South Shields

South Shields is located at the mouth of the River Tyne. This coastal town was famous for its shipbuilding and today the Port of Tyne is one of the UK's most important ports. From coal to cars it all comes in here. People from South Shields are known as 'Sandancers' probably due to the use of sand in glassmaking and the fact that whilst trampling the sand the workers looked like they were dancing.

There has been a settlement here since pre-historic times. The town has been home to the Romans, attacked by Viking raiderss and even bombed by German Zeppelin Airships in 1915. Originally it developed as fishing port, taking its name from the 'Shele' or 'Shield'  which was the name given to a small fishermans house. Coal and glass making were established here which led to a much increased population during the mid 19th century.

For more photographs of South Shields click here

Sunderland

 If you come from Sunderland you are known locally as a Mackem. Historically Sunderland was a trading post but ship building commenced in the 14th century and until recently Sunderland was known as one of the largest ship building towns in the world. Today the Port of Sunderland is the second largest municipally owned port in the UK and handles cargo from Scandanavia. The port also provides distribution and warehousing.

Sunderland city centre is a mix of modern and old with all the main high street chains that you can find in most towns and cities across the UK. Since 1985 the city has seen massive investment which has transformed the river front and helped improve the economic situation since the collapse of ship building. In 1986 the car manufacturer Nissan opened a large factory in Sunderland providing much needed employment in the area.

If you follow the coast road from Sunderland to Roker Beach you will also reach the mouth of the River Tyne. The coastline along this route is stunning and the surrounding countryside is unspoiled. Most tourists visiting the area head straight for Roker Beach or the Promenade area. However the National Glass Centre is worth a visit as it tracks the history of glass making in Sunderland with examples of glassware from the city.

Angel of the North

The Angel of the North, designed by Antony Gormley takes price of place on a hill overlooking the A1 and A167 in Low Eighton, Gateshead. It is one of the most viewed and memorable sculptures in the UK. 

The sculpture is made of steel and is 20 metres in height with a wing span measuring 54 metres. The Angel was completed in 1998 and financed with National Lottery funding to the tune of £1 million pounds. The sculpture is mounted in 600 tons of concrete and was transported to the current site from its construction site in Hartlepool.

The Angel of the North is often referred to as the gateway to the north or sometimes locally as the "Gateshead Flasher" due to its outstretched wings appearance resembling that of a man with an outstretched mac.

Roker Beach

Tyne and Wear is given its name by the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. The River Wear mouth is at Roker by North Pier shown here in the photograph. Roker beach itself is a popular seaside resort and part of Sunderland.

Roker seafront is host to the Sunderland International Airshow which is the biggest free airshow in Europe. It takes place in July each year and aircraft follow the line of the beach in a spectacular fly past. Roker Park stages illuminations  with entertainment for children at the end of the summer season during October and November. 

Marsden Grotto

Unless you knew it was there you could easily miss it. The only tell tale sign of what lies beneath the cliffs is a lift tower and entrance tunnel from a car park along the coast road at Marsden near South Shields. The post code to help you find the location is NE34 7BS.
 
There are two ways to access the establishment below. You can take the staircase from the car park or the lift. There is plenty of parking here so even in the summer months you should find a space easily enough. When you reach the pub below you will find yourself in something pretty unique.

The entire building is embedded in the cliff wall and the caves and walls of the cliff actually make up the space inside the building. This is one of the only cave bars in Europe and the restaurant inside the pub is actually housed in a cavern.

What makes this special is that it is located on the beach and you can walk straight out of the pub onto a shingle beach which has some magnificent views and some interesting and spectacular rock formations.

The pub was originally built by a local quarry man and developed further by a Peter Allan who extended the establishment further. Disputes over land ownership or the rights to the land caused Peter to sink into depression and he died in 1849 leaving his family to continue operating the business.

After several owners and periods of decay and rebuilding a lift was added and Tavistock, a local firm in the hospitality sector acquired the Grotto and refurbished it. The Roker Hotel is owned by the same company. The pub is now in the hands of Oxford Hotels and Inns.

The caves on this beach and tales of hauntings at the Grotto all add to the atmosphere and the mystery of the place. The website of the Marsden Grotto provides more information on the restaurant and the history of the establishment.

For more photographs of Marsden Grotto and the beach click here or view on You Tube

Website: http://www.marsden-grotto.co.uk/