Gateshead () is a large town in

northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

. It is on the

River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...

's southern bank, opposite

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the

Millennium Bridge Several bridges are known as the Millennium Bridge: * in the United Kingdom **Gateshead Millennium Bridge ** Lune Millennium Bridge, Lancaster ** Millennium Bridge, Glasgow ** Millennium Bridge, London ** Millennium Bridge (Salford Quays) ** Teesqua ...

The Sage The Sage is a forthcoming indoor arena and conference centre in Gateshead, United Kingdom due to open in Autumn 2024. The site is located between the existing Sage Gateshead venue and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on Gateshead Quaysid ...

, and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and has on its outskirts the twenty metre tall

Angel of the North The ''Angel of the North'' is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world and is viewed by an estimated 33 m ...

sculpture.

Historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

part of

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

, under the

Local Government Act 1888 Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administrat ...

the town was made a

county borough County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent ter ...

, meaning it was administered independently of the

county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irela ...

. Since 1974, the town has been administered as part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead within

Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear () is a metropolitan county in North East England, situated around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It was created in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972, along with five metropolitan boroughs of Gateshead, Newcastl ...

. In the 2011 Census, town had a population 120,046 while the wider borough had 200,214.

Toponymy

Gateshead is first mentioned in Latin translation in Bede's ''

Ecclesiastical History of the English People The ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'' ( la, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum), written by Bede in about AD 731, is a history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict be ...

'' as ''ad caput caprae'' ("at the goat's head"). This interpretation is consistent with the later English attestations of the name, among them ''Gatesheued'' (c. 1190), literally "goat's head" but in the context of a place-name meaning 'headland or hill frequented by (wild) goats'. Although other derivations have been mooted, it is this that is given by the standard authorities. A

Brittonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

predecessor, named with the element ''*gabro-'', 'goat' (c.f.

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

''gafr''), may underlie the name. Gateshead might have been the

Roman-British Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered was ...

fort of ''Gabrosentum''.

History

There has been a settlement on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne, around the old river crossing where the

Swing Bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...

now stands, since Roman times. The first recorded mention of Gateshead is in the writings of the

Venerable Bede Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...

who referred to an Abbot of Gateshead called Utta in 623. In 1068

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...

defeated the forces of

Edgar the Ætheling Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, rev ...

and

Malcolm Malcolm, Malcom, Máel Coluim, or Maol Choluim may refer to: People * Malcolm (given name), includes a list of people and fictional characters * Clan Malcolm * Maol Choluim de Innerpeffray, 14th-century bishop-elect of Dunkeld Nobility * Máe ...

king of Scotland (

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

) on Gateshead Fell (now

Low Fell Low Fell is a suburb of Gateshead situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. Built predominantly on sandstone, grindstone and clay, it is bordered by Sheriff Hill/Deckham to the east, Saltwell/Bensham to the w ...

and

Sheriff Hill Sheriff Hill is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the B1296 road south of Gateshead, south of Newcastle upon Tyne and north of the historic city of Durham. According to the 2001 UK cens ...

). During medieval times Gateshead was under the jurisdiction of the

Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...

. At this time the area was largely forest with some agricultural land. The forest was the subject of Gateshead's first charter, granted in the 12th century by Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham. An alternative spelling may be "Gatishevede", as seen in a legal record, dated 1430. The earliest recorded coal mining in the Gateshead area is dated to 1344. As trade on the Tyne prospered there were several attempts by the burghers of Newcastle to annex Gateshead. In 1576 a small group of Newcastle merchants acquired the 'Grand Lease' of the manors of Gateshead and

Whickham Whickham is a village in Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The village is on high ground overlooking the River Tyne and south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was formerly governed under the histor ...

. In the hundred years from 1574 coal shipments from Newcastle increased elevenfold while the population of Gateshead doubled to approximately 5,500. However, the lease and the abundant coal supplies ended in 1680. The pits were shallow as problems of ventilation and flooding defeated attempts to mine coal from the deeper seams. 'William Cotesworth (1668-1726) was a prominent merchant based in Gateshead, where he was a leader in coal and international trade. Cotesworth began as the son of a yeoman and apprentice to a tallow - candler. He ended as an esquire, having been mayor, Justice of the Peace and sheriff of Northumberland. He collected tallow from all over England and sold it across the globe. He imported dyes from the Indies, as well as flax, wine, and grain. He sold tea, sugar, chocolate, and tobacco. He operated the largest coal mines in the area, and was a leading salt producer. As the government's principal agent in the North country, he was in contact with leading ministers.

