Tynemouth and North Shields

Prior's Haven, sheltered by the headland, is home to a sailing club. A path leads away from Prior's Haven to the Collingwood Monument, dedicated to the honour of Admiral Lord Collingwood and erected in 1845. A local man, Collingwood took over from the mortally wounded Lord Nelson at Trafalgar and went on to win the battle.

The promenade below the monument leads to the Fish Quay at North Shields. The tall white buildings topped by beacons are the "leading lights" to guide boats into harbour; by lining up the "high light" and the "low light", safe channels can be followed. As you walk along the cobbled streets you pass the low light, marked by a plaque, and soon afterwards Clifford's Fort, built in 1672 to defend the river against the Dutch.

Steps lead up above the quay to the Wooden Doll pub, named after the succession of "wooden dolls" — ship figureheads and statues of fishwives — which have stood in North Shields. Along the top is the Old High Light, erected when the safe channel shifted position.

Also above North Shields Fish Quay, look out for the architectural details in the railings: the finials (ornamental features at the tips) have nautical themes, for example Jonah and the Whale, and a plate of fish and chips. From here, steps lead down past a mosaic of fish to the Mission for Deep Sea Fishermen.

The return route follows the river, passing the notorious Black Middens, rocks that have wrecked many ships. Prompted by this, the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade was formed in the 19th century as the world's first shore-to-ship rescue group. In their watch house you can see an interesting collection, including artefacts from the wrecks of ships that perished off the shore.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.