Museums, archives and heritage in Tyne & Wear

Newcastle upon Tyne, parliamentary and municipal borough, city, seaport, market town, and county of itself, Northumberland, on river Tyne, 10 miles from its mouth, 117 miles SE. of Edinburgh and 276 miles NW. of London by rail, 5371 acres, population 145,359. Modern Newcastle, through the rich mineral products of the neighbourhood, and the industrial genius and activity of the inhabitants, has attained a first position among the great centres of British business enterprise. Being in the midst of one of the largest coalfields in England, it exports immense quantities of that commodity; also iron, chemicals, hardware, glass, earthenware, and machinery. Important industries are shipbuilding, the manufacture of locomotive and marine engines, cannon, patent shot, tools, fire-bricks, hemp and wire ropes, cables, anchors, sails, &c. The port (which is one of the Tyne Ports) has a very extensive traffic, greatly facilitated by the Northumberland and Tyne Docks. A bishopric was founded for Newcastle in 1882, and the place was created a city.

Gateshead, parliamentary and municipal borough, seaport, market town, and parish, N. Durham, on right bank of river Tyne, opposite Newcastle; borough, 3243 acres, population 65,803. The modern town is practically a part of Newcastle, and its industries are similar. Large quantities of coal are shipped from the almost inexhaustible coalfields of the district, and the other principal industries are ironworks (including foundries and the making of engines, boilers, cables, &c.), ship. building, glassmaking, chemical works, &c.

Sunderland – parliamentary and municipal borough, seaport town, and parish, Durham, at mouth of river Wear; municipal borough, 3306 acres, population 116,542. Sunderland rose into importance as a seat of trade and commerce about the middle of the 18th century, and is now one of the chief coal-shipping ports in the kingdom. After its coal trade and shipping, the town depends chiefly upon its ship-building; it has also large marine engineering works, works for heavy iron-forging, and for the manufacture of glass, cordage, earthenware, &c.

– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

Note: Tyne & Wear was formed in 1974 from parts of Northumberland and County Durham.

Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum

Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum, Baring Street

South Shields NE33 2BB

0191 456 1369

www.twmuseums.org.uk/arbeia

Four miles east of the end of Hadrian’s Wall at South Shields, Arbeia Roman Fort played an essential role in the mighty frontier system. Originally built to house a garrison, Arbeia soon became the military supply base for the 17 forts along the Wall.

Bede’s World

Church Bank

Jarrow NE32 3DY

0191 489 2106

www.bedesworld.co.uk

Bede’s World celebrates the extraordinary life and achievements of the Venerable Bede (AD 673 – 735) who lived and worked here in the monastery 1300 years ago. Visit: – Interactive permanent exhibition ‘The Age of Bede’ in the stunning new museum building – Historic site of the Anglo-Saxon monastery of St Paul and medieval monastery ruins – Rare breeds of animals, recreated Anglo-Saxon timber buildings and ancient varieties of crops and vegetables on Gyrwe, the Anglo-Saxon demonstration farm – Herb garden, based on Anglo-Saxon and medieval herbs, and laid out partly to a 9th century plan.

Bessie Surtees House

41-44 Sandhill, Newcastle

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 3JF

0191 269 1200

www.english-heritage.org.uk

Two 16th- and 17th-century merchants’ houses, one of which is a rare example of Jacobean domestic architecture. The house is perhaps best known as the scene of the elopement of Bessie Surtees and John Scott, who, in 1771, became Lord Chancellor of England.

Blackfriars

Friars Street

Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 4XN

0191 261 5945

www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk

With its origins dating back to 1239 and a long and turbulent history that included a spell as a hostel to accommodate King Henry III, Blackfriars confidently lays claim to be the oldest dining room in the UK..

Bowes Railway Centre

Springwell Village

Newcastle & Gateshead NE9 7QJ

0191 416 1847

www.bowesrailway.co.uk

The only place in the world where rope haulage can be seen on a standard gauge railway system, Bowes Railway is a preserved colliery railway. On operating days, steam train rides are given to the hauler house for rope haulage demonstrations, but the fine examples of Victorian workshops and machinery can be seen during the week for free.

Castle Keep

Castle Garth

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 1RQ

0191 2327938

www.oldnewcastle.org.uk

The castle Keep of Newcastle-upon-Tyne was built by Henry II between 1168-1178, it is one of the finest surviving examples of a Norman Keep in the country. It stands within a site that also contains: an early motte and bailey castle built by Robert Curthose, the son of William the Conqueror: an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and a Roman Fort (Pons Aelius). The castle Keep is a Grade 1 listed building, a Scheduled Ancient monument, and is open to the public 361 days of the year as a heritage visitor attraction. Owned by Newcastle City Council it is leased to and managed by the society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the second oldest antiquarian society in the world.