William Hawks William Bellinger Hawks (January 29, 1901 – January 10, 1969) was an American film producer. Career Hawks attended Yale University, where he was a member of Scroll and Key and graduated in 1923. In his early career, Hawks was a stockbroker. ...

originally a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

, started business in Gateshead in 1747, working with the iron brought to the Tyne as ballast by the Tyne colliers. Hawks and Co. eventually became one of the biggest iron businesses in the

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

, producing anchors, chains and so on to meet a growing demand. There was keen contemporary rivalry between 'Hawks' Blacks' and 'Crowley's Crew'. The famous 'Hawks' men' including Ned White, went on to be celebrated in Geordie song and story. Gateshead Council building

Throughout the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

the population of Gateshead expanded rapidly; between 1801 and 1901 the increase was over 100,000. This expansion resulted in the spread southwards of the town. In 1854, a catastrophic explosion on the quayside destroyed most of Gateshead's medieval heritage, and caused widespread damage on the Newcastle side of the river.

Robert Stirling Newall Robert Stirling Newall FRS FRAS (27 May 1812 – 21 April 1889) was a Scottish engineer and astronomer. Life and work Born at Dundee on 27 May 1812, Newall began work in a local mercantile office before leaving for London, where, in the emplo ...

took out a patent on the manufacture of wire ropes in 1840 and in partnership with Messrs. Liddell and Gordon, set up his headquarters at Gateshead. A worldwide industry of wire-drawing resulted. The submarine telegraph cable received its definitive form through Newall's initiative, involving the use of

gutta-percha Gutta-percha is a tree of the genus ''Palaquium'' in the family Sapotaceae. The name also refers to the rigid, naturally biologically inert, resilient, electrically nonconductive, thermoplastic latex derived from the tree, particularly from ...

surrounded by strong wires. The first successful

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

–

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

cable on 25 September 1851, was made in Newall's works. In 1853, he invented the brake-drum and cone for laying cable in deep seas. Half of the first

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

cable was manufactured in Gateshead. Newall was interested in astronomy, and his giant telescope was set up in the garden at Ferndene, his Gateshead residence, in 1871. In 1831 a locomotive works was established by the Newcastle and Darlington Railway, later part of the

York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway The York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway (YN&BR) was an English railway company formed in 1847 by the amalgamation of the York and Newcastle Railway and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway. Both companies were part of the group of business interest ...

. In 1854 the works moved to the Greenesfield site and became the manufacturing headquarters of North Eastern Railway. In 1909, locomotive construction was moved to

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...

and the rest of the works were closed in 1932.

Sir Joseph Swan Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS (31 October 1828 – 27 May 1914) was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is the person responsible for develop ...

lived at

Underhill, Low Fell, Gateshead Underhill is a large and imposing detached house, located at 99 Kells Lane in the Low Fell district of Gateshead, north-east England, United Kingdom. Built primarily from sandstone in Victorian architectural style, it was the home of Sir Jos ...

from 1869 to 1883, where his experiments led to the invention of the

electric light bulb An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

. The house was the first in the world to be wired for domestic electric light. In 1870, the

Old Town Hall Old or OLD may refer to: Places * Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, ...

was built, designed by John Johnstone who also designed the previously built

Newcastle Town Hall The Town Hall was a local government building located in St Nicholas Square, Newcastle upon Tyne. History Until the mid-19th century civic leaders had held their meetings in the Guildhall. The town hall had its origins in the Corn Exchange whic ...

. The ornamental clock in front of the old town hall was presented to Gateshead in 1892 by the mayor, Walter de Lancey Willson, on the occasion of him being elected for a third time. He was also one of the founders of Walter Willson's, a chain of grocers in the North East and Cumbria. The old town hall also served as a magistrate's court and one of Gateshead's police stations. In 1835, Gateshead was established as a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

and in 1889 it was made a

, independent from Durham County Council. In the same year, however, one of the largest employers, Hawks, Crawshay and Company, closed down and unemployment has since been a burden. Up to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

there were repeated newspaper reports of the unemployed sending deputations to the council to provide work. The depression years of the 1920s and 1930s created even more joblessness and the

Team Valley Team Valley is a trading estate located in Gateshead. It is home to the Retail World retail park, with many large, international companies are based in the area's trading estate. In 2017, there were approximately 700 companies on the estate, emp ...

