Tyne and Wear

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Trip start
October 21, 2022
Tyne and Wear Traveler
Tynemouth
October 22, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Tynemouth is a coastal town in the county of Tyne and Wear located around 8 miles east of Newcastle, and part of its metropolitan borough of North Tyneside. It is situated on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne (hence its name) and the headland here has been settled since the Iron Age; the Romans may have occupied it as a signal station and in the 7th century a monastery was built in Tynemouth and later fortified.

We start at the popular weekend market at Tynemouth as it is located inside the Metro Station; lots of LPs for sale and well worth a visit. We walk into town passing the King's Priory School; at the top of the High Street on the outskirts of a small park is the Queen Victoria Statue and at the other end is the distinctive clock tower and drinking fountain - there is a good view of the Promenade and Long Sands Beach from here.

We are very close to Tynemouth Castle and Priory; the moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried. Now managed by English Heritage, it is very beautiful. We walk towards the Tyne and see the Tynemouth Piers; there are actually two constructions - North and South - that have protected the mouth of the River Tyne from the ravages of the North Sea since Victorian times; before their construction, it was impossible for shipping to leave the river when an easterly gale blew.

A little further along is the Collingwood Monument; Lord Collingwood is sometimes referred to as the forgotten hero of Trafalgar as he was second-in-command to Admiral Lord Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. He assumed command of the British fleet after the death of Lord Nelson, transferring to HMS Euryalus, and then led the fleet and completed the battle plans that he and Nelson had created together. The four cannons are from Collingwood's flagship, the HMS Royal Sovereign, during the Battle of Trafalgar.

This area is definitely worth a second visit to explore it more thoroughly!Read more
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Tyne and Wear Traveler
Whitley Bay
October 22, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Whitley Bay is a seaside town in the county of Tyne and Wear, located around 10 miles east of Newcastle; it now includes the former village of Monkseaton. The decline of local coal mining and dependent industries prompted Whitley to develop as a seaside holiday resort and this was aided by the opening of the North Tyne Loop railway line in 1882 and, from 1980 onwards, the development of the present Metro system.

We walk along the promenade (aka The Links, a former 9-hole golf course) and enjoy a nice view of St Mary's Lighthouse in the distance; we take in the skateboard park, beach and War Memorial before heading back to the Spanish City; originally a permanent seaside fairground, this is now a fancy venue in a historic building with eateries and bar.

For refreshment, we visit The Dog and Rabbit Micro Brewery, converted from a women's clothing shop, and then walk to Monkseaton to The Left Luggage Room, a specialist craft beer pub sited the former Parcel and Left Luggage Room at the station there.Read more
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Tyne and Wear Traveler
Newcastle; across the city to Quayside
October 23, 2022 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Newcastle is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear and located on the River Tyne's northern bank. Originally dependent on its port and, in particular, its status as one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres, the city today is much more diverse.

The first recorded settlement was Pons Aelius ("Hadrian's bridge"), a Roman fort and bridge across the River Tyne; it then became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. Newcastel is named after its castle; originally a wooden castle in the Norman times, it was replaced by a stone castle and then rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II.

We start the walk across the city at the West Walls section of the Newcastle town wall, which was built during the 13th and 14th centuries to help protect the town from attack and occupation during times of conflict. We then walk up towards St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United FC; this is close to Chinatown, one of five in the UK, and we walk through this and pass the Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary. We reach Newcastle Central Railway Station; outside of this is the Stephenson Monument, a memorial to George Stephenson who developed the 'Rocket', an early locomotive, with his son Robert and pioneered rail transport and the development of the first passenger railways. There is a good view of the Newcastle Castle Keep from the station car park.

As we carry on east we pass the Rutherford Memorial Fountain - a distinctive red sandstone drinking fountain is located at the top of the Bigg Market - and enjoy another view of the Castle from the road here before reaching Newcastle Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Nicholas. We pass the historic Black Gate, originally the castle’s fortified gatehouse or barbican; this is close to the Moot Hall which was commissioned as a courthouse to replace the facilities at the Castle.

We now descend to walk along Quayside and see the magnificent and iconic bridges that cross the River Tyne from Newcastle to Gateshead on the other side (see photo captions); these are beautiful both by day and night.

A brief visit to Newcastle, but "I'll be back".Read more
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Tynemouth

Whitley Bay

Newcastle; across the city to Quayside