41-471: Wallsend ( / ˌ w ɔː l z ˈ ɛ n d / ) is a town in North Tyneside , Tyne and Wear , England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall . It has a population of 43,842 and lies 4 miles (6.5 kilometres) east of Newcastle upon Tyne . In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of Segedunum . This fort protected the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall , which did not terminate at the western wall of
82-545: A TV studio: productions from there include the hit ITV drama Vera starring Brenda Blethyn and Inspector George Gently starring Martin Shaw . Much of Wallsend's early industry was driven by coal mining. The Wallsend Colliery consisted of seven pits which were active between 1778 and 1935. In the 1820s the pits became incorporated as Russell's Colliery, which then became the Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Company Ltd. By 1924
123-716: A centre of heavy industry along with the rest of Tyneside, with for example the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, and export of coal. Today most of the heavy industry has gone, leaving high unemployment in some areas (over the borough, 5.1% compared to 3.7% for the UK in 2022). Two key roads serve North Tyneside: North Tyneside is served by 17 stations on the Tyne and Wear Metro on a loop from Newcastle through Wallsend, North Shields, Whitley Bay, Benton and back to Newcastle. Trains operate at least every 15 minutes, with extra services in
164-705: A complete reconstruction was undertaken. On 30 October 1994, 100 years after her launch, Turbinia was moved to Newcastle's Museum of Science and Engineering (later renamed the Discovery Museum) and put on display to the public in March 1996. Listed as part of the National Historic Fleet , in 2000, the vessel was the focal point of a year-long, £10.7 million redevelopment programme at the Discovery Museum. The gallery around Turbinia
205-483: A population of 43,826 compared with 42,842 in the previous census. In Wallsend, 4.9% of the population is non-white British, which is the same as the surrounding borough. It also has the same percentage of Asian people, but has slightly more black people. Wallsend is the second least ethnically diverse major urban subdivision in Tyneside and has a larger percentage of white British people compared with Tynemouth which
246-568: A time of peace and progress. This time of peace came to an abrupt end in 794 when the Danes (or Vikings ) swarmed up the Tyne in great numbers. In the years before the Norman conquest there was a struggle for mastery between Danes and Angles. Several urban sanitary districts were formed in the parish in the late 19th century: Willington Quay , Howdon and Wallsend itself. The first two joined to form
287-413: A top speed of more than 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph), so that "the passengers aboard would be convinced beyond all doubt Turbinia was Charles Parsons' winning North Sea greyhound". The turbines were directly driven, as geared turbines were not introduced until 1910. Even after the introduction of geared turbines, efficiency of even the largest axial steam turbines was still below 12% and Turbinia
328-530: Is also hometown and birthplace to internationally successful musician Sting , whose song All This Time refers to the Roman wall and fort. The musical The Last Ship , composed and written by Sting, is set in Wallsend. Wallsend Town Hall , a large Edwardian Baroque style building in High Street East, was completed in 1908. In dedication to its Roman heritage, Wallsend's historic name Segedunum
369-401: Is also slightly larger in population. However it has more ethnic minorities than Jarrow , which is south of the river Tyne. North Tyneside North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear , England . It forms part of the greater Tyneside conurbation . North Tyneside Council is headquartered at Cobalt Park , Wallsend . North Tyneside
410-545: Is believed to have been an attempt to prevent inhalation of the gas which eventually killed them. The bodies were extracted and buried in St Peter's churchyard at the top of the bank overlooking the Wallsend Burn. A plaque has been erected within the churchyard to commemorate this tragedy. The town has expanded greatly in terms of housing since the end of World War II, and since the 1960s. Wallsend Town Centre—including
451-545: Is bordered by Newcastle upon Tyne to the west, the North Sea to the east, the River Tyne to the south and Northumberland to the north. Within its bounds are the towns of Wallsend, North Shields , Killingworth , Tynemouth and Whitley Bay , which form a continuously built-up area contiguous with Newcastle upon Tyne . The borough was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the county borough of Tynemouth , with
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#1732773057482492-566: Is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East ; there are therefore two directly elected mayors covering North Tyneside. The combined authority was established in 2024 covering North Tyneside, County Durham , Gateshead , Newcastle upon Tyne , Northumberland , South Tyneside and Sunderland . North Tyneside lies in the coalfield that covers the South-East of the historic county of Northumberland. It has traditionally been
533-474: Is mostly contiguous with the city of Newcastle. The towns in the east of the borough are more separate from the central part of the Newcastle urban area. Many of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Tyne and Wear are found in the coastal part of the borough. Unlike most English districts, North Tyneside Council is led by a directly elected mayor ; since May 2013, this post has been held by Norma Redfearn of
574-559: Is planned with many improvements such as a skate and BMX park, better pathways, and a rebuilding of the Duffy Memorial Fountain. On Rheydt Avenue in Wallsend is Centurion Park Golf Club, previously named Wallsend Golf Club. It has 18 holes and a driving range. The town is home to Wallsend Boys Club , which has produced many famous football players such as Alan Shearer , Lee Clark , Steve Watson , Peter Beardsley , Robbie Elliott , Mick Tait and Michael Carrick . It