Trading Estate was built in the mid-1930s to alleviate the situation. In 1974, following the

Local Government Act 1972 The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Gov ...

, the County Borough of Gateshead was merged with the

urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...

s of

Felling Felling is the process of cutting down trees,"Feller" def. 2. and "Felling", def. 1. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) © Oxford University Press 2009 an element of the task of logging. The person cutting the tree ...

, Blaydon and Ryton and part of the

rural district Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...

Chester-le-Street Chester-le-Street (), also known as Chester, is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England, around north of Durham and also close to Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located on the River Wear, which runs out to sea at ...

to create the much larger Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. In the past decade, Gateshead Council has begun developing plans to regenerate the town, with the long-term aim of making Gateshead a city. The most extensive transformation thus far has occurred in the

Quayside The Quayside is an area along the banks ( quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom. History The area was once an industrial area and busy co ...

, with almost all the structures there being constructed or refurbished in this time. Gateshead Millennium Bridge at night in January 2006

The town centre has also been redeveloped, with the £150 million Trinity Square development opening in May 2013. The centre incorporates student accommodation, a cinema, health centre and stores. It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in September 2014. The cup was however awarded to another development which involved

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

, Woolwich Central.

Geography

The town of Gateshead is situated in the

North East of England North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary authority ...

in the ceremonial county of

, and within the historic boundaries of

. It is located on the southern bank of the

at a

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

of 54.57° N and a

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...

of 1.35° W. Gateshead experiences a

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

climate which is considerably warmer than some other locations at similar latitudes as a result of the warming influence of the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...

(via the

North Atlantic drift The North Atlantic Current (NAC), also known as North Atlantic Drift and North Atlantic Sea Movement, is a powerful warm western boundary current within the Atlantic Ocean that extends the Gulf Stream northeastward. The NAC originates from where ...

). It is located in the

rain shadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carrie ...

of the

North Pennines The North Pennines is the northernmost section of the Pennine range of hills which runs north–south through northern England. It lies between Carlisle to the west and Darlington to the east. It is bounded to the north by the Tyne Valley and ...

and is therefore in one of the driest regions of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. One of the most distinguishing features of Gateshead is its

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

. The land rises 230 feet from

Gateshead Quays The Quayside is an area along the banks (quay) of the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne (the north bank) and Gateshead (south bank) in Tyne and Wear, North East England, United Kingdom. History The area was once an industrial area and busy ...

to the town centre and continues rising to a height of 525 feet at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in

. This is in contrast to the flat and low lying

located on the western edges of town. The high elevations allow for impressive views over the Tyne valley into

and across

Tyneside Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt. The population of Tyneside as publishe ...

to Sunderland and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...

from lookouts in Windmill Hills and Windy Nook respectively. The

Office for National Statistics The Office for National Statistics (ONS; cy, Swyddfa Ystadegau Gwladol) is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the UK Parliament. Overview The ONS is responsible for th ...

defines the town as an urban sub-division. The latest (2011) ONS urban sub-division of Gateshead contains the historical County Borough together with areas that the town has absorbed, including Dunston,

, Heworth,

Pelaw Pelaw () is a residential area in Gateshead, located around from Newcastle upon Tyne, from Sunderland, and from Durham. In 2011, Census data for the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council ward of ''Heworth and Pelaw'' recorded a total populatio ...

and

Bill Quay Bill Quay is a residential area in Gateshead, located around from Newcastle upon Tyne, from Sunderland, and from Durham. In 2011, Census data for the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council ward of ''Heworth and Pelaw'' recorded a total popula ...

.These are the boundaries of the town of Gateshead (2011 methodology) Given the proximity of Gateshead to Newcastle, just south of the

from the city centre, it is sometimes incorrectly referred to as being a part of Newcastle.

