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North Shields

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Template:GBthumb North Shields (or locally just Shields) is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England. It is located eight miles (13km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Its name derives from Middle English schele meaning 'temporary sheds or huts (used by fishermen)',[1] and still today, the area is synonymous with fishing and other trades associated with seafaring.

Industry

North Shields used to have a colliery at Percy Main. Following the demise of fishing, coal-mining and ship-building in the area, several business parks, industrial estates and trading estates have been established to provide alternative employment. The biggest and most notable of these are The Silverlink and Cobalt. Atmel (previously Siemens) has a plant located at the former, and the latter is home to an Orange call centre. The town's association with the early days of the railways is recognised at the Stephenson Railway Museum near The Silverlink.

History

Over the years, North Shields has grown from a small fishing village to incorporate the nearby villages of Chirton, Preston and Billy Mill, amongst others. A large council estate, Meadowwell to the west of the town, was constructed to house residents displaced by the clearance of the Dockwray Square slum, a one-time home of film comedy actor Stan Laurel. Meadowwell was formerly known as the Ridges Estate - a name occasionally used today - and its name derives from a Well situated in a meadow upon which the estate was built.

Locals who have played a large part in the town's history include Ralph Gardner, who opposed Newcastle when it tried to stop ships from docking in North Shields to deliver and receive coal. Newcastle wanted the ships to continue up the river Tyne to dock there and therefore reap the financial rewards. Gardner has a High School named in his honour near the former site of his cottage, the school being nick-named 'Ralphies' (pronounced /'raˌfɪ:z/) by its students. The school closed in 1994 and houses have been built on the site, now called Gardner Park. He also had a monument put up near the school.[2]

Clifford's Fort, located on the Fish Quay, was built in the 17th century as a coastal defence against the Dutch. The Fort also played a role during the Napoleonic Wars.

Admiral Lord Collingwood had a large mansion built in North Shields. The house became Public House called The Collingwood Arms, which has since been demolished in early 2005 to make way for a retirement home. Collingwood was originally from Newcastle and fought with Nelson in the battle of Trafalger. Without Collingwood, Nelson could not have won the Battle of Trafalgar, and a large monument in his honour overlooks the River Tyne at Tynemouth. However, he never spent one night in the house he had built in North Shields, so consequently the house was not considered a listed building.

The town has recently undergone an extensive regeneration programme which has seen the revitalisation of the redundant docks. The Wet 'n' Wild indoor water park, an outlet shopping centre, a new Bowling alley, a JJB Soccer Dome and a marina form the centrepiece to the Royal Quays development to the south-west of the town. Similarly, major regeneration of the Fish Quay to the south-east of the town centre has included the construction of luxury apartments and the conversion of existing buildings into restaurants and bars. The Fish Quay plays host to an annual festival to celebrate the fishing industry's importance to the town's history.

Transport

The Tyne and Wear Metro links North Shields to Newcastle city centre, and to other destinations in Tyne and Wear including Whitley Bay, Newcastle Airport, and Sunderland. A half-hourly ferry service connects the North Shields Fish Quay to the town of South Shields on the opposite bank of the Tyne.

An international ferry terminal, the only one in the region, is based at Royal Quays and provides connections to Norway, and The Netherlands.

The ferry service to Gothenburg, Sweden (run by the Danish company DFDS Seaways), ceased operation at the end of October 2006.[3] The company cited high fuel prices and new competition from low-cost air services, especially Ryanair (which now flies to Glasgow Prestwick and London Stansted from Gothenburg City Airport), as being the cause. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, will continue to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, including Newcastle, and these have limited capacity for passengers, but not private vehicles. It is unclear if the Newcastle (North Shields)-Kristiansand, Norway, route will continue.

Famous residents past and present

References

  1. ^ Mills, A.D. (1991). Popular Dictionary of English Place-Names, The. Oxford: Parragon. Shields, 'temporary sheds or huts (used by fisherman)', ME schele: Shields, North Tyne & Wear. Chelis 1268. Shields, South Tyne & Wear. Scheles 1235
  2. ^ http://www.tynelives.org.uk/northsh/page21.htm - retrieved 2006-12-10
  3. ^ "DFDS scraps Newcastle-Gothenburg line", The Local, 7 September 2006: "Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways is to scrap the only passenger ferry route between Sweden and Britain, with the axing of the Gothenburg-Newcastle route at the end of October."

See also

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