615-624: Is retold in the movie The Red Tent , starring Sean Connery and Peter Finch . Charles Parsons launched his revolutionary Turbinia here in 1894, thus not only revolutionising the navies of the world, but also, through the large-scale production of affordable electricity, making a significant contribution to the modern age. He features in a BBC film called The Inventor of the Twentieth Century . Russian novelist Yevgeny Zamyatin worked at Swan Hunter in 1916–17, and used it as background for his great anti-utopian work We which
656-536: Is shown in many places in the town, and signs with Latin wordings can also be found. Wallsend Metro Station has some signs in English and Latin. Such translations tend to amuse, with contrasts between today's and ancient times. Segedunum Roman Fort Museum has displays on Roman history as well as reconstructions of a bath house and a section of the Roman Wall which once stood on the site. In 2011, Wallsend had
697-685: Is the High Street. To the north of this street is Wallsend Green, the town's most picturesque area, consisting of large houses as well as the Sir G B Hunter Memorial Hospital , surrounding a green square. Behind the Green, where the Burn runs through the parkland of the Hall Grounds lies Wallsend Park, a traditional British municipal park, whose restoration has frequently been demanded by local residents and
738-563: The Labour Party . She was most recently elected on 6 May 2021. The council has sixty elected members, three from each of the twenty wards in the borough. Elections are staggered into thirds, with one councillor from each ward elected each year for three consecutive years, and the mayoral election held on the fourth year. North Tyneside is part of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority , which
779-601: The Pontop Pike TV transmitter Radio stations that broadcast to the area are: The area is served by the local newspaper, Evening Chronicle . North Tyneside is twinned with: The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of North Tyneside. Turbinia Turbinia was the first steam turbine -powered steamship . Built as an experimental vessel in 1894, and easily
820-759: The RMS Mauretania . This express liner held the Blue Riband , for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic , for 22 years. Other famous ships included the RMS Carpathia which rescued the survivors from the Titanic in 1912, and the icebreaker Krasin (launched as Sviatogor ) which rescued the Umberto Nobile expedition on Spitzbergen in 1928, when Roald Amundsen perished. The story
861-663: The Angles, sailing from near the mouth of the River Elbe with frequent raids both from sea and from land. Ida the Saxon laid waste to the whole of the north in 547 and Wallsend doubtless suffered in the general devastation. It was not until the golden age of Northumberland under Edwin of Northumbria , and the subsequent introduction of the Christian faith by King Oswald of Northumbria (635-642) and St Aidan , that Wallsend enjoyed
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#1732773057482902-703: The Nativity and the Shepherds (1919); Angel of the Resurrection with St George and St Christopher (1921); Our Lord walking on water (1921); and a window by Ethel Rhind , also of An Túr Gloine, depicting The Good Shepherd, Mary of Bethany, David (1921). Wallsend has a history of shipbuilding and was the home of the Wigham Richardson shipyard, which later amalgamated to form Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson , probably best known for building
943-761: The River Tyne to the sea. The company decided to slow down the deterioration of Turbinia by lifting her out of the water in 1908, and in 1926, the directors of the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company offered the ship to the Science Museum, London . Turbinia was sectioned in to two halves, the rear complete with engines and propellers, was put on display in the South Kensington museum in London, which did not have
984-469: The River Tyne. To the east of the Burn is the old area of Holy Cross, which contains the ruins of a medieval church, the pre-war estate of Rosehill and the mainly post-war estate of Howdon. To the south of Howdon lies Willington Quay which, as its name suggests, once served shipping but which is now dominated by industry and housing. East Howdon forms a small enclave between Willington Quay and North Shields. The town's principal thoroughfare and shopping street
1025-754: The Willington Quay urban district under the Local Government Act 1894 , with the portion of the parish outside any urban sanitary district forming the parish of Willington in Tynemouth Rural District . Wallsend was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1901, and in 1910 took over Willington Quay and Willington, and also part of the parish of Longbenton . St Peter's church ( Church of England ) has four fine stained glass windows by Michael Healy of An Túr Gloine : St Patrick, St Peter and St Luke (1913); Our Lord with
1066-626: The area are Arriva North East (all areas), Go North East (most areas) and Stagecoach in Newcastle (Benton, Forest Hall, Killingworth and Wallsend). The Shields Ferry links North Shields to South Shields, in South Tyneside. There is an international ferry terminal at Royal Quays in North Shields, with a service to Amsterdam ( IJmuiden ). Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC North East and Cumbria and ITV Tyne Tees . Television signals are received from
1107-611: The borough of Wallsend , part of the borough of Whitley Bay , the urban district of Longbenton and part of the urban district of Seaton Valley , all of which were in Northumberland . Killingworth was built as a new town in the 1960s and became part of North Tyneside. The following places are located in North Tyneside: North Tyneside is split by the A19 : the west of the borough is more urban, and