Gateshead Council The Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, North East England. It includes Gateshead, Rowlands Gill, Whickham, Blaydon, Ryton, Felling, Pelaw, Dunston and Low Fell. The bor ...

and

Newcastle City Council Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the 26 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the Labou ...

teamed up in 2000 to create a unified marketing brand name,

NewcastleGateshead NewcastleGateshead is a brand-name associated with the joint promotion of culture, business and tourism within the conurbation formed by Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. With the use of printed matter and a web-site, the organisation produces, ...

, to better promote the whole of the Tyneside conurbation.

Climate

Climate in this area has small differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round to meet the criterion for Oceanic climate, at least 30 mm per month. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

subtype for this climate is " Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/

Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

Green belt

The town is within the wider Tyne & Wear Green Belt, with its portion in much of its surrounding rural area of the borough. It is a part of the local

development plan A development plan sets out a local authority's policies and proposals for land use in their area. The term is usually used in the United Kingdom. A Local Plan is one type of development plan. The development plan guides and shapes day-to-day dec ...

which is in conjunction with Newcastle city borough, and was created in the 1960s. Its stated aims are to: * ''Prevent the merging of settlements, particularly: Gateshead with

Hebburn Hebburn is a town in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It governed under the borough of South Tyneside; formerly governed under the county of Durham until 1974 with its own urban district from 1894 until 1974. It is on the south ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, Birtley or Whickham ...the main built-up area with nearby villages; and villages with each other,'' * ''Safeguard the countryside from encroachment,'' * ''Check unrestricted

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

, and'' * ''Assist in urban regeneration in the city-region by encouraging the recycling of derelict and other urban land.'' In the Gateshead borough boundary, as well as the aforementioned areas, it also surrounds the communities of

Chopwell Chopwell is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, west of Rowlands Gill and north of Hamsterley. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 9,395. In 1150, Bishop Pudsey granted the Manor of Chopwell ...

Crawcrook Crawcrook is a semi-rural village close to the western border of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in England. Traditionally an independent village in County Durham, it was incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead on 1 April ...

, Greenside,

High Spen High Spen is an old mining village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, historically part of County Durham and the birth place of The Magician. There is an entrance to Chopwell Wood, whose Christmas Trees sales attract many visitors to ...

, Kibblesworth, Lockhaugh,

Rowlands Gill Rowlands Gill is a town situated along the A694, between Winlaton Mill and Hamsterley Mill, on the north bank of the River Derwent, in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Within Gateshead's greenbelt, the town has a ...

, Ryton, Sunniside, as well several small hamlets. Landscape features and facilities such as woods and nature reserves, local golf courses, Burdon Moor and Whinell Hill are also within the green belt area.

Districts

The town of Gateshead consists of the following districts. Some of them were once separate settlements that were absorbed by encroaching

, while others consist entirely of retail, industrial and housing estates. Many of these areas overlap each other and their boundaries are by no means official or fixed. Gateshead is a Town (Urban Subdivision) in the Tyneside urban area. *Gateshead town centre *

Bensham Bensham is a suburban area in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The area consists mainly of residential properties, with a range of predominantly terraced housing, built between the late 1890s and the 1980s. Community Like nearby Saltwell ...

's ward **

**Team Valley Trading Estate *

Deckham Deckham is a residential suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It is bordered by Gateshead town centre to the north, Sheriff Hill to the south, Felling and Carr Hill to the east and Shipcote to the west. ...

's ward **Mount Pleasant **

Carr Hill Carr Hill is a suburb in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England. It is bordered by Felling to the north, Sheriff Hill to the south, Windy Nook to the east and Deckham to the west. It lies south of Gateshead, south ...

**Old Fold **Shipcote (overlaps into to wards) *Bridges' ward **Central **Redheugh *Chowdene's ward **Harlow Green * Dunston and Teams' ward **Low Teams ** Swalwell *

*Whickham East's ward **Dunston Hill *High Fell's ward **Black Hill **

**Ravensworth **Beacon Lough **Egremont Estate *Low Fell's ward **Lyndhurst **Allerdene *Saltwell's ward **Shipcote (overlaps into two wards) * Wardley and Leam Lane's ward **Follingsby *

and Heworth's ward **Bill Quay *

**North Felling/ Felling Shore (Formerly known as Tyne Main) ** Falla Park ** Sunderland Road *Lamesley's ward **

Wrekenton Wrekenton is a residential area in Gateshead, located around from Newcastle upon Tyne, from Sunderland, and from Durham. In 2011, Census data for the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council ward of ''High Fell'' recorded a total population of ...

