Tynemouth, United Kingdom
Tynemouth is a town of 60,605 people in England, United Kingdom, founded in 1864.
Why visit Tynemouth
Townapedia lists 41 museums and landmarks, 27 parks and trails, 267 places to eat, 22 places to stay and 20 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Blue Reef Aquarium Tynemouth, Customs House, South Shields, Tynemouth Priory and Castle and South Shields Museum & Art Gallery.
Weather in Tynemouth
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Tynemouth
Tynemouth () is a coastal town in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically the easternmost town in Northumberland, it is located on the north side of the mouth of the River Tyne, hence its name. It is eight miles (13 kilometres) east-northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne. The medieval Tynemouth Priory and Castle stand on a headland overlooking both the mouth of the river and the North Sea, with the town centre lying immediately west of the headland.
From the Wikipedia article Tynemouth (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Tynemouth on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photos of Tynemouth
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Things to do20
Customs House, South Shields
Cinema and theater · 1.7 mi
Theatre, cinema and art gallery in South Shields, England
Fish Quay Old Low Light
Lighthouse · 0.6 mi
Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear, England
Herd Groyne Light
Lighthouse · 0.7 mi
Lighthouse in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Spanish City
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
Permanent funfair in Whitley Bay, a seaside town in North Tyneside, Tyne & Wear, England
Tyne South Pier light
Lighthouse · 1.1 mi
Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear, England
Fish Quay Low Light
Lighthouse · 0.7 mi
Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear, England
Fish Quay Old High Light
Lighthouse · 0.7 mi
Lighthouse in Tyne and Wear, England
New High Light
Lighthouse · 0.8 mi
Architectural structure in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Playhouse, Whitley Bay
Cinema and theater · 2.2 mi
Theatre in Whitley Bay, England
8 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks41
Tynemouth Priory and Castle
Monument and historic site
Pier Road, North Shields
Mar 28-Sep 30 Mo-Su 10:00-18:00; Oct 01-Nov 01 Mo-Su 10:00-16:00;...
Arbeia
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Roman fort and museum in South Shields, United Kingdom
Jarrow Hall
Museum · 3.1 mi
Museum in Jarrow, England, United Kingdom
Stephenson Railway Museum
Museum · 2.8 mi
Railway museum in North Shields, United Kingdom
Tynemouth Castle and Priory
Museum
Historic coastal site in north-eastern England
Collingwood Monument
Monument and historic site
Monument in Tynemouth, England
Arbeia Roman Fort Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
Mar 25-Sep 29 Mo-Fr 10:00-17:00; Mar 25-Sep 29 Sa 11:00-16:00; Mar...
29 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds27
Northumberland Park
Park · 0.4 mi
Public park in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, UK
The Family Hub
Playground · 1.1 mi
Bedford Street, North Shields
15 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes267
Caffè Nero
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.4 mi
21 King Street, South Shields
Mo-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 08:30-17:30
Colmans
Restaurant · Fish And Chips · 1.2 mi
176-186 Ocean Road, South Shields
Mo-Sa 11:00-19:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Miller & Carter
Restaurant · Steak · 1.4 mi
Preston North Road, North Shields
Mo-We 09:00-22:00; Th-Sa 09:00-23:00; Su 09:00-22:00
Cassia Sambuca
Restaurant · Italian · 0.8 mi
52 Bell Street, North Shields
Mo-Su 12:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-22:00
Border Terrier
Bar and pub · 1.1 mi
Hartington Road, North Shields
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 12:00-23:00
Cullercoats Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
22a-24 John Street, North Shields
Mo-Sa 07:00-16:00; Su 08:00-16:00
Cullercoats Coffee Co
Cafe · Coffee Shop
69 Front Street, North Shields
Mo-Fr 07:00-14:00; Sa-Su 07:00-16:00
Low Lights Tavern
Bar and pub · Pie · 0.6 mi
Brewhouse Bank, North Shields
255 more on the map.
