The North Tyneside Coastal Heritage Trail comprises a series of panels relating the history of the area. There are 13 panels, six in Tynemouth, three in Cullercoats and four in Whitley Bay. This unofficial site has pictures of the panels, the area in which they stand and transcribes their contents.
Admiral Lord Collingwood 1748-1810
The Battle of Trafalgar, 21st October 1805 “… Only once did the enemy come out in force. Yet the scale was heroic;…”Piers MacKesy The war in the Mediterranean 1803-1810 Brave, modest and wise, Collingwood was devoted to King and country. His flagship, the Royal Sovereign fired the Battle of Trafalgar’s first shot. During the battle…
Priors Kings and Soldiers
A Place Fit for Kings. The strategic and dramatic setting of Tynemouth Priory and Castle provides the backdrop to a long and colourful history. Known by the Saxons as Benebal Crag, the history of Tynemouth and its’ Priory is one of constant change. It was sacked by the Danes in 800 and repeatedly during the…
In and around Tynemouth
Tynemouth encapsulates Great Britain’s seaside charm, boasting golden sandy beaches as well as a range of cultural attractions for everyone. Tynemouth Longsands is a popular place to enjoy the sun, take a relaxing walk and take part in surfing or other water sports which are increasingly popular activities all year round. Complementing the beach, Tynemouth…
Grand Times
Listed Grade II, the Grand Hotel building was built in 1872. Some believe it was commissioned as a summer residence, by the Duke of Northumberland, for the Duchess and that the Grand Hotel assumed its current role as a hotel around 1877. As the finest luxury hotel at the coast, the Grand Hotel was noted…
Parks Gardens Lakes and Aquariums
In 1893 Tynemouth Park and Boating Lake was opened on land owned by the Duke of Northumberland and leased by Tynemouth Council. With a large pond, three bowling greens and ornamental gardens with a bandstand, the opening of Tynemouth Park attracted thousands of people including a many model boat enthusiasts. In the summer of 1893…
Standing Tall at the Coast
The foundation stone for St. George’s Church was laid by the 6th Duke of Northumberland in 1882 and construction was completed in December 1884. St George’s Church is a spectacular, Grade I Listed, Victorian church designed by renowned architect, John Loughborough Pearson, architect of Truro Cathedral. St. George’s is a perfectly proportioned, French Gothic building…
Cullercoats as an Artists Colony
Cullercoats developed after 1539 and until the late 19th Century was a small village with interests in salt making, coal export, fishing and smuggling. Cullercoats is also known for forming the second Volunteer Life Brigade in the country, in 1865, shortly after Tynemouth. Latterly, Cullercoats has been appreciated as an artist’s colony, a fashionable seaside…
Winslow Homer’s Cullercoats
Why Cullercoats, a small and perhaps unassuming fishing village became such a popular place for artists could be debated ad infinitum. Winslow Homer, one of America’s leading artists, certainly found reason to stay in Cullercoats in that he spent a number of months living and painting here. Perhaps the rugged coastline and the more often…
A Dip and a Dive
Table Rocks Bathing Pool, Brown’s Bay Table Rocks was a unique, outdoor, tidal swimming pool created from a natural inlet in the rock formations. The natural pool was formally developed as a bathing pool in 1894 by Mr. W. Scott. In 1896 he extended its length to 70 feet and after Whitley and Monkseaton Urban…
In and around Whitley Bay
The seaside resort of Whitley Bay has a history dating back to the 12th Century and has been popular with visitors since Victorian times when the railway opened up the coast to visitors from nearby Newcastle upon Tyne. Whitley Bay Metro Station, an impressive Grade II Listed building, is a short walk up the Esplanade…
Spanish City
The original Spanish City Fairground opened on 30th May 1908. Thousands gathered outside the gates waiting for the fairground to open and to pay their 2d entrance fee. In 1909, the Whitley Pleasure Gardens Company Ltd took over and began work to develop the Spanish City site into large pleasure gardens. The iconic Dome of…
Whitley Bay Links
Originally known as Whitley, meaning white lea or pastureland, by the early 12th century the area was owned by the Prior of Tynemouth. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Priory lands and estate were enclosed and divided up, except for the area now known as Whitley Links, which to this day remains as open…
Smugglers and Shipwrecks
St Mary’s Island’s’ history is rich and diverse. The monks of Tynemouth Priory, established in the 7th century, once used the island as a burial ground. After the Norman invasion of 1066, around 1090, the Priory built and maintained a chapel, dedicated to St. Helen. In an additional storey of the tower in the chapel…