Eighton Banks Eighton Banks is a small village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, which is located around from Newcastle upon Tyne. The village is bordered by Birtley, Harlow Green and Wrekenton, and is located near to Antony Gormley's ''Angel of th ...

* Windy Nook and Whitehills' ward **Staneway **Whitehills Estate

Demography

The table below compares the demographics of Gateshead with the wider Metropolitan borough. The town's population in 2011 was 120,046 compared with 78,403 in 2001. This is due to a slight population increase and boundary and methodology changes since 2001. Felling used to be a separate urban subdivision and had a population of around 35,000, but now it is considered part of Gateshead town. The population of the 2011 census boundaries in 2001 was 113,220, proving that there was some sort of population increase. In 2011, 8.0% of the population of Gateshead Town were from an ethnic minority group (non-indigenous), compared with only 6.0% for the surrounding borough. Despite the borough's low ethnic minority population compared with the England average of 20.2%, it has slightly more ethnic minorities than other boroughs in Tyne and Wear, such as Sunderland or North Tyneside, and two wards near the town centre (Bridges and Saltwell) have minority populations very similar to the national average. The Tyneside metropolitan area, which contains the borough of Gateshead, has a population of 829,300; the NewcastleGateshead urban core area has population of 480,400. The Metropolitan borough of Gateshead had a population of 200,214 in 2011. Gateshead is the main major area in the metropolitan borough and the town takes up around 60% of the borough's population. Other major areas in the borough include

, Birtley,

Blaydon-on-Tyne Blaydon is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, and historically in County Durham. Blaydon, and neighbouring Winlaton, which Blaydon is now contiguous with, form the postal town of Blaydon-on-Tyne. The Blaydo ...

and Ryton.

MetroCentre and Team Valley

Gateshead is home to the MetroCentre, the largest

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

in the UK until 2008; and the

Trading Estate, once the largest and still one of the larger purpose-built commercial estates in the UK.

Architecture

JB Priestley, writing of Gateshead in his travelogue ''

English Journey ''English Journey'' is an account by J. B. Priestley of his travels in England which was published in 1934. Commissioned by publisher Victor Gollancz to write a study of contemporary England, Priestley recounts his travels around England in 1933 ...

'' (1934) said that "no true civilisation could have produced such a town", adding that it appeared to have been designed "by an enemy of the human race".

Victorian

William Wailes William Wailes (1808–1881) was the proprietor of one of England's largest and most prolific stained glass workshops. Life and career Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England's centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. ...

the celebrated stained-glass maker, lived at South Dene from 1853 to 1860. In 1860, he designed

Saltwell Towers Saltwell Park is a Victorian park in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Opened in 1876, the park was designed by Edward Kemp and incorporates the mansion and associated grounds of the Saltwellgate estate owner, William Wailes, who sold his ...

as a fairy-tale palace for himself. It is an imposing Victorian mansion in its own park with a romantic skyline of turrets and battlements. It was originally furnished sumptuously by Gerrard Robinson. Some of the panelling installed by Robinson was later moved to the Shipley Art gallery. Wailes sold Saltwell Towers to the corporation in 1876 for use as a public park, provided he could use the house for the rest of his life. For many years the structure was essentially an empty shell but following a restoration programme it was reopened to the public in 2004.

Post world wars brutalism

The brutalist Trinity Centre Car Park, which was designed by Owen Luder, dominated the town centre for many years until its demolition in 2010. A product of attempts to regenerate the area in the 1960s, the car park gained an iconic status due to its appearance in the 1971 film ''

Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detecti ...

'', starring

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

. An unsuccessful campaign to have the structure

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

was backed by

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

, who played the main role in the 2000 remake of the film. The car park was scheduled for demolition in 2009, but this was delayed as a result of a disagreement between

(who plan to re-develop the site) and

. The council had not been given firm assurances that Tesco would build the previously envisioned town centre development which was to include a Tesco mega-store as well as shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, offices and student accommodation. The council effectively used the car park as a bargaining tool to ensure that the company adhered to the original proposals and blocked its demolition until they submitted a suitable planning application. Demolition finally took place in July–August 2010. The

Derwent Tower Derwent Tower was a 29-storey residential apartment building in Dunston, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom, opened in 1972. Due to its unusual shape it was nicknamed the "Dunston Rocket" during construction (even before its official Derwent Tower ...

