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| This is a marvelous view looking up river . In the far distance is the Albert - Edward Dock and on the bottom right the Fish Quay and Lloyds Hailing Station . |
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| From Ken Groundwaters book " Newcastle and the River Tyne" - Silverlink Publishing UK. |
This is the South bank of the River Tyne in early 1960's ,viewed from the Middle Docks up to Tynemouth Pier in the distance - notice the crane on Tynemouth Pier . In the Dock is the Southern Harvester and in the River her sister ship the Southern Venturer , both Whalers .
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| This is an engraving of a picture by Turner , entitled "Shields on the River Tyne " and dated 1823 . Courtesy of the Tate Gallery. |
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Looking up river from the Groyne at High tide as the Sun sets on a cold Wintry day. On the left, the old Pilot jetty , a great place for kids to fish for sprats if the Pilots didn't chase you away . Over the river is the North Shields Fishquay and the High and Low lights navigation beacons .
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| The Pilot Jetty , shortly before the front section was removed | This is the Pilot Jetty with a bit missing - the Pilots are not very happy about it . |
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| One of the last pictures of a pilot boat ( the Bewick) , using the Pilot Jetty in 2002 . Shortly after a section was removed to end its use after over 100 years . For many years , this was a routine berthing place for all Pilot boats | The above picture shows it present state in 2003 | |
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The "Mauratania" leaving the Tyne in
1907 |
Same place but no "Mauratania"
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| The "Alum House Ham" pub built in 1756 , a favorite place for Foy boat men . | The "Alum House Ham" pub circa 1900 | |
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| The "Alum House Ham" pub and Coble landing with the old Ferry landing on the left . | The "Alum House Ham" pub drawn by George McVay in 1949 . |
This is one of the approaches to the Ferry Landing and show`s the Ferry Tavern and the Alum House Ham pub . The Alum House has reputedly 6 Ghosts and one is a prostitute called "Giggling Nelly", she has never been seen but is often heard laughing - I wonder what at - ahem . The Ferry Tavern was demolished in January 2001 . The path to the ferry landing is between the two pubs .
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| Path to the New Ferry Landing - June 2003 | View from the "Shieldsman" downriver | |
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| The new Ferry landing located on the site of the original - 2001 | The new Ferry landing , but after it was moved up River a couple of hundred yards - June 2003 | |
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| So. Shields Ferry Terminal from a different perspective . | ||
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| A superb view of the Albert - Edward dock , plus the site of the former Smiths Dock and on the Shields side , Ferry landing , TDE Engineering dock and Brighams Dock . |
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| This is the former site of Readheads , the shipbuilders |
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| This is the entrance to Tyne Dock , with the old Readhead's site on the right . Across the river is the North Sea Ferry Terminal . |
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| Station Road leading down to the old Ferry Landing , shortly before its demolition in 2001 . | Station Road - June 2003 , but all the old shops have gone . The ramp to the new Ferry landing in the background . |
| Comical Corner - Just Down the River from the Ferry Landing is Comical Corner , so called apparently because of the fun bystanders got watching Sailing ships trying to negotiate the bend in the river . The river was not as wide as it is now and had many sandbanks . It was also a Ferry Landing and the service made a direct journey across the river , instead of the "Lazy Z" route taken by the current Ferry. Originally started in 1847 , it was known as "the halfpenny ferry " , and no doubt due to inflation , ended up being called" the penny ferry " - the following are views of the area , past and present .The following is an reminsence by a "toonender" who was there at the time - "At Comical Corner was George Gallon's butcher shop, a pork butcher and a tripe preparer being on the opposite side" . "Facing the landing was an outfitter's shop, and then next door was Mrs Cairns's bullet shop (sweet shop - author ), and nearby was Mr Reay's butcher shop. "All carried on a big business in their respective callings, for they were the good old days of the town-enders. "Between the Pan Ash Quay and Barker's Stairs was Mr Burdon's lamp shop. "Barker's Dock! What reminiscences... of how delighted I was when I was of an age to take father his breakfast. The smell of the new wood chips, the oakum, the tar and the general surroundings were as pleasant to me as the sweet-refreshing earth the plough turns up is to the ploughman..." |
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| Comical Corner in the 1890,s |
