amsterdam. Last month, a young woman travelling on the ferry with friends heading for a break in Amsterdam had a lucky escape when she was rescued from the North Sea after falling from the ferry.

North Shields played a defensive role during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th century, when Clifford's Fort was erected at Fish Quay.  The fort had a later role in submarine mining during the First World War, and its walls with their cannons are still there today.  Another feature of Fish Quay is a pair of lighthouses, High Lighthouse and Low Lighthouse, both of them whitewashed and square in shape unlike the usual rounded shape of lighthouses.  The Old Low Light Heritage Centre covers 900 years of the area's maritime heritage.


Map of the area.

Arrival of the Market Place Ferry at North Shields (geograph 2367422). Photo by Stanley Howe, via Wikimedia Commons.

JARROW

The name Jarrow is synonymous with unemployment and hardship brought on by global depression. Sound familiar? In 1936, a band of protesters 207 strong took part in the Jarrow March, making their way on foot all the way to Westminster, accompanied by their local Member of Parliament Ellen Wilkinson, otherwise known as “Red Ellen”. Sadly, although there was much public sympathy, the marchers did not get much out of the Government, apart from receiving £1 each to pay for their journey back up north. However, in the years that followed a ship-breaking yard and engineering works was established, and a steelworks was opened in 1939. As if to underline the parallels between those grim times and what we are facing today, just yesterday it was reported that a new Jarrow March had begun involving hundreds of people protesting at the cost of education and the lack of jobs. Best of luck to them, I hope they get more attention from the Government than their 1936 forerunners.

This town on the south bank of the River Tyne has historic remains dating back to Saxon times, when the Venerable Bede lived and worked in a monastery here. There is a Saxon dedication stone dating from 685 AD above the chancel arch of St Paul’s Church. Nearby, the Bede Museum at Jarrow Hall tells the story of medieval Northumbria, and includes a reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon farm from those times.

Map of the area.

Jarrow Hall, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear (4535471011). Photo by Orangeaurochs, via Wikimedia Commons.

SOUTH SHIELDS

Heading north from Whitburn, it is worth stopping off to view Marsden Rock, a sea stack which is home to colonies of sea birds such as Cormorants and Kittiwakes. There is a National Trust footpath from the bay here into South Shields. On reaching South Shields, we come to the mighty River Tyne, and with it the easternmost vestiges of the Roman presence which existed in these parts, the best known of which is Hadrian’s Wall, built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian as part military fortification, part customs barrier. Where South Shields now stands, the remains of the Roman fort of Arbeia have been uncovered. The excavations revealed the foundations of granaries that once supplied the troops stationed on the Wall. There have been sightings of ghostly Roman soldiers at the site of the fort. Moving forward in time, during the 9th century, the area was subjected to raids by the Vikings. The town’s economic past has been shaped in turns by fishing, shipbuilding and coalmining.

Today, South Shields is a popular seaside resort, with a pier, South Pier, stretching out a mile into the sea and two sandy beaches, Littlehaven Beach and Sandhaven Beach. Among the seafront attractions is the The Dunes, a multi-purpose complex with activities for all the family. The seafront parks offer a boating lake and a miniature steam railway. Near the North Marine Park is the South Shields Sailing Club.  The film director Ridley Scott was born in South Shields, as was Monty Python member Eric Idle.


Map of the area.

South Shields - panoramio. Photo by Stuart Locke, via Wikimedia Commons.

WHITBURN

It may be a little known fact that Whitburn has something in common with Thurlestone in South Devon. In my Thurlestone post on 19 February I mentioned that one of the ships of the Spanish Armada had been wrecked nearby, and that timbers thought to be from that ship can be found in the local pub. After the defeat of the fleet off the coast of France the surviving vessels headed up through the North Sea. However two Spanish galleons came to a sticky end when they ran aground on Whitburn Rocks. The galleons were plundered by the locals and a bell from one of them ended up in Whitburn Church.

The village lies to the north of a sandy bay, Whitburn Bay, and there is a clifftop path heading north towards Lizard Point. Souter Lighthouse, owned by the National Trust, stands on Lizard Point. The lighthouse was the first lighthouse to use electricity and though it ceased operation in 1988, it remains open to visitors, with the machinery still in working order. Souter Lighthouse has gained a reputation for hauntings, with people reporting the sensation of being grabbed by something, of spoons levitating and unexplained tobacco odours. Also to the north, Whitburn Coastal Park is looked after by the National Trust, and is a popular spot for birdwatchers, while fans of cetaceans have the chance to view them in late summer. Whitburn Windmill is a Grade II listed building dating from 1790, considered to be of special architectural and historical importance. The writer Lewis Carroll is thought to have written The Walrus And The Carpenter while staying at his cousin’s house in Whitburn.

Map of the area.

Souter Lighthouse, Marsden, Tyne and Wear 2. Photo by Glenn Scott, via Wikimedia Commons.

SUNDERLAND

A quick search under Google News for “Sunderland” reveals just what the big obsession is in this city in Tyne and Wear: football. The city’s football club is in the Premier League, and its headquarters is the ethereally named Stadium of Light, widely regarded as one of the best stadiums in Europe. But we mustn’t forget the women: Sunderland’s female football team is also in the top tier of the game, and is the top women’s football team in the north-east. Sunderland were the champions several times during the early years of the Football League, and their first FA Cup win was in 1937. Their second FA Cup win came in 1973, against Leeds United.

Sunderland’s history goes back to at least the 7th century, with the building of a monastery known as St Peter’s Church in 674. The year before, the Venerable Bede was born in the area, and there is a memorial to him in the seaside suburb of Roker. It subsequently became an important glass-making centre, and this industry is showcased today at the National Glass Centre on the River Wear. The city’s history is told at the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.  Hylton Castle, dating from the 15th century, is run by English Heritage, and has displays of medieval heraldry.

For a list of events in Sunderland see here.

Webcam view of the seafront.

Map of the area.

Sunderland Marina. Photo by rob bishop, via Wikimedia Commons.