History
The headland towering over the mouth of the River Tyne has been settled since the Iron Age. The Romans may have occupied it as a signal station, though it is just north of the Hadrian's Wall frontier (the Roman fort and supply depot of Arbeia stands almost opposite it on the southern headland of the Tyne). In the 7th century a monastery was built in Tynemouth and later fortified. The headland was known as Pen Bal Crag. The place where now stands the Monastery of Tynemouth was anciently called by the Saxons Benebalcrag The monastery was sacked by the Danes in 800, rebuilt, and destroyed again in 875 when Vikings under Halfdan Ragnarsson sailed into the River Tyne and sacked monasteries at Tynemouth and Jarrow, before setting up camp at Gateshead. However by 1083 it was again operational.
Three kings are reported to have been buried within the monastery: Oswin, King of Deira (651); Osred II, King of Northumbria (792); and, for a time, Malcolm III, King of Scots (1093). Three crowns still adorn the North Tyneside coat of arms. (North Tyneside Council, 1990).
The queens of Edward I and Edward II stayed in the castle and priory while their husbands were campaigning in Scotland. King Edward III considered it to be one of the strongest castles in the Northern Marches. After the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, Edward II fled from Tynemouth by ship.
Read more of the history
A village had long been established in the shelter of the fortified priory and, around 1325, the prior built a port for fishing and trading. This led to a dispute between Tynemouth and the more powerful Newcastle over shipping rights on the Tyne, which continued for centuries.
Prince Rupert of the Rhine landed at Tynemouth in August 1642 on his way to fight in the English Civil War.
Tynemouth was an ancient parish. It was divided into eight townships, being Chirton, Cullercoats, Monkseaton, Murton, North Shields, Preston, Whitley and a Tynemouth township covering the area around the original settlement. Such townships were also made civil parishes in 1866. In the 19th century, North Shields rapidly expanded from a small fishing village into a town, overtaking Tynemouth itself to become the largest settlement in the parish. North Shields was given improvement commissioners by the North Shields Improvement Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. xxxvii) to administer the growing town; the commissioners' district covered the whole of the North Shields township and parts of the Chirton, Preston and Tynemouth townships.
In 1832 a parliamentary borough (constituency) called Tynemouth and North Shields was created, covering the whole of the townships of Tynemouth, North Shields, Chirton, Cullercoats and Preston. The same area was made a municipal borough in 1849, which was just called Tynemouth, despite North Shields being the larger settlement within the borough. The first town clerk was Thomas Carr Leitch.
The borough council based itself at Tynemouth Town Hall at the junction of Howard Street and Saville Street in North Shields, which had been built for the old North Shields improvement commissioners in 1844/5. In 1904, the borough was elevated to become a county borough, making it independent from Northumberland County Council for local government purposes, whilst remaining part of Northumberland for judicial and lieutenancy purposes. The county borough was abolished in 1974, when the area became part of North Tyneside in the new metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear.
Tynemouth was listed in the 2018 Sunday Times report on best places to live in Northern England.
From the History section of Tynemouth on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Tynemouth
Arts and culture
In the late 18th century, sea-bathing from Tynemouth's east-facing beaches became fashionable. King Edward's Bay and Tynemouth Longsands are very popular with locals and tourists alike.
King Edward's Bay (possibly a reference to Edward II) is a small beach on the north side of the Priory, sheltered on three sides by cliffs and reached by stairways or, by the fit and adventurous who understand the weather and tides, over the rocks round the promontories on the north or south sides.
Longsands is the next beach to the north, an expanse of fine sand 1,200 yards (1,100 metres) long, lying between the former Tynemouth outdoor swimming pool and Cullercoats to the north. The outdoor pool opened in 1925 and was considered a major tourist attraction in its heyday.
In 2013, Longsands was voted one of the best beaches in the country by users of the world's largest travel site TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor users voted the beach the UK's fourth favourite beach in its 2013 Travellers' Choice Beaches Awards. The beach was also voted the 12th best in Europe.
Prior's Haven is a small beach within the mouth of the Tyne, sheltered between the Priory and the Spanish Battery, with the pier access on its north side. It was popular with Victorian bathers and is now home to Tynemouth Rowing Club and the local sailing club.
