The Ancient guide to our the area.
In books from the past the Durham area is often described "as nothing of note except for collieries", but there is some worthy of note:
A sixteenth century report from the Bishop of Durham among others:
Sunderland a fishing town and landing place... which has thirty householders, but there are neither ships nor boats, and only seven fish cobles.
Then we come to the 1900's This great shipping and ship building community now numbers over 150,000 people-a great creation of the nineteenth century, there are four docks and over 200,000 tons of shipping registered at it's port it's shipyards turn out a hundred new vessels per year. The terret trading ships are unique additions to our mercantile marine. The coal trade finds employment for large numbers, from the mouth of the river up to Hylton. Both banks are lined with... anchor and chain cable works, marine engineering, roperies, iron works, paper mills, breweries and limekilns.
It boasts a town hall in the Italian renascence style and many other well proportioned building grace the broad thoroughfares. At Roker, a marine suburb of Sunderland, a splendid pier has been opened, and a popular watering place is seen in the making. The ancient townships of Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth whose names disclose their ecclesiastical origin - have been absorbed in the well build town, which has swept away all traces of Benedict Bicop's industry in founding monasteries by the banks of the wear. You can still find one in the shape of St Peters in Monkwearmouth a remnant of the seventh century structure.
South Shields report of 26th November 1565, the Bishop of Durham, William Lord Gore, Sir Thomas Barnes and Thomas Layton commissioners for the care of ports.
This place is a fishing town or creek. there are fifty one house holders fifty are fishermen. The town is governed and is the inheritance of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, but there is no lading or unlading there, because all that come up the river are unladed at Newcastle. There are three ships belonging to the town called the "Uswen" the "Edward" and the "John of Shields" belonging to John Bowmaker, William Lawson and Edward Kitchen. There are six boats or cobles for fishing; twenty five persons get their living thereby. There are above twenty houses in the town wherein fishermen dwelt, which are decayed.
Tynemouth set on the headland above the Black Middens, a reef of rocks with a tragic history, the first "Volunteer Life Brigade" resulted. It also boasts the first search light designed for the purpose of aiding the work of succouring shipwrecked seamen.