North Shields
Encyclopedia : N : NO : NOR : North Shields
North 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 east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Clifford's Fort is a fortification of 1672, and is an important survival. Samuel Pepys landed here on his way to be made a Freeman of Newcastle in May 1682.
Traditional industries in the town include fishing and shipbuilding.
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, and a marina form the centrepiece to the Royal Quays. Similarly, major regeneration of the Fish Quay to the south of the town centre has included the construction of luxury apartments and the conversion of existing buildings into restaurants and bars. The North Shields Fish Quay is home to a semi-annual festival to celebrate the history of the importance of the fishing industry to the town's history.
The Stephenson Railway Museum is located here.
Famous residents past and present
- Steve Watson Premiership Footballer
- Hastings Kamuzu Banda Physician and dictator of Malawi
- Thomas Burt Miner M.P.
- Myles Birket Foster Artist
- William Harbutt Inventor of plasticine
- Stan Laurel Famous film comedian
- Thomas Walter Manson Biblical scholar
- Neil Tennant Musician
- Henry Treece Poet, novelist and teacher
- Ian Watson Prize-winning science fiction author
- Robert Westall Prize-winning children's author
See also
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.
An international ferry terminal based at Royal Quays is a gateway to overseas destinations, including Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. A half-hourly ferry service connects the North Shields Fish Quay to the town of South Shields on the opposite bank of the Tyne.
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