From the Wikipedia article Tynemouth, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Tynemouth
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of NorthumberlandEnglish aristocrat (1564-1632)Photo: Anthony van Dyck, Public domain
Ronnie CampbellBritish politician (1943-2024)Photo: Chris McAndrew, CC BY 3.0
Joyce Quin, Baroness QuinBritish politician (born 1944)Photo: Roger Harris, CC BY 3.0
Lawrence FreedmanBritish military historianPhoto: Chatham House, CC BY 2.0
Sally-Ann HartBritish politicianPhoto: David Woolfall, CC BY 3.0
Joseph SkipseyEnglish miner, author and poetPhoto: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain- John BallenyBritish explorer
- Gilbert Lawssailor (1870–1918)
- Robert WestallEnglish writer (1929–1993)
- Bill AdamsBritish footballer (1902-1963)
- Graham CollierEnglish jazz bassist, bandleader and composer (1937–2011)
- Ted AndersonBritish association football player (1911-1979)
Born in Tynemouth, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay22
Churches and places of worship31
Saint Hilda Marden with Preston Grange
Church · Anglican · 1.3 mi
Stanton Road, North Shields
Shopping45
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries17
Healthcare21
Apta Vita - Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
Church Way, North Shields
Morrisons Family Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.3 mi
Preston North Road, North Shields
Map of Tynemouth
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, 11 miles away.
- Whitley Bay 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Jarrow 3 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Wallsend 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Hebburn 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- The Boldons 5 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Newcastle upon Tyne 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Sunderland 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Gosforth 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Washington 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Bedlington 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Tynemouth
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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
- Dove Marine Laboratory, FlamingWind, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tynemouth Congregational Church, Simon Reinhardt, CC BY 4.0
- Tynemouth War Memorial September 2022, Nick-D, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Low Light, North Shields, Barabbas1312, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phare Herd Groyne South Shields South Tyneside 7, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jarrow Bridge3, MSGJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Spanish City, Whitley Bay, September 2010, Original author was Adam G. Bell, CC BY 3.0
- Phare Jetée Sud Tyne South Shields South Tyneside 3, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jarrow Hall, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear (4535471011), Orangeaurochs from Sandy, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0
- E4 in the Stephenson Railway Museum, Robby George, CC0
- P&GCobalt, Andy Connolly, Public domain
- Readhead Park, MSGJ, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Église St Oswin Tynemouth North Tyneside 1, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jarrow, Xaphire at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Arbeia, Agnete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TynemouthCastle-2005-03-08, Chris McKenna ( user:Thryduulf ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Église St Hilda South Shields South Tyneside 4, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grand Hotel, Tynemouth, Irina Guy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Monument morts Afrique Sud Tynemouth North Tyneside 1, Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St.Stephan SouthShields, Agnete, CC BY-SA 4.0
- A fairground at sunset (7938746880), Jimmy McIntyre - Editor HDR One Magazine, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Tynemouth Priory Aerial, Thenorthmannn, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Arbeia Roman Fort reconstructed gateway, Chris McKenna ( user:Thryduulf ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. Hilda's Church at South Shields, [2], CC BY-SA 2.0
- Collingwood Monument 2, Q23c, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3716 (3657061063), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3714 (3657062319), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3715 (3657061613), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3713 (3657063143), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3711 (3657064605), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3712 (3657858194), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3718 (3657853866), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3724 (3657849788), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3723 (3657850596), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3722 (3657056863), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3668 (3657886116), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Newcastle upon Tyne img 3669 (3657885606), David, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blue Reef Aquarium Tynemouth Tank 01, TheArmchairSoldier, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Customs House, South Shields - blue plaque, South Tyneside Council, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tynemouth Lighthouse (7623954352), m4nch3go, CC BY 2.0
- Longsands (8502396677), michael marston, CC BY 2.0
- 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, floatingboater, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, floatingboater, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, floatingboater, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, floatingboater, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, floatingboater, 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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