Cathedral Church of St Nicholas

St Nicholas Churchyard

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 1PF

0191 232 1939

stnicholascathedral.co.uk

The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is not like other northern cathedrals such as Durham and Carlisle.

Discovery Museum

Discovery Museum, Blandford Square

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 4JA

0191 232 6789

www.twmuseums.org.uk/discovery

Discover all about life in Newcastle and Tyneside, from the area’s renowned maritime history and world-changing science and technology right through to fashion through the ages and military history. The museum is bursting with interactive displays, which makes it the perfect place to learn and have fun. Explore Newcastle’s past from Romans to the present day; Tyneside inventions that changed the world; a fun approach to science and take a walk through fashion.

Fulwell Windmill

Newcastle Road, Fulwell

Sunderland SR5 1EX

0191 516 9790

www.fulwell-windmill.com

Fulwell Windmill started to appear on the Sunderland skyline in 1806 and became the familiar landmark we know today when it opened in 1808. 200 years on, the Mill is still the famous landmark it was and continues to be one of Sunderland’s most treasured heritage sites.

Gateshead Libraries

Central Library, Prince Consort Road

Gateshead NE8 4LN

0191 433 8420

www.gatesheadlibraries.com

Our Local Studies section offers access to parish records, census returns, electors lists, newspapers, maps and a large collection of photographs about the Gateshead area. Our specialist staff are on hand to help.

Gibside – National Trust

nr Rowlands Gill, Burnopfield

Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE16 6BG

01207 541820

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/gibside

An 18th century landscape ‘forest’ garden once home to the Bowes-Lyons family. Now, owned and managed by the National Trust, Gibside is a magnificent 600 acre estate for you to venture, exploring our woodlands, riverside and parkland to discover some of our rare and beautiful wildlife.

Great North Museum: Hancock

Barras Bridge

Newcastle & Gateshead NE2 4PT

0191 222 6765

www.greatnorthmuseum.org

The Great North Museum incorporates collections from the Hancock Museum and Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the Hatton Gallery. Highlights of the £26million museum include a large-scale, interactive model of Hadrian’s Wall, major new displays showing the wonder and diversity of the animal kingdom, spectacular objects from the Ancient Greeks and mummies from Ancient Egypt, a planetarium and a life-size T-Rex dinosaur replica skeleton.

Lit & Phil – The Literary & Philosophical Society

23 Westgate Road

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 1SE

0191 232 0192

www.litandphil.org.uk

The Literary & Philosophical Society (Lit & Phil) is the largest independent library outside London, housing over 150,000 books. A wide selection of current fiction and non-fiction can be found alongside historical collections covering every field of interest.

Mining Institute

Neville Hall, Westgate Road

Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 1SE

0191 233 2459

www.mininginstitute.org.uk

The Mining Institute, a registered charity, is situated in the heart of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is housed in Neville Hall, a Grade II* listed building. Outstanding gothic library richly decorated.

Monkwearmouth Station Museum

Monkwearmouth Station Museum, North Bridge Street

Sunderland SR5 1AP

0191 567 7075

www.twmuseums.org.uk

This splendid Victorian railway station recreates a sense of rail travel in the past. Explore the ticket office as it would have looked in Victorian times, see the guard’s van and goods wagon in the railway sidings and watch today’s trains zoom past the Platform Gallery.

Newcastle Community Heritage Project

Ouseburn Regeneration Centre, Spiller

Newcastle & Gateshead

www.newcastlecommunityheritage.org

The Newcastle Community Heritage Project works with residents, local groups, schools and visitors to create opportunities for celebrating cultural heritage and community history.

North East Aircraft Museum

Washington Road

Sunderland SR5 3HZ

0191 5190662

www.neam.org.uk

The North East Aircraft Museum, formerly the Northumbrian Aeronautical Collection, began life in 1974 as a small group of vintage aircraft enthusiasts meeting very informally at Sunderland Flying Club to exchange views and information on their chosen interest. At this time, the North East was the only major area of the United Kingdom not covered by any form of vintage aircraft group.

North East Bus Museum

Postal address only: 8 Seaburn Hill

Sunderland SR6 8BS

www.nebpt.co.uk

The North East Bus Preservation Trust (NEBPT) is a group of over 130 bus and coach enthusiasts dedicated to preserving the vehicles and heritage of the North East of England. At the present time the North East Bus Preservation Trust has three buildings used for storage and workshop facilities. The North East Bus Preservation Trust currently owns 17 vehicles and we also maintain a list of preserved buses. During the Winter months we hold indoor meetings, with regular slide shows/videos and occasionally a guest speaker from within the transport industry. From Spring onwards we try to arrange evening trips in a preserved vehicle belonging to the trust, or a bus kindly offered by an owner member.

