A metropolitan county located in the northern part in England, Tyne and Wear is named after the rivers that flow through its two major cities: Newcastle as well as Sunderland.
Shipbuilding and coal mining was a common way of life in the region for decades, but over the past decades, Newcastle as well as Sunderland have been given new names for research, high-tech manufacturing and culture.
Okay, it’s true that the North Sea waters might be somewhat chilly however, you shouldn’t overlook the numerous beautiful sandy beaches along the coast.
With heavy industry being drained, they’re more clean than ever before.
Certain areas are bordered by links golf courses, however all are great for winter walks and beach activities in summer.
Let’s look at the best destinations to visit within Tyne and Wear:
1. Newcastle
Like other cities with industrial infrastructure in northern England Newcastle was forced to find its feet again following the sudden demise of heavy industry.
The city was once the hub of manufacturing, coal mining and shipping, but has now repositioned its position as a center for research in the field of science and an ideal spot for nightlife out. Standing proud since 1928 is the arch of the Tyne Bridge, one of those universally-recognised landmarks and an enduring symbol for Tyneside.
There’s plenty of art galleries, museums theaters, live music venues, and the sleeping giant of a football club, Newcastle United at the St James’ Park, a cathedral-like park. In the middle there is the earlier Castle keep from which the city first began. It was constructed by William the Conqueror’s son.
2. Quayside
Newcastle (north bank)and Gateshead (south) are both part of both the Tyne River, and at the Quayside you’ll be able to get an idea about Tyneside in the 21st century.
In the latter decades of the 20th century, this area of riverside, to the east from the Tyne Bridge, was an industrial area that was home to warehouses as well as busy wharfs on the river.
The area was later abandoned however it has been revitalized and is now an area for nightlife and cultural events, as well as an ideal spot for walking along the waterfront. The symbol of this revival can be seen in The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, completed in 2001. It is a bridge that allows pedestrians and cyclists. It then it tilts along an axis at time intervals that let river traffic pass.
3. Grainger Town
Named in honor of the 19th-century urban designer Richard Grainger, this imposing central area of Newcastle was totally redesigned using the Neoclassical style between 1824 to 1849. It has thirty-nine Grade I buildings in the area of just a few streets, and they are all now surrounded by a conservation zone.
Grey Street is surely the most magnificent of all, with the Theatre Royal and its stunning portico, in addition to the beautiful Edwardian shopping mall The Central Arcade. Grainger Market meanwhile is shopping heaven It is home to family-run stalls and food outlets and high-street stores beneath a wrought-iron with a roof made of glass.
4. Sunderland
Just a few miles further farther Sunderland is with Newcastle a (usually) friendship rivalry Newcastle. Sunderland has also required an alternative direction after its emergence in the spotlight as England’s most prestigious shipyards starting in the 14th century.
The business grew along the lines of coal mining and glass making However, high-tech industries and services took over since the 90s.
Explore the traditional glassmaking industry by visiting the National Glass Centre, see more than 2,000 plants in The Winter Gardens and catch a Premier League game at the Stadium of Light. In any season visit the beachfront, where once rough beaches of Roker and Seaburn have been awarded the Blue Flag for their cleanliness.
5. Gateshead
The past 20 years have brought Gateshead many stunning landmarks.
The main attraction has to be the iconic and adored Angel of the North, which is a huge steel sculpture of 20 metres high made by Antony Gormley and installed on an area over Birtley located just a few minutes to the north of Gateshead. On the Tyne is Norman Foster’s Sage Gateshead, a thrilling concert venue which was built in 2004 and is it is the ideal venue to catch touring pop and rock stars.
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is an old flour mill that has been converted into a museum. artistically, the museum’s exhibitions are fantastic, and the views at Newcastle from the top of the platform is something you should definitely include on your list of places to visit.
6. Tynemouth
The beautiful town lies situated on the northern shore of the Tyne when it joins the northern sea. The Georgian as well as Victorian times, it was residence for wealthy ship owners as well as industrialists, merchants, and industrialists therefore there’s plenty of gorgeous properties dating back to the 1800s and 1700s.
The scenery of the sea is dark in winter, and when it’s warmer, people from Newcastle are affluent to King Edward’s Bay and Tynemouth Longsands for a spot of seaside R&R. Tynemouth Pier is an edifice situated at the entrance to the river that extends out into beyond the North Sea for more than 800 meters.
It is possible to walk along across the length of the lighthouse to get an even better view of the lighthouse that was constructed in 1864. Go to the vibrant Tynemouth Market and take a look around Tynemouth Priory founded in the 600s. founded in the late 600s.
7. South Shields
The opposite of Tynemouth located on the south bank of Tyne, South Shields is an attractive coastal town with awe-inspiring North Sea beaches, landscaped with parkland along its foreshore, and fascinating bits of history in the streets and elsewhere. Arbeia is Arbeia is a Roman Fort which received materials for Hadrian’s Wall, and the gatehouse, the home of the commander and barracks have been carefully rebuilt upon the original foundations.
Marsden Beach a little down the road is breathtaking that is awash with sands, and impressive rock formations.
And Souter Lighthouse, constructed in 1871 was the first lighthouse with AC power in the world. It’s accessible to visitors as it is a National Trust monument.
8. Wallsend
The East side from Newcastle, Wallsend was one of England’s capitals for shipbuilding in the steam era, which was the place to launch RMS Mauretania, which broke record time for the fastest east-bound Atlantic crossing on 1907. Even though no vessels are constructed at the huge Swan Hunter, the yard is still used to support North Sea oil and gas drilling rigs.
“Wallsend,” the title of “Wallsend” tells you that it was the easternmost point of Hadrian’s Wall during Roman Times.
For those who aren’t familiar it was a wall that spanned the northern part of England and closed off the border to unconquered territories within what is now Scotland.
The fort’s foundations built to guard the eastern portion of the wall can be seen from a elevated platform in Segedunum There’s also a museum that displays Roman artifacts from the military that were discovered during excavations that took place in the 1990s.
9. Jarrow
In addition, Jarrow has shipyards. Jarrow built warships for the Royal Navy in the Victorian period and in the early 20th century. In the vicinity of town hall is the statue in honor of Charles Palmer, a 19th-century shipbuilder, later becoming as a MP from Jarrow.
In the town’s centre is a memorial to the Jarrow March that was held at the end of 1936 in Great Depression when 200 laid-off employees from the closed Palmer’s Shipyard walked from Jarrow to London to hand in an appeal to the Parliament.
The most influential Jarrow resident is the Venerable Bede who was an 8th-century monk from St Paul’s Abbey (also visitable) who translated Christian Latin and Greek texts into Anglo-Saxon and thus left a lasting mark in The English language.
There’s a dedicated museum to Bede within the gardens of Jarrow Hall, featuring a restored Anglo-Saxon farm.
10. Washington
Did you have the knowledge that the ancestral home of George Washington is located on Wearside? Washington Hall is a beautiful historic manor house owned through the National Trust.
The entry times are limited however if you’re in the area, there’s a reminder of the region’s mining heritage to visit. The Washington F Pit has a Victorian engine house as well as an incredible horizontal winding machine which ran with steam.
This is all part of the Washington “F Pit Museum. It usually is open on Saturdays.
Washington had an RAF Base at Usworth, which was given to the North East Aircraft Museum, with thirty de Havilland, Avro, Hawker and Westland Aircraft, together with a variety of Rolls-Royce propellers as well as jet engine.
