South Tyneside is a
metropolitan borough in the
metropolitan county of
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, Newc ...
,
North East England.
It is bordered by all four other boroughs in Tyne and Wear –
Gateshead to the west,
Sunderland in the south,
North Tyneside
North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, England. It forms part of the greater Tyneside conurbation. North Tyneside Council is headquartered at Cobalt Park, Wallsend.
North Tyneside is bordered ...
to the north, and
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
to the Northwest. The border county of
Northumberland
Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey.
It is bordered by land ...
lies further north. The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the
County Borough of South Shields
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the ...
along with the
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 ...
of
Jarrow and 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
Boldon and
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 sout ...
from
County Durham.
Part of the
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 ...
conurbation, the sixth largest in the United Kingdom, South Tyneside has a geographical area of and an estimated population of 153,700 (Mid-year 2010), measured at the 2011 Census as 148,127. It is bordered to the east by the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
and to the north by the
River Tyne. A
Green Belt
A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...
of is at its southern boundary.
The main administrative centre and largest town is
South Shields. Other riverside towns are Jarrow and Hebburn, while the villages of
Cleadon
Cleadon is a suburban village in South Tyneside in the North East of England. Prior to the creation of Tyne and Wear in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, the village was part of the historic County Durham. In the 2011 UK Census the pop ...
,
Whitburn and
The Boldons
The Boldons are a group of three small villages in the north east of England – East Boldon, West Boldon and Boldon Colliery – north of Sunderland, east of Newcastle and south of South Shields and Jarrow. In 2001 they had a population of 13 ...
border the South Tyneside green belt, with
Wearside
Wearside () is a built-up area in both Tyne and Wear and County Durham, Northern England. It is named after the River Wear which flows through it and traditionally all in the County of Durham. In the 2011 census, its official name was the Sunderl ...
to the south at Sunderland.
South Tyneside is represented by two Members of
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
with two
constituencies
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
: South Shields (including Whitburn) and Jarrow (which also serves Hebburn, the Urban Fringe villages and eastern parts of Gateshead).
History
Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, the early 20th century arrival of the Arabs and more recently the settling of people from the Commonwealth, notably the Indian sub-continent, and the European Union reflect the present-day culture of South Tyneside.
In South Shields ( la, Arbeia,
Brythonic: ''Caer Urfa''), excavations and a reconstructed fort are found at Arbeia (AD 160). This fort served as a garrison and an outpost of the Roman Empire, and is part of Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. The hospitality strip at Ocean Road is famed throughout the region for its Indian, Italian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cuisine. Mill Dam, with former Customs House (now a theatre, cinema and arts complex), cobbled lanes and Mission to Seafarers centre, stands tribute to the long and proud history of shipping in the town and the River Tyne.
Bede's World in Jarrow ( ang, Gyrwe) is dedicated to the life 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 ...
, the 'Father of English History'. The nominated
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
is straddled by two rivers – the Tyne and the Don. There is a medieval monastery (St. Paul's Church, AD 681), an Anglo-Saxon farm with rare-breed animals and buildings constructed in original materials from that period, and the Georgian Jarrow Hall. The
Jarrow Crusade
The Jarrow March of 5–31 October 1936, also known as the Jarrow Crusade, was an organised protest against the unemployment and poverty suffered in the English town of Jarrow, near Newcastle upon Tyne, during the 1930s. Around 200 men (or "Crus ...
of 1936 was a key event in the town's history and the original banner carried by the marchers to London can be viewed at
Jarrow Town Hall.
There has been a fairly sizeable Arab community in South Shields since the 1890s. This is also one hypothesised explanation of the term "
Sandancer
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
" (derived from "sand dancer") for people born and brought up in South Shields.
Council
South Tyneside Council
South Tyneside Council is the local authority of South Tyneside in 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 Loc ...
is formed of 54 members. As of February 2022 this consists of forty-five
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
councillors, four independent councillors, thre
Greencouncillors and two
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
councillors.
Martin Swales was the Chief Executive at
South Tyneside Council
South Tyneside Council is the local authority of South Tyneside in 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 Loc ...
from 2009 to 2020. Swales previously served as Strategic Director of Development at North Tyneside Council.