, another well known example of brutalist architecture, was also designed by Owen Luder and stood in the neighbourhood of Dunston. Like the Trinity Car Park it also failed in its bid to become a

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

and was demolished in 2012. Also located in this area are the Grade II listed Dunston Staithes which were built in 1890. Following the award of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of almost £420,000 restoration of the structure is expected to begin in April 2014.

Post millennium

The council sponsored the development of a Gateshead Quays cultural quarter. The development includes the

Gateshead Millennium Bridge The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead arts quarter on the south bank and Newcastle upon Tyne's Quayside area on the north bank. It was the first tilting bridge ever t ...

, erected in 2001, which won the prestigious

Stirling Prize The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). The S ...

for Architecture in 2002.

Arts

The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has been established in a converted flour mill.

The Sage Gateshead Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre in Gateshead on the south side of the River Tyne in North East England. Opened in 2004 and occupied by North Music Trust it is part of the Gateshead Quays development which include ...

, a

Norman Foster Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Nor ...

-designed venue for music and the performing arts opened on 17 December 2004. Gateshead also hosted the

Gateshead Garden Festival The Gateshead Garden Festival was the fourth of the United Kingdom's five national garden festivals. Held between May and October 1990, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, it lasted 157 days, and received over three million visitors. Attractions i ...

in 1990, rejuvenating of derelict land (now mostly replaced with housing). The

, a famous sculpture in nearby Lamesley, is visible from the A1 to the south of Gateshead, as well as from the

East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broa ...

. Other public art include works by Richard Deacon, Colin Rose, Sally Matthews,

Andy Goldsworthy Andy Goldsworthy (born 26 July 1956) is an English sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist who produces site-specific sculptures and land art situated in natural and urban settings. Early life Goldsworthy was born in Cheshire on 26 Ju ...

, Gordon Young and

Michael Winstone Michael Winstone (born 1958, Toronto) is an English sculptor. Biography Winstone studied Fine Art at Leeds Polytechnic from 1978 to 1981 and sculpture at the Royal College of Art from 1981 to 1984.Elena, Ivankina"Winstone, Michael."Intervie ...

Sport

Gateshead International Stadium Gateshead International Stadium (GIS) is a multi-purpose, all-seater venue in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally known as the Gateshead Youth Stadium, the venue was built in 1955 at a cost of £30,000. It has since been extensively r ...

regularly holds international

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

meetings over the summer months, and is home of the Gateshead Harriers athletics club. It is also host to

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

fixtures, and the home ground of Gateshead Football Club.

Gateshead Thunder Gateshead Thunder may refer to: *Gateshead Thunder (1999) Gateshead Thunder was a professional rugby league club founded in 1999 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, which competed in the 1999 Super League but then merged with Hull Sharks af ...

Rugby League Football Club played at Gateshead International Stadium until its purchase by Newcastle Rugby Limited and the subsequent rebranding as

Newcastle Thunder The Newcastle Thunder are a professional rugby league club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. They play in the Betfred Championship competition, the second tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom. They play their home matches at Kingsto ...

. Both clubs have had their problems: Gateshead A.F.C. were controversially voted out of the English Football League, Football League in 1960 in favour of Peterborough United F.C., Peterborough United, whilst Gateshead Thunder (1999), Gateshead Thunder lost their place in Super League as a result of a takeover (officially termed a merger) by Hull F.C. Both Gateshead clubs continue to ply their trade at lower levels in their respective sports, thanks mainly to the efforts of their supporters. The Gateshead Senators American Football team also use the International Stadium, as well as this it was used in the 2006 Northern Conference champions in the British American Football League. Gateshead Leisure Centre is home to the Gateshead Phoenix Basketball Team. The team currently plays in EBL League Division 4. Home games are usually on a Sunday afternoon during the season, which runs from September to March. The team was formed in 2013 and ended their initial season well placed to progress after defeating local rivals Newcastle Eagles II and promotion chasing Kingston Panthers. In

there is a cricket club and a rugby club adjacent to each other on Eastwood Gardens. These are Gateshead Fell Cricket Club and Gateshead Rugby Club. Gateshead Rugby Club was formed in 1998 following the merger of Gateshead Fell Rugby Club and North Durham Rugby Club.

