The Spirit of South Shields bids us welcome at the ferry terminal – she cradles a ship to ensure our safe journey over the river. Not that there is much chance of shipwreck in the seven minutes it takes to cross the Tyne but anyway……………
The ferry arrives……………………..
And departs – we sit on the top deck and watch North Shields slowly move into focus.
After a ten minute walk along the quay keeping an eye out for coffee, we spy an usual looking building offering coffee and cake and a lot else besides.
I love the Transit Van windscreen wrap……………
Outside sits a pensive fisherman – a memorial in steel to North Shields fishermen lost at sea.
Across the bay stand the ruins of Tynemouth Priory – its history is complicated so I won’t even attempt a description – suffice it to say that it was one of many religious establishments to whet the appetite of Viking hoardes.
The castle is a stone’s throw away and is now managed by English Heritage.
Tynemouth feels affluent, houses well maintained and a range of shops and services indicating prosperity. A gorgeous sweep of golden sand is tempting but we have an agenda.
Further up the road we pass what’s left of Tynemouth’s Outdoor Pool. Built in the 1920’s, this concrete tidal pool was extremely popular with those holiday makers who chose to swim in its relatively calm waters, rather than brave the potential dangers of the North Sea. It fell from grace with the advent of cheap holidays abroad – there are plans to restore it.
From here we walk beside a minor road up until the beginning of yet another stunning beach – Whitely Sands. The path doubles up as a cycle track and at one point leads us over a delightful stone bridge spanning Brierdene Burn. We end up in the carpark at the top of the slope and it takes a few minutes to work out how to proceed.
Back on track, our next opportunity to stop and rest is in front of the tidal causeway which links the mainland to the lighthouse on St. Mary’s Island. Decommissioned in 1984 it is now open to the public. We deliberate, and perhaps illustrating a lamentable lack of curiousity we move on, driven by the thought of a cold beer in the King Arms at Seaton Sluice.
And here we are………..
And here’s the view…………..
Distance: 9 miles
Joining the Dots 
How lovely to see the Molten building! We rented the apartment at the top last year.
Looks like a nice walk. Loved the Molten building and steel fisherman. Tynemouth sounds worth a visitxx
Think you’re visiting Northumberland soon? Tynemouth might be on the way – the market was voted as the best seaside market in the UK x
Lamentable lack of curiosity? We’ve got places to get to, miles to cover, beer to drink.
if we stopped to identify every wildflower flower we can’t identify, or turn over every rock that might reveal a fossil we wouldn’t get very far.
This was a great walk and a lovely report.
Highlights for me….. the coffee in the Molten Building and the chance to chat to its creator” I know what we’ll do, we’ll glaze it with Transit van windscreens…”. Now that is thinking out of the box?
I also loved the little poem underneath the fisherman sculpture. No Arctic wind will blow…..
I know I know – there are actually quite a few places I’d like to come back to for further investigation – maybe in another lifetime. Think you’ve nailed the comment box now but do not hesitate………🤪
Lovely shot of St. Mary’s Island. That’s a beautiful stretch of coastline. I’ve lost track of the number of times we went to the beach at Seaton Sluice when I was growing up, normally huddling behind a windbreak! 😂
This coastline, all the way up, seems to be a well kept secret – we walked on and above so many beautiful beaches – and nobody on them!
Thank you Tricia & Damian,
Your surprising discoveries and obvious enjoyment make this report really exciting to follow, with clear illustrations.
I hadn’t imagined South Shields as such. I did my teacher training year in South Shields, in a new primary school and don’t remember much more about the area than the “Arctic wind will blow”
Thanks Corinne – yes the Fiddlers Green poem, very moving x
Wow! Can’t say I appreciate their statues, but the beaches, lighthouse,
gelato house etc etc, just wow! What a splendiferous walk. Thanks. BX