Since 2021, Jonathan Tew is the Chief Executive of the authority.
Economy
Shipbuilding and repairing, coal mining and exports, and the chemical industries declined from the latter half of the 20th century, resulting in mass unemployment. In more recent years, however, this trend has reversed and South Tyneside attracts new industries, most notably in the service sector. There is still a considerable manufacturing base of ship-repair and offshore services, engineering, electronics, clothing, furniture, paper products, timber and small precision engineering.
At one time, Tyneside built 25% of the world's ships.
South Tyneside College
South Tyneside College is a large further education college in South Tyneside in North East England. Its main site is in the town of South Shields. The college offers part-time and full-time courses for young students and adults. It was formed i ...
specialises in maritime training and attracts students from around the world.
Tourism is also an important and growing industry.
Places of interest
South Shields town centre and riverside are undergoing significant regeneration, with new housing, business, retail and leisure uses replacing old industrial sites. The town centre offers high street shopping, a regular market by the Grade I listed old town hall, a new library and exhibition space called The Word, the head post office, museum & art gallery, a new bus/Metro interchange opened in 2019, cross-river pedestrian ferry to North Shields, Harton Quays office development and promenade, the town hall and civic offices.
The Customs House is located within the historic Mill Dam conservation area and hosts a theatre, cinema, art gallery and restaurant.
Arbeia
Arbeia was a large Roman fort in South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, now ruined, and which has been partially reconstructed. It was first excavated in the 1870s and all modern buildings on the site were cleared in the 1970s. It is managed by Ty ...
formed the easternmost extremity of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
at
Hadrian's Wall and is located at the mouth of the
River Tyne on the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
coast. Excavations, a reconstructed fort and museum are open to the public on the historic Lawe Top site (Old English: hill top).
The
Great North Run
The Great North Run (branded the Simplyhealth Great North Run for sponsorship purposes) is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South ...
is the world's biggest half marathon and takes place every September/October, starting in
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 ...
and finishing on The Leas at South Shields.
On the coast road to Whitburn is Marsden Rock – an impressive limestone
sea stack
A stack or sea stack is a geology, geological landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast, formed by Coastal_erosion#Wave_action, wave erosion. Stacks are formed over time by wind and wate ...
colonised by sea birds and a longstanding tourist attraction. Further down the coast is Souter Lighthouse, the first in the world to be powered by electric current. Much of the coastal scenery in this area was, until two decades ago, dominated by the spoil heaps and pit head winding gear of Westoe and Whitburn collieries, but these are now gone and the area's natural environment has been restored.
Jarrow is home to
St. Paul's Monastery,
Bede's World museum,
Jarrow Hall
Jarrow Hall is a grade II listed building in Jarrow, Northeast England, and part of the larger Jarrow Hall museum site. It was built around 1785 by local businessman Simon Temple; he later went bankrupt in 1812 after a series of poor investment ...
, the Viking Shopping Centre and the
J. Barbour and Sons headquarters and factory outlet.
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 sout ...
riverside has open views of the renewable and offshore-related industries across-river at
Wallsend
Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
History Roman Wallsend
In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of Segedunum. This f ...
. The town centre has undergone redevelopment with new residential building and civic and leisure facilities.
The suburban villages of Cleadon, East and West
Boldon, Harton, Monkton, Westoe and Whitburn have traditional pubs, historic buildings and independent boutiques. There is an athletics track at Monkton and cricket grounds at Westoe and Whitburn.
Environment
The physical environment of South Tyneside varies greatly in a small area: from the bustling riverside towns of South Shields, Jarrow and Hebburn to the urban fringe villages of Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn; from established industrial areas at the
Port of Tyne
The Port of Tyne comprises the commercial docks on and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear in the northeast of England.
History
There has been a port on the Tyne at least since the Romans used their settlement of Arbeia to supply the gar ...
and Tyne Dock riverside to new business parks at Monkton, St Hilda's and Boldon; from the highest point at Cleadon Hills down to the River Don estuary at St Paul's and Bede's World; from traditional Victorian terraces and impressive Edwardian mansions to typical inter- and post-war suburban housing; from the remains and reconstructed gatehouse of Arbeia Roman Fort to the UK's first purpose built mosque at Laygate; from the great River Tyne to the expanse of Shields Harbour at Littlehaven; from the stunning natural coastline of The Leas and the sandy beaches, bays and limestone cliffs at Marsden Bay and Whitburn to the traditional seaside parks, amusements and funfair at South Shields seafront; and from Marsden Quarry to the Great North Forest.