Transport

Rail

Gateshead is served by the following rail transport stations with some being operated by National Rail and some being Tyne & Wear Metro stations: , , Gateshead Interchange, , Heworth Interchange, and . Tyne & Wear Metro stations at Gateshead Interchange and Gateshead Stadium provide direct light-rail access to , Newcastle Airport metro station, Newcastle Airport , , and South Shields Interchange. National Rail services are provided by Northern (train operating company), Northern at Dunston and MetroCentre stations. The

, which runs from to , cuts directly through the town on its way between and stations. There are presently no stations on this line within Gateshead, as , and stations were closed in 1952, 1954 and 1965 respectively.

Road

South side of Gateshead Bus Station - geograph

Several major road links pass through Gateshead, including the A1 which links London to Edinburgh and the A184 which connects the town to Sunderland. Gateshead Interchange is the busiest bus station in Tyne & Wear and was used by 3.9 million bus passengers in 2008.

Cycle routes

Various bicycle trails traverse the town; most notably is the recreational Keelmans Way (National Cycle Route 14), which is located on the south bank of the Tyne and takes riders along the entire Gateshead foreshore. Other prominent routes include the East Gateshead Cycleway, which connects to

, the West Gateshead Cycleway, which links the town centre to Dunston and the MetroCentre, and routes along both the old and new Durham roads, which take cyclists to Birtley,

and the

Religion

Christianity

Christianity has been present in the town since at least the 7th century, when Bede mentioned a monastery in Gateshead. A church in the town was burned down in 1080 with the

inside. St Mary's Church was built near to the site of that building, and was the only church in the town until the 1820s. Undoubtedly the oldest building on the Quayside, St Mary's has now re-opened to the public as the town's first heritage centre. Many of the Anglican churches in the town date from the 19th century, when the population of the town grew dramatically and expanded into new areas. The town presently has a number of notable and large churches of many denominations.

Judaism

The

district is home to a community of hundreds of Orthodox Judaism, Jewish families and used to be known as "Little Jerusalem". Within the community is the Gateshead Talmudical College, Gateshead Yeshiva, founded in 1929, and other Jewish educational institutions with international enrollments. These include two seminaries: Beis Medrash L'Morot and Beis Chaya Rochel seminary, colloquially known together as Gateshead "old" and "new" seminaries. Many yeshivot and kollels also are active. Yeshivat Beer Hatorah, Sunderland Yeshiva, Nesivos Hatorah, Nezer Hatorah and Yeshiva Ketana make up some of the list.

Islam

Islam is practised by a large community of people in Gateshead and there are 2 mosques located in the

area (in Ely Street and Villa Place).

Trivia

An article in ''The Daily Telegraph'' stated that a woman was denied entry into the UK at some time prior to 2007 for giving her reason for coming to the UK as wanting to visit Gateshead. British visa officials ruled this as "not credible". The research into Britain's confused immigration policies was taken up by Steve Boggan in ''The Guardian'' in a piece dated 23 January 2007, which expressed incredulity at the ignorance of London officials, echoed by Newcastle-Gateshead tourism heads.

Twinning

Gateshead is twinned with the town of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in France, and the city of Komatsu, Ishikawa, Komatsu in Japan.

