Blyth, United Kingdom

Human skulls, a spearhead and a sword dating from the Bronze Age were found in the river in 1890, as well as a bronze axe which was found at South Beach in 1993, and a dagger found at Newsham. Although there is no conclusive evidence of a Roman presence in the area, an earthwork shown on early mapping of the area, at the location of present-day Freehold Street, is said to have been a Roman camp, but it has also been argued that it may be of Norsemen origin or date from the Civil War. Debate also surrounds a mosaic which was found near Bath Terrace. The strongest evidence so far has been a single coin, dating from the reign of the Emperor Constans (AD337–350), which was found during excavations for a dry dock. Also four Roman coins were found when digging an air raid shelter in a back garden on Chestnut Avenue.

Between the 12th and 18th centuries, there were several small settlements and some industrial activity in the area. The principal industries during this period were coal mining, fishing and the salt trade. Shipbuilding in the area dates from 1748.

The area now known as Blyth was first recorded in 1208 as 'Snoc de Blimue' ('snook at the mouth of the River Blyth') in the settlement of a lawsuit. At this point, the areas now distinguished as Blyth and Cowpen were separated by a tidal inlet parallel to the River Blyth, which covered Cowpen Quay, Post Office Square, Beaconsfield Street, running beyond the site of Crofton Mill Pit. The 'town' consisted of an island-like, narrow strip of land consisting of salt pans and a few cottages. Blyth was part of the Manor of Newsham, property of Gilbert De la Val (one of the Barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215.

Until around the 17th century, Blyth-Nook remained mostly neglected while settlements such as Bedlington, Horton, Newsham and Cowpen grew rich from Saxon agriculture despite raids from the Danes.

In 1386, Blyth-Nook was described as, "a place in which fishermen used to dwell, now wasted and unoccupied because of raids."

By 1552, Newsham was primarily a rich farming area, whilst Blyth was a small fishing station with little by way of housing. Little expansion occurred for 300 years, but the importance of the River Blyth has grown significantly. Until the late 18th century, Blyth-Nook remained mostly uninhabited as a smaller hamlet than Newbiggin and Seaton Sluice.

Throughout the 17th century, growth of Blyth's coal industry was seen, due to inward investment into collieries by both local men and investors from the South of England. In 1610, Huntingdon Beaumont of Nottinghamshire introduced wooden Wagonways as a form of coal transport, which was one of the first of that transportation methods to be recorded (Huntingdon had pioneered wooden waggonways for transporting coal in c.1603 in Wollaton, Nottingham). Waggons with one horse were used to carry coals from the pits to the river. From 1692 to 1709, the Plessey Waggonway was constructed from Plessey to Blyth-Nook. Part of the waggonway now forms the route of Plessey Road, where it derives its name. It was constructed of a double-line of beech rails laid on oak sleepers. The waggons had wooden wheels with nails driven into them to reduce wear and tear. Until the first staithes in 1716, the coal was offloaded onto ships by barrow.

The modern town of Blyth began to develop in the first quarter of the 18th century.

Up until 1716, the land around the Blyth area—the Newsham Estate—was owned by the Earls of Derwentwater, but when James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, was executed for his part in the Jacobite rising of 1715, the land was forfeited to the Crown.

On 11 July 1723, the Lordship of Newsham was put up for sale by the Commissioners of Forfeited Estates at their office in the Inner Temple, London. The land was bought by Matthew White of Newcastle and Richard Ridley of Blagdon. From the 12th century, most port activities were on the north side of the river, but under White and Ridley the first new quays and houses were built on the south side, and from here the port began to prosper. However, by this point, Blyth still only consisted of a few farms and labourers' cottages.

At this time, the success of the Plessey Waggonway was seen with 58,000 tons of coal being transported that year (1723), rising to 67,000 tons by 1734.

By 1730, a coaling quay, a ballast quay, a pilots' watch house and a lighthouse had all been built at Blyth harbour.

In 1765 the first breakwater was constructed, and in 1788 the first staith with an elevated loading point was erected.

Deep mines were sunk at Cowpen Colliery and Cowpen Square in 1796 and 1804 respectively, and by 1855, a quarter of a million tons of coal was being shipped from Blyth, rising to three million tons by 1900. The only industry not to survive during this prosperous time was the salt trade, which was heavily taxed during the 18th and early-19th centuries. During the Napoleonic Wars, the tax was increased to provide funds for the military and, even though the tax was abolished in 1825, the industry went into terminal decline. Having had fourteen salt pans at the beginning of the 18th century, exporting over 1,000 tons of salt annually, Blyth's salt industry closed in 1876, with the destruction of the last salt pan.