Gateshead, United Kingdom
Gateshead is a town of 77,649 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Gateshead
Townapedia lists 103 museums and landmarks, 70 parks and trails, 140 places to eat, 36 places to stay and 42 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Live Theatre, BALTIC Centre and Discovery Museum.
Weather in Gateshead
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Gateshead
Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. At the 2021 census, the population was 196,151.
From the Wikipedia article Gateshead (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Gateshead on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do42
Tyne Theatre and Opera House
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
Theatre and former cinema in Newcastle, England
117 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne
Live Theatre
Cinema and theater · 0.6 mi
Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Broad Chare, Newcastle upon Tyne
People's Theatre
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
Theatre and former cinema in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Little Theatre Gateshead
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
Theatre in Gateshead, England
1-4 Saltwell View, Gateshead
30 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks103
BALTIC Centre
Museum · 0.5 mi
An old flour mill. Full title: BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
South Shore Road, Gateshead
We-Su 10:00-18:00; Mo,Tu off
Discovery Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
Science museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa, Su 11:00-16:00
Great North Museum: Hancock
Museum · 1.4 mi
Natural history museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-16:00; Su 11:00-16:00
Shipley Art Gallery
Museum · 0.8 mi
Art gallery in Gateshead, United Kingdom
Prince Consort Road, Gateshead
Tu-Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa 10:00-17:00
The Biscuit Factory
Museum · 1.0 mi
Art gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK
16 Stoddart Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-18:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Hatton Gallery
Museum · 1.3 mi
Art museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
King's Road, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Sa 10:00-17:00
Newcastle Arts Centre
Museum · 0.8 mi
67 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Fr 09:00-17:30; Sa 09:00-17:00
Centre for Life
Museum · 0.8 mi
Science museum in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Times Square, Newcastle upon Tyne
Laing Art Gallery
Museum · 0.9 mi
Art gallery in Newcastle, United Kingdom
New Bridge Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
The Glasshouse
Museum · 0.4 mi
A music centre rooted deeply in the North, with an international profile. We are for audiences, for artists, for the North and for the long term.
Saint Mary's Square, Gateshead
Seven Stories
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
Museum and visitor centre in Newcastle, United Kingdom
30 Lime Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
91 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds70
Regent Centre
Park · 3.5 mi
Business park in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Benwell Nature Park
Park · 2.9 mi
Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Castle Leazes
Park · 1.6 mi
Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
Gosforth Central Park
Park · 3.1 mi
Park near to Gosforth High Street in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Rising Sun Country Park
Park · 4.4 mi
Country park in North Tyneside, England
58 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes140
Sambuca
Restaurant · Italian · 0.5 mi
57-60 Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Sa 12:00-22:00, Su 12:00-21:00
The Cluny
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
36 Lime Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-22:30
The Old George
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
1 Old George Yard, Newcastle upon Tyne
Su-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-02:00
The Town Wall
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 12:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-01:00; Su 12:00-11:00
Bridge Hotel
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 11:30-23:00; Fr,Sa 11:30-24:00; Su 12:00-22:30
The Central
Bar and pub
Half Moon Lane, Gateshead
Mo,Tu 11:30-23:00; We,Th 11:30-23:30; Fr 11:30-24:00; Sa...
Costa
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.9 mi
19 Market Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Fr 07:00-20:00; Sa 07:00-19:00; Su 09:00-17:00
The Market Lane
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
72-74 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-00:00; Su 11:00-22:30
Slug & Lettuce
Bar and pub · 0.8 mi
30 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00, Fr 12:00-01:00, Sa 10:00-13:00, Su 10:00-23:00
Aneesa's Buffet Restaurant
Restaurant · Indian · 0.6 mi
Forster Street, Newcastle upon Tyne
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00, Fr 16:00-23:00; Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-22:00
Aveika
Restaurant · Japanese · 0.5 mi
10-15 Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne
Su-Th 12:00-01:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-03:00
128 more on the map.
History
There has been a settlement on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne, around the old river crossing where the Swing Bridge now stands, since Roman times.
The first recorded mention of Gateshead is in the writings of the Venerable Bede who referred to an Abbot of Gateshead called Utta in 623. In 875, Vikings under Halfdan Ragnarsson sailed into the River Tyne and sacked monasteries at Tynemouth and Jarrow, before setting up camp at Gateshead.
In 1068 William the Conqueror defeated the forces of Edgar the Ætheling and Malcolm king of Scotland (Shakespeare's Malcolm) on Gateshead Fell (now Low Fell and Sheriff Hill).