Notable people

*Eliezer Adler – founder of Jewish Community *Marcus Bentley – narrator of ''Big Brother (UK), Big Brother'' *Catherine Booth – wife of William Booth, known as the Mother of The Salvation Army *William Booth – founder of the Salvation Army *Mary Bowes, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Mary Bowes – ''the Unhappy Countess'', author and celebrity *Ian Branfoot – footballer and manager (Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Sheffield Wednesday and Southampton F.C., Southampton) *Andy Carroll – footballer (Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United, Liverpool F.C., Liverpool and West Ham United F.C., West Ham United) *Frank Clark (footballer), Frank Clark – footballer and manager (Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest) *David Clelland – Labour Party (UK), Labour politician and Member of parliament, MP *Derek Conway – former Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and Member of parliament, MP *Joseph Cowen – Radical politician *Steve Cram – athlete (middle-distance runner) *Emily Davies – educational reformer and feminist, founder of Girton College, Cambridge *Daniel Defoe – writer and government agent *Ruth Dodds – politician, writer and co-founder of the Little Theatre Gateshead, Little Theatre *Jonathan Edwards (triple jumper), Jonathan Edwards – athlete (triple jumper) and television presenter *Sammy Johnson – actor (''Spender'') *Sir George Elliot, 1st Baronet, George Elliot – industrialist and MP *Paul Gascoigne – footballer (Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur, S.S. Lazio, Lazio, Rangers F.C., Rangers and Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough) *Alex Glasgow – singer/songwriter *Avrohom Gurwicz – rabbi, Dean of Gateshead Yeshiva *Leib Gurwicz – rabbi, Dean of Gateshead Yeshiva *Jill Halfpenny – actress (''Coronation Street'' and ''EastEnders'') *Chelsea Halfpenny – actress (''Emmerdale'') *David Hodgson (footballer), David Hodgson – footballer and manager (Middlesbrough F.C., Middlesbrough, Liverpool F.C., Liverpool and Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland) *Sharon Hodgson – Labour Party (UK), Labour politician and Member of parliament, MP *Norman Hunter (footballer), Norman Hunter – footballer (Leeds United F.C., Leeds United and member of 1966 FIFA World Cup, 1966 World Cup-winning England national football team, England squad) *Don Hutchison – footballer (Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, West Ham United F.C., West Ham United, Everton F.C., Everton and Sunderland A.F.C., Sunderland) *Brian Johnson – AC/DC frontman *Tommy Johnson (footballer, born 1971), Tommy Johnson – footballer (Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa and Celtic F.C., Celtic) *Riley Jones - actor *Howard Kendall – footballer and manager (Preston North End F.C., Preston North End and Everton F.C., Everton) *J. Thomas Looney – William Shakespeare, Shakespeare scholar *Gary Madine – footballer (Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Sheffield Wednesday) *Justin McDonald – actor (''Distant Shores (UK TV series), Distant Shores'') *Lawrie McMenemy – football manager (Southampton F.C., Southampton and Northern Ireland national football team, Northern Ireland) and pundit *Thomas Mein – professional cyclist (Canyon DHB p/b Soreen) *

– industrialist *Bezalel Rakow – communal rabbi *John William Rayner – flying ace and war hero *James Renforth – oarsman *Mariam Rezaei – musician and artist * Tom Shakespeare, Sir Tom Shakespeare - baronet, sociologist and disability rights campaigner *William Shield – Master of the Queen's Music, Master of the King's Musick *Christina Stead – Australian novelist *John Steel (drummer), John Steel – drummer (The Animals) *Henry Spencer Stephenson – chaplain to George VI, King George VI and Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II *Steve Stone (footballer), Steve Stone – footballer (Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa and Portsmouth F.C., Portsmouth) *Chris Swailes – footballer (Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town) *Joseph Swan, Sir Joseph Swan – inventor of the incandescent light bulb *Nicholas Trainor – cricketer (Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Gloucestershire) *Chris Waddle – footballer (Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday F.C., Sheffield Wednesday) *

– stained glass maker *Taylor Wane – adult entertainer *Robert Spence Watson – public benefactor *Sylvia Waugh – author of ''The Mennyms'' series for children *Chris Wilkie – guitarist (Dubstar) *John Wilson (conductor), John Wilson - orchestral conductor *Peter Wilson (footballer, born 1947), Peter Wilson – footballer (Gateshead F.C., Gateshead, captain of Australia national association football team, Australia) *Thomas Wilson (poet), Thomas Wilson – poet/school founder *Robert Wood (Australian politician), Robert Wood – Australian politician

References

External links

Gateshead Council
Local government web site
Gateshead Heritage @ St Mary's
Heritage Centre website *Images of Gateshead �
Webshots - Desktop Wallpaper / Screen SaversVisit NewcastleGateshead
Official Tourism website for Gateshead
Convention Bureau website for Gateshead
*Friends of Red Kites �
Details about the reintroduced kites in the Derwent Valley, GatesheadSaltwell Park Community Portal Gateshead
News and events from Saltwell Park {{Authority control Gateshead, Towns in Tyne and Wear Unparished areas in Tyne and Wear Orthodox Jewish communities