The EcoCentre at Hebburn is a building constructed from recycled materials, self-reliant in power generation by means of its own wind turbine and is efficient in waste management. There is also a local authority-managed wind turbine at Middlefields.
The weather in South Tyneside as with the rest of the North East region is variable and typical of a
Maritime 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 ...
.
In 2019, South Tyneside Council declared a
Climate Emergency. The motion was proposed b
South Tyneside Green Partycouncillo
David Francis and amended by
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
, the amendment was successful and South Tyneside Council is expected to reach net-zero by 2030.
Transport
The
A194(M),
A19 and other trunk roads link South Tyneside to the national road network. The
Tyne & Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro is an overground and underground light rail rapid transit system serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and the City of Sunderland (together forming Tyne and Wear). The network opened in ...
is a light rail system connecting the area with the rest of the Tyne & Wear conurbation, including Sunderland and
Newcastle station and
Newcastle Airport. The
Tyne Road and Pedestrian Tunnels traverse the river between Jarrow and Howdon. A pedestrian
ferry also serves the towns of North and South Shields. The
Port of Tyne
The Port of Tyne comprises the commercial docks on and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear in the northeast of England.
History
There has been a port on the Tyne at least since the Romans used their settlement of Arbeia to supply the gar ...
situated at Tyne Dock is a growing terminal handling large volumes of freight, including exports from the
Nissan car plant in Washington.
People
Well-known South Tynesiders include author Dame
Catherine Cookson
Dame Catherine Ann Cookson, DBE (''née'' McMullen; 20 June 1906 – 11 June 1998) was a British writer. She is in the top 20 of the most widely read British novelists, with sales topping 100 million, while retaining a relatively low profile i ...
, former three times Prime Minister of New Zealand Sir
William Fox, actress Dame
Flora Robson
Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from q ...
,
Monty Python actor
Eric Idle, Hollywood director
Ridley Scott, waxed jacket inventor
J Barbour and athlete
Steve Cram. Author
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...
was inspired to write '
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...
' and '
Through the Looking-Glass
''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...
' by local residents he met when staying in
Whitburn. Singer
Joe McElderry
Joseph McElderry (; born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He won the sixth series of the ITV show ''The X Factor'' in 2009. His first single " The Climb" reached number one on both the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singl ...
who won the 2009
X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...
also comes from the area as well as two members of 2011 X Factor winners
Little Mix,
Jade Thirlwall
Jade Amelia Thirlwall (born 26 December 1992) is an English singer-songwriter. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums and achi ...
and
Perrie Edwards
Perrie Louise Edwards (born 10 July 1993) is an English singer. She rose to prominence in the 2010s as a member of the British girl group Little Mix, one of the world's best-selling girl groups. With Little Mix, she released six studio albums ...
. South Shields is the only town to have two X Factor winners from its area.
Ginger of British rock heroes
The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are an English rock band, formed in 1989 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as the Beatles and 1980s- ...
and
Nathaniel Carter is from South Shields.
Sister cities
South Tyneside is
twinned with
Épinay-sur-Seine
Épinay-sur-Seine (, literally ''Épinay on Seine'') is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. The church of Notre-Dame-des-Missions-du-cygne d'Enghien, designed by Paul Tournon, may be fo ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
;
Noisy-le-Sec
Noisy-le-Sec () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
Population
Heraldry
Transport
Noisy-le-Sec is served by Noisy-le-Sec station on Paris RER line E.
Education
Schools:[< ...]
, France; and
Wuppertal
Wuppertal (; "''Wupper Dale''") is, with a population of approximately 355,000, the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the 17th-largest city of Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the cities and tow ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
Climate
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. 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).
Climate Summary for South Tyneside, UK
/ref>
References
External links
South Tyneside Council and Community website
{{Authority control
Metropolitan boroughs of Tyne and Wear