By Gary Holland and Luan Hanratty The image above shows a plan of land ownership of the North Shields area in the 1700s. This fascinating… Read More »A 250 Year Old Plan of Land Ownership in North Shields
By Gary Holland When I was 16 years old I started my first job — working at John Lilley & Gillie Ltd on North Shields Quay. As well as… Read More »A Close Look at an Early Chart of the Tyne
By Gary Holland Many of us local to Tyneside will have fond memories of the Plaza in Tynemouth. Depending on your age, you may have… Read More »A Roman Dune Burial in Tynemouth
By Gary Holland Tynemouth is a place that is steeped in history. The town has seen invasions by the Romans and Vikings, two World Wars,… Read More »The Beginnings of Tynemouth
By Gary Holland There is a famous saying that one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure. Therefore this post begins with the author in South… Read More »Medieval Document Discovered in Tyneside Market
By Gary Holland Christopher Saxton was arguably the most prominent cartographer working in England in his lifetime. Born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, c1540, he is known… Read More »A Roman Fort at Tynemouth? Saxton’s Map of 1637
Hadrian’s Wall ended at Wallsend, but the frontier carried on to the sea. We’ve identified the site of Blake Chesters, the lost & forgotten camp in North Shields. The evidence includes a 1320 scroll written in Latin and references by antiquaries going back centuries.