1148-509: The colliery employed 2,183 people. Its most prominent manager was mining and railway engineer John Buddle who helped develop the Davy Lamp . Between 1767 and 1925 there were 11 major incidents recorded at the colliery resulting in over 209 deaths. On 18 June 1835 a gas explosion in one of the tunnels killed 102 miners, the youngest of whom was aged eight and the oldest 75. Many of the dead were found with their cloth caps in their mouths. This
1189-643: The fastest ship in the world at that time, Turbinia was demonstrated dramatically at the Spithead Navy Review in 1897 and set the standard for the next generation of steamships, the majority of which would be turbine powered. The vessel is currently located at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne , North East England , while her original powerplant is located at the Science Museum in London. Charles Algernon Parsons invented
1230-620: The fort, but continued from its south-eastern corner down to the shore of the River Tyne . As David Breeze writes, "In the early nineteenth century, as recorded by Bruce , John Buddle the Younger had often seen the Wall foundations extending far into the river when swimming there as a boy." The withdrawal of the Romans from the Wall immediately brought the Picts from the north and shortly afterwards
1271-609: The introduction of turbines, the Admiralty had been convinced. In 1900, Turbinia steamed to Paris and was shown to French officials, and then displayed at the Paris Exhibition. The first turbine-powered merchant vessel, the Clyde steamer TS King Edward , followed in 1901. The Admiralty confirmed in 1905 that all future Royal Navy vessels were to be turbine-powered, and in 1906, the first turbine-powered battleship,
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1312-482: The main shopping area known as the "Wallsend Forum"—is in fact to the west of the land covered by the town. To the north of this area lies the older estate of High Farm and the new estate of Hadrian Lodge. The town centre of Wallsend is separated from the eastern areas of the town by the Wallsend Burn, a stream running through a small glacial valley from north-west to south-east and through the Willington Gut into
1353-549: The modern steam turbine in 1884, and having foreseen its potential to power ships, he set up the Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company in 1897. To develop this, he had the experimental vessel Turbinia built in a light design of steel by the firm of Brown and Hood, based at Wallsend on Tyne in the North East of England . The Admiralty was kept informed of developments, and Turbinia
1394-605: The peak hours. Most of the stations serving North Tyneside fall into fare zones B and C. There are no National Rail stations in the borough, despite the East Coast Main Line and Blyth and Tyne routes passing through. The nearest National Rail station is Newcastle , which is also served by the Tyne & Wear Metro. North Tyneside has an extensive bus network, with most areas benefiting from direct services to Newcastle. Many areas have direct bus services to Cramlington, Blyth or Morpeth. The principle bus operators in
1435-431: The revolutionary HMS Dreadnought , was launched. On 11 January 1907, Turbinia was struck and nearly cut in two by Crosby – a ship being launched across-river from the south bank of the Tyne. She was repaired and steamed alongside RMS Mauretania (also a turbine-powered vessel) after the launch of the great ocean liner. However, mechanical problems prevented Turbinia from accompanying Mauretania down
1476-543: The space to accommodate the full ship. The fore section was presented in 1944 to Newcastle Corporation, and placed on display in the city's Exhibition Park . In 1959, the Science Museum removed the aft section of Turbinia from display, and by 1961, using a reconstructed centre section, Turbinia was reassembled and displayed in the Newcastle Municipal Museum of Science and Industry. In 1983,
1517-415: The time, raced between the two lines of navy ships and steamed up and down in front of the crowd and princes, while easily evading a navy picket boat that tried to pursue her, almost swamping it with her wake. Photographer and cinematographer Alfred J. West took several photographs of Turbinia travelling at full speed at the review. He was subsequently invited by Sir Charles Parsons to film and photograph
1558-658: The vessel within the River Tyne and the adjacent North Sea; the pictures captured remain the defining image of Turbinia at speed. From this clear demonstration of her speed and power and after further high speed trials attended by the Admiralty, Parsons set up the Turbinia Works at Wallsend, which then constructed the engines for two prototype turbine-powered destroyers for the Navy, HMS Viper and HMS Cobra , that were launched in 1899. Both vessels were lost to accidents in 1901, but although their losses slowed
1599-558: Was a major influence on George Orwell 's Nineteen Eighty-Four . World War II ships built here include HMS Sheffield and HMS Victorious which took part in the sinking of the Bismarck . Other ships built there include the new HMS Ark Royal in the 1980s. The shipyard closed in 2007. The musical The Last Ship by Sting is set in the shipyard. The former Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company Shipyard continues to operate, constructing offshore oil rigs and as
1640-576: Was even less efficient. Despite this, it was a dramatic improvement over predecessors. Parsons' ship turned up unannounced at the Navy Review for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria at Spithead , on 26 June 1897, in front of the Prince of Wales , foreign dignitaries, and Lords of the Admiralty . As an audacious publicity stunt, Turbinia , which was much faster than any other ship at
1681-409: Was launched on 2 August 1894. Despite the success of the turbine engine, initial trials with one propeller were disappointing. After discovering the problem of cavitation and constructing the first cavitation tunnel , Parsons' research led to his fitting three axial-flow turbines to three shafts, each shaft in turn driving three propellers, giving a total of nine propellers. In trials, this achieved