During medieval times Gateshead was under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Durham. At this time the area was largely forest with some agricultural land. The forest was the subject of Gateshead's first charter, granted in the 12th century by Hugh du Puiset, Bishop of Durham. An alternative spelling may be "Gatishevede", as seen in a legal record, dated 1430.
In 1747, the Team Works of the Hawks family opened in Gateshead with a few forges working up old iron brought in as ballast. In 1750, Russell was launched by Headlam's yard at Gateshead, the largest vessel built on the Tyne up to that time, able to carry 30 keels of coal.
Read more of the history
Throughout the Industrial Revolution the population of Gateshead expanded rapidly; between 1801 and 1901 the increase was over 100,000. This expansion resulted in the spread southwards of the town.
In 1854, a catastrophic explosion on the quayside destroyed most of Gateshead's medieval heritage, and caused widespread damage on the Newcastle side of the river.
Sir Joseph Swan lived at Underhill, Low Fell, Gateshead from 1869 to 1883, where his experiments led to the invention of the electric light bulb. The house was the first in the world to be wired for domestic electric light.
In 1889 one of the largest employers (Hawks, Crawshay and Sons) closed down and unemployment has since been a burden. Up to the Second World War there were repeated newspaper reports of the unemployed sending deputations to the council to provide work. The depression years of the 1920s and 1930s created even more joblessness and the Team Valley Trading Estate was built in the mid-1930s to alleviate the situation.
In the late 2000s, Gateshead Council started to regenerate the town, with the long-term aim of making Gateshead a city. The most extensive transformation occurred in the Quayside, with almost all the structures there being constructed or refurbished in this time.
In the early 2010s regeneration refocused on the town centre. The £150 million Trinity Square development opened in May 2013: it incorporates student accommodation, a cinema, health centre and shops. It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in September 2014. The cup was however awarded to another development which involved Tesco, Woolwich Central.
From the History section of Gateshead on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Gateshead
Geography
The town of Gateshead is in the North East of England in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, and within the historic boundaries of County Durham. It is located on the southern bank of the River Tyne at a latitude of 54.57° N and a longitude of 1.35° W.
Gateshead experiences a temperate climate which is considerably warmer than some other locations at similar latitudes as a result of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream (via the North Atlantic drift). It is located in the rain shadow of the North Pennines and is therefore in one of the driest regions of the United Kingdom.
One of the most distinguishing features of Gateshead is its topography. The land rises 230 feet (70 m) from Gateshead Quays to the town centre and continues rising to a height of 525 feet (160 m) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sheriff Hill. This is in contrast to the flat and low lying Team Valley located on the western edges of town. The high elevations allow for impressive views over the Tyne valley into Newcastle and across Tyneside to Sunderland and the North Sea from lookouts in Windmill Hills and Windy Nook respectively.
The Office for National Statistics defines the town as an urban sub-division. The 2011 ONS urban sub-division of Gateshead contains the historical County Borough together with areas that the town has absorbed, including Dunston, Felling, Heworth, Pelaw and Bill Quay.
Economy
Gateshead is home to the MetroCentre, the largest shopping mall in the UK until 2008; and the Team Valley Trading Estate, once the largest and still one of the larger purpose-built commercial estates in the UK.
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art has been established in a converted flour mill. The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, previously The Sage, a Norman Foster-designed venue for music and the performing arts opened on 17 December 2004. Gateshead also hosted the Gateshead Garden Festival in 1990, rejuvenating 200 acres (0.81 km2) of derelict land (now mostly replaced with housing). The Angel of the North, a famous sculpture in nearby Lamesley, is visible from the A1 to the south of Gateshead, as well as from the East Coast Main Line. Other public art include works by Richard Deacon, Colin Rose, Sally Matthews, Andy Goldsworthy, Gordon Young and Michael Winstone.