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| The "Penny Ferry" landing at Comical Corner - 1937 | The picture is of No's 66 & 68 Wapping St , with Comical Corner on the far left behind the two men, taken in the 1920,s . The shop the lads are looking in was known as "Split Raisins" because the owner was known to split a raisin in half to obtain the correct weight- reputedly the lads are looking at mouse that was in the shop window . Notice the lads footware , some with shoes , some without !!! . | |
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| The picture above , is of the landing taken from the river in about 1900 showing , the Ferry landing , Comical Corner and Kirton's Quay. Wapping St is just behind the white building and runs parallel to the river . | Another view of the Penny Ferry landing - notice the little lasses sitting in the foreground . Courtesy of Shields Gazette . | |
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| The Penny Ferry Landing being dismantled and moved to Hebburn in 1956 Courtesy of Shields Gazette | The Penny Ferry | |
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| Comical Corner taken 2001 | Comical Corner taken 2001 from approximatley the same spot where the lads stood- sadly no more "Split Raisins" | |
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| Comical Corner taken from the "Shieldsman" ferry - 2003 | Looking down river from Comical Corner - 2001 | |
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| This is Pan Ash quay in about 1900 . The name is associated with the Salt industry in that it took 50 cwt ( 255 Kg) of coal to produce 1 ton ( 1018 Kg ) of Salt . The ashes from the Salt pans would have been dumped here . |
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| HMS Wellesley was a 50 gun Battleship of the Line and moored off North Shields in 1868 . James Hall , a Northern reformer was shocked by the number of unruly children on Tyneside and he founded a school on board to instill discipline and to give them a chance to improve them selves . It housed 300 boys between 12 & 16 . It seems to have been a tough regime but it worked in that 75% of them joined the Navy . Sadly she caught fire on March 14 1914 and burnt out and sank to the river bed . She was towed away to Jarrow Slake , where she lay forgotten in the mud . | ||
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Three C Class submarines , C20, C26 & C29 ,
moored just up River from the old Pilot Jetty , pre 1914 . In the background to
the left is HMS "Wellesley" and to the right is North Shields Fish Quay . This
class was designed for Coastal & Harbour defence , with a crew of 16 .
C20 - built 27 Nov 1909 , scrapped May 1921. C26 - built 20th March 1909 , scuttled 4 April 1918 C29 - built 19th June 1909 , mined 29th Aug. 1915 . |
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This is a famous and well known location to the folks of Shields and all Sailor`s who visited the Port - it is the Mill Dam and the Customs House . Over the last century ,sailors gathered here in the hundreds to pick up a ship . When times were hard , major unrest and many fights occurred between them when there was a chance of a job . There was always a police presence to try and keep order. The Black and White picture was taken in the 1920`s .
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These pictures , are of the the Mill Dam Gut in 1910 with Harton Colliery staithes to the right, and the old Customs House which was built in 1864 and further extended in 1878 . In the background is the Memorial to all Merchant seamen who gave their lives during World War II . As a percentage , the Merchant Service lost more men than any other Service , in the region of 50,000 men . In the old bw picture , the monument would be about where the boats bow is . The gut was originally the Mill Dam Creek which flowed to the south of St Hilda's church and ran all the way to the Sea . It gradually became choked and as relief work to the poor , it was filled in after the Napoleonic wars in approximately 1810 . The Gut itself was filled in during the 1930's .
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| The Mill Dam and Coronation St in the 1930's | ||
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These pictures are of Coronation St, and the entrance to the "The Flying Angel" , the Mission to Seamen , where sailors can stay while in port ..
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This is North Shields Fish Quay taken May 2000 during the Fish Quay Festival . A visitor to the Festival was a replica of the "Grand Turk " frigate which was in service around the 1800`s (Nelson`s era). It cost £2 Million pounds( FF20 million - $3.2 million ) to build . In the left hand picture are two identical white towers , these are the "Low light`s " and "High Light`s " . Ships entering the River Tyne use them as navigation aids by lining them up which ensures they take the correct course .
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Grand Turk - courtesy Ian Britten
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This is Dolly Peel (1783 - 1857) and the statue erected to her memory in 1987 overlooking the River .She was known as a Fishwife , but she was also a smuggler , poet and story teller and served in the Napoleonic wars . She lived in Shadwell St. and on numerous occasions she hid her husband from the Press Gangs .She was a great favourite of Robert Ingham , the towns first MP . She looks a great character .
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