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society

2nd Floor, Bolbec Hall, Westgate Road

Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 1SE

0191 261 2159

www.ndfhs.org.uk

The society, founded in 1975, promotes interest in family history amongst its members and the general public. We invite you to consider joining and to visit our Research Centre at Percy House with its library and search room.

Northumberland Hussars Museum

Discovery Museum, Blandford Square

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 4JA

0191 232 6789

goo.gl/4UR8fh

The Northumberland (Hussars) could trace its origins to December 1819 when the Northumberland and Newcastle Volunteer Corps of Cavalry formed, under the command of Charles John Brandling, of Gosforth House. Justification for its formation was attributed to the revolutionary spirit then especially prevalent in the North of England.

Ryhope Engines Museum

Ryhope

Sunderland SR2 0ND

0191 521 0235

www.ryhopeengines.org.uk

The Ryhope Engines Museum is based on the Ryhope Pumping Station which was built in 1868 to supply water to the Sunderland area. The station ceased operation in 1967 – after 100 years of continuous use. The museum is now regarded as one of the finest industrial monuments in the North East of England, and is in a Grade II (starred) listed building.

Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum

Buddle Street

Wallsend NE28 6HR

0191 236 9347

www.twmuseums.org.uk/segedunum

In AD122 the Emperor Hadrian ordered a mighty frontier system to be built across Britain to defend the Roman Empire from the barbarians to the North. The result was Hadrian’s Wall, a 73 mile barrier stretching from the River Tyne in the east to the Solway Firth in the west. Segedunum, which means ‘strong Fort’, was built to guard the eastern end of the Wall, and housed 600 Roman soldiers.

Collections: The Roman collections at Segedunum relate to the more recent excavations of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and are constantly being augmented by fresh archaeological fieldwork in the Wallsend area. Their particular significance lies in the fact that they represent a comparatively comprehensive span of both the 300 year occupation of the site, and of the assorted structures within it.

Shipley Art Gallery

Shipley Art Gallery, Prince Consort Road

Newcastle & Gateshead NE8 4JB

0191 477 1495

www.shipleyartgallery.org.uk

The Shipley Art Gallery is home to a collection of over 700 breathtaking pieces by the country’s leading craft makers. A dazzling selection of this collection is on permanent show and includes studio ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewellery, textiles and furniture.

Souter Lighthouse & The Leas – National Trust

Coast Road, Whitburn

Sunderland SR6 7NH

0191 529 3161

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/souter

Opened in 1871 Souter remains an iconic beacon. Hooped in red and white and standing proud on the coastline midway between the Tyne and the Wear.

South Shields Museum & Art Gallery

Ocean Road

South Shields NE33 2JA

0191 456 8740

www.twmuseums.org.uk/southshields

This friendly venue explores the story of South Tyneside, including the lifetime achievement of the successful local author Catherine Cookson. Its major collections are in social history and art which are represented in the newly refurbished Changing Faces gallery.

St Mary’s Heritage Centre

St Mary’s Church, Oakwellgate

Gateshead NE8 2AU

0191 433 4699

goo.gl/Q2ptsM

St Mary’s Church, which sits high above the River Tyne close to The Sage Gateshead, reopened on the 16th December 2008 following a £1.2m transformation, funded by Gateshead Council, the European Regional Development fund and the heritage lottery fund, into Tyneside’s newest visitor attraction. The interior of the Grade 1-listed church has been completely stripped out to return it as far as possible to its former state, and is now open to the public with a programme of exhibitions and activities including a new family history section focusing on the church and the nearby area.

Stephenson Railway Museum

Middle Engine Lane

North Shields NE29 8DX

0191 200 7146

www.twmuseums.org.uk/stephenson

Re-live the glorious days of the steam railway at the Stephenson Railway Museum in North Shields. The museum is home to George Stephenson’s ‘Billy’, a forerunner of the world-famous Rocket, and many other engines from the great age of steam including ‘Jackie Milburn’, named after the Newcastle United legend. Rides on a real steam train can be taken and the story of coal and electricity’s impact on ordinary people’s lives can be discovered.

Stephenson Works

20 South St,

Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3PE

0191 222 0905

www.robertstephensontrust.com/page16.html

In 1823 George and Robert Stephenson, along with three partners, opened the world’s first purpose built locomotive works on Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne. Part of these historic works has been rescued from near dereliction.

Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens

Burdon Road

Sunderland SR1 1PP

0191 553 2323

goo.gl/LlgFzH

Exciting hands-on exhibits and interactive displays tell the story of Sunderland from its prehistoric past through to the present day. The Art Gallery features paintings by L S Lowry alongside Victorian masterpieces and artefacts from the four corners of the world.

Tanfield Railway – The World’s Oldest Railway

Marley Hill Engine Shed, Old Marley Hill

Gateshead NE16 5ET

0845 463 4938

www.tanfield-railway.co.uk

Step aboard the world famous Tanfield Railway, a great day out for all the family. Join us for an unforgettable journey on a vintage steam train with unique Victorian carriages and lovingly restored locomotives, for a six mile round trip through beautiful rolling countryside and a spectacular wooded valley.

Trinity House

Broad Chare

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 3DQ

0191 232 8226

www.trinityhousenewcastle.org.uk

Trinity House, Newcastle, is a maritime organisation, dedicated to safe navigation and welfare of seamen. Established in 1492, the organisation was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation in 1536 by King Henry VIII and has operated by Royal Charter ever since. The house also maintains the buildings and preserves the heritage and ancient traditions of this unique organisation. The buildings forming the Trinity House complex include the private Brethrens Chapel, 1505; the entrance hall, 1800; the Banqueting Hall and Board Room, 1721.

Tyne & Wear Archives

The Archives, Discovery Museum, Blandford Square

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 4JA

0191 2772248

www.twmuseums.org.uk/archives

The Archives hold documents relating to Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, north Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The Archives preserve documents relating to the area from the 12th to the 21st century, and the service is free for everyone to use.

Collections: The Shipbuilding, Marine and Maritime Trade Collection in the Archives is a Designated Collection of national importance. This collection comprises material from over 20 Tyneside shipbuilding firms, including major companies such as Swan Hunter.

Tynemouth Priory & Castle – English Heritage

Pier Road

Tynemouth NE30 4BZ

0191 257 1090

goo.gl/tKYr7n

Once a monastery and a burial place of kings and saints Tynemouth Priory and Castle is an inspiring day out sure to capture the kids’ imaginations. Explore the ruins, find tranquillity in the tiny chapel, take in the beautiful coastal views and enjoy a picnic in the grounds.

Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade Watch House

Spanish Battery

Tynemouth NE30 4DD

0191 257 2059

www.tvlb.org/TVLB%20Main%20Pages/Museum.htm

The Brigade Watch House Museum is packed full of fascinating and unique artefacts of the Brigade’s history, including the ship’s bell from one of the shipwrecks that led to the creation of the Brigade in 1864. Furthermore behind every picture and relic is a captivating story about how it links into both the Brigade’s past and present role as a Voluntary Life Brigade on the North Tyneside Coastline.

Victoria Tunnel

Arch 6, Stepney Bank

Ouseburn Valley NE1 2NP

0191 2616 596

www.ouseburntrust.org.uk

The Victoria Tunnel is a fully preserved 19th century waggonway under the city from the Town Moor to the Tyne, to transport coal from Spital Tongues (Leazes Main) Colliery to the river and operated between 1842 and the 1860s. The tunnel was converted into an air raid shelter to protect Newcastle citizens during World War 2. The tunnel was carefully repaired and opened for guided tours with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and TyneWear Partnership. Since 2010 the Ouseburn Trust has operated guided tours with fully trained volunteer guides.

Victoria Tunnel Education Project

FREEPOST NT623

Newcastle & Gateshead NE1 1BR

www.victoriatunnel.info

Welcome to the Victoria Tunnel Education Project. 766 yards (700m) of this old underground waggonway has been newly restored and includes audio-visual effects and ‘Rainbow Code’ – an exciting, interactive artwork. Part of the Victoria Tunnel, including the audio-visual displays, is wheelchair accessible and we are able to arrange tours to suit your access requirements. Tours are limited to 10 people so booking is essential. Please contact us for our current programme of public tours and a booking enquiries form.

Washington ‘F’ Pit Museum

Washington ‘F’ Pit Museum, Albany Way

Washington NE37 1BJ

0191 553 2323

www.twmuseums.org.uk/404.html

Washington ‘F’ Pit’s magnificent Victorian steam engine, engine house and headgear are preserved to mark the town’s coalmining heritage that reaches back over 250 years. The industrial monument is the last of its type in the North East.

Washington Old Hall – National Trust

The Avenue

Washington NE38 7LE

0191 416 6879

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/washington-old-hall

Washington Old Hall is a delightful stone-built 17th-century manor house, which incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington’s direct ancestors. It is from here that the family surname of Washington was derived.