From the Wikipedia article Gateshead, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Gateshead
Paul GascoigneEnglish association football player and manager (born 1967)Photo: James English, CC BY 3.0
Andy CarrollEnglish association football player (born 1989)Photo: Egghead06, CC BY-SA 4.0
Danny GrahamEnglish association football playerPhoto: MNelson1993, CC BY-SA 3.0
Steve CramBritish middle distance runnerPhoto: Adambro, CC BY-SA 4.0
David AlmondBritish children's writer (born 1951)Photo: Sara Jane Palmer, Public domain
Taylor WaneBritish pornographic actress and directorPhoto: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Bridget PhillipsonBritish politician (born 1983)Photo: ©House of Commons, CC BY 3.0
Steve StoneEnglish association football player (born 1971)Photo: Timmy96, CC0
John SteelEnglish drummerPhoto: Bieniecki Piotr, CC BY-SA 4.0- Norman HunterEnglish footballer (1943-2020)
- Arthur HolmesEnglish geologist (1890–1965)
- Don HutchisonFootballer (born 1971)
Born in Gateshead, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay36
Churches and places of worship54
Cathedral Church of St. Mary
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.9 mi
Clayton Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne
Shopping71
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Central Walker Church of England Primary School
School · Anglican · 1.9 mi
Lancefield Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne
Christ Church C of E Primary School
School · Anglican · 0.9 mi
Shieldfield Green, Newcastle upon Tyne
Our Lady and St Anne's Catholic Primary School
School · Roman Catholic · 1.1 mi
Summerhill Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne
Sacred Heart Catholic High School
School · Roman Catholic · 2.7 mi
Fenham Hall Drive, Newcastle upon Tyne
Healthcare34
Map of Gateshead
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Newcastle International Airport (NCL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Newcastle upon Tyne 1 mi northwest, about 1 min by car
- Gosforth 3 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Wallsend 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Whickham 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Hebburn 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Blaydon-on-Tyne 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Jarrow 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Washington 5 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Newburn 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- The Boldons 6 mi east, about 10 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Gateshead
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Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Newcastle Quayside with bridges, Wilka Hudson from Newcastle, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Stainless Steel sculpture, Trinity Square, Gateshead. (21008578901), dun_deagh, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gateshead Interchange, 22 September 2013, Pauline Eccles, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle the journal thyne theater, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Live Theatre Newcastle - 2010, John-Paul Stephenson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peoples Theatre, Heaton, Newcastle, John-Paul Stephenson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Discovery Museum Newcastle Tyne 1, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Hancock Museum Newcastle September 2009, TubularWorld, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shipley Art Gallery2, Dposte46, Public domain
- The Biscuit Factory, Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Centre for Life, Simon Cobb, CC0
- Exhibition Park mow, Victuallers, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leazes Park, Peter Scott, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Regent Centre, Gosforth and surrounding area, 1978 (26518989955), Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, No restrictions
- Jesmond Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne, AlixChaytor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newcastle st-james-park stadium, Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- NewcastleRC, James@hopgrove at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England, The original uploader was Soloist at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Sage Gateshead, William Nicholson from London / Paris, England / France, CC BY 2.0
- St Thomas Haymarket Newcastle, Chemical Engineer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Exterior of Fenwicks Department Store, Market Street, Leicester, Love Art Nouveau, CC BY 2.0
- Newcastle Lit & Phil (03), Harry Mitchell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Newcastle City Hall, John-Paul Stephenson, Public domain
- NE-Westgate Road Hospital 8984, Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent., CC BY 2.5
- Northern Stage, Newcastle University, 5 September 2013 (1), Ultra7, Public domain
- Thecluny, Bagnelli, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tyneside Cinema, Feb 2010, The JPS, CC BY 3.0
- Emerson Chambers, Blackett Street, Newcastle (01), Harry Mitchell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne (2022-03-28) 004, Simon Cobb, CC0
- Newcastle (2023-10-06) 08, Simon Cobb, CC0
- Bewick House,Bewick Street Newcastle upon Tyne, EsqBlackett (Joseph Eldridge), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hôtel County Newcastle Tyne 3, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bridge hotel, SunlightPhotography, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jesmond Library, AlixChaytor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hampton by Hilton Newcastle, Simon Cobb, CC0
- Empire Newcastle (The Gate), Mankind 2k, CC BY 3.0
- Odeon Gateshead, Metro Centre, Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne (2022-03-28) 008, Simon Cobb, CC0
- Royal Station Hotel, Frombowen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne, John-Paul Stephenson, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Baltic centre for contemporary art, 06benste, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Newcastle black gate, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Exchange Buildings, Newcastle upon Tyne, AlixChaytor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Metro Centre Green Quadrant, John-Paul Stephenson, CC BY 3.0
- Fineartbuildingnewcastle, Xtrememachineuk at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne Laing Art Gallery dome, Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gateshead International Stadium, John Lord, CC BY 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, kilgallon84, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, livingwithdragons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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