Part of the Tynesideconurbation, the sixth largest in the United Kingdom, South Tyneside has a geographical area of 24.88sqmi (64.4km2) and an estimated population of 153,700 (mid-year 2010), measured at the 2011 Census as 148,127.[5] It is bordered to the east by the North Sea and to the north by the River Tyne. A Green Belt of 9.13sqmi (23.6km2) is at its southern boundary.
The main administrative centre and largest town is South Shields. Other riverside towns are Jarrow and Hebburn, while the villages of Cleadon, Whitburn and The Boldons border the South Tyneside green belt, with Wearside to the south at Sunderland.
Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings, the early 20th century arrival of the Arabs and more recently the settling of people from the Commonwealth, notably the Indian sub-continent, and the European Union reflect the present-day culture of South Tyneside.
In South Shields (Latin: Arbeia, Brythonic: Caer Urfa), excavations and a reconstructed fort are found at Arbeia (AD 160). This fort served as a garrison and an outpost of the Roman Empire, and is part of Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. The hospitality strip at Ocean Road is famed throughout the region for its Indian, Italian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cuisine. Mill Dam, with former Customs House (now a theatre, cinema and arts complex), cobbled lanes and Mission to Seafarers centre, relate to the history of shipping in the town and the River Tyne.
Bede's World in Jarrow (Old English: Gyrwe) is dedicated to the life of the Venerable Bede, the 'Father of English History'. The nominated World Heritage Site is straddled by two rivers – the Tyne and the Don. There is a medieval monastery (St. Paul's Church, AD 681), an Anglo-Saxon farm with rare-breed animals and buildings constructed in original materials from that period, and the Georgian Jarrow Hall. The Jarrow Crusade of 1936 was a key event in the town's history and the original banner carried by the marchers to London can be viewed at Jarrow Town Hall.[6]
There has been a fairly sizeable Arab community in South Shields since the 1890s.[7] This is also one hypothesised explanation of the term "Sandancer" (derived from "sand dancer") for people born and brought up in South Shields.
Council
South Tyneside Council is formed of 54 members. As of June 2024 this consists of 28 Labour councillors, 11 Green councillors, and 15 independent councillors.[8]
Jonathan Tew has been Chief Executive of the authority since 2021.[9]
Economy
Shipbuilding and repairing, coal mining and exports, and the chemical industries declined from the latter half of the 20th century, resulting in mass unemployment. In more recent years, however, this trend has reversed and South Tyneside attracts new industries, most notably in the service sector. There is still a considerable manufacturing base of ship-repair and offshore services, engineering, electronics, clothing, furniture, paper products, timber and small precision engineering.
At one time, Tyneside built 25% of the world's ships.[citation needed]South Tyneside College specialises in maritime training and attracts students from around the world.
Tourism is also an important and growing industry.[citation needed]
Places of interest
South Shields town centre and riverside are undergoing significant regeneration, with new housing, business, retail and leisure uses replacing old industrial sites. The town centre offers high street shopping, a regular market by the Grade I listed old town hall, a new library and exhibition space called The Word, the head post office, museum and art gallery, a new bus/Metro interchange opened in 2019, cross-river pedestrian ferry to North Shields, Harton Quays office development and promenade, the town hall and civic offices. The Customs House is located within the historic Mill Dam conservation area and hosts a theatre, cinema, art gallery and restaurant. Arbeia formed the easternmost extremity of the Roman Empire at Hadrian's Wall and is located at the mouth of the River Tyne on the North Sea coast. Excavations, a reconstructed fort and museum are open to the public on the historic Lawe Top site (Old English: hill top).
The Great North Run is the world's biggest half marathon and takes place every September/October, starting in Newcastle and finishing on The Leas at South Shields.
On the coast road to Whitburn is Marsden Rock – an impressive limestone sea stack colonised by sea birds and a longstanding tourist attraction. Further down the coast is Souter Lighthouse, the first in the world to be powered by electric current. Much of the coastal scenery in this area was, until two decades ago, dominated by the spoil heaps and pit head winding gear of Westoe and Whitburn collieries, but these are now gone and the area's natural environment has been restored.[citation needed]
Hebburn riverside has open views of the renewable and offshore-related industries across-river at Wallsend. The town centre has undergone redevelopment with new residential building and civic and leisure facilities.[citation needed]
The suburban villages of Cleadon, East and West Boldon, Harton, Monkton, Westoe and Whitburn have traditional pubs, historic buildings and independent boutiques. There is an athletics track at Monkton and cricket grounds at Westoe and Whitburn.
Environment
The physical environment of South Tyneside varies greatly in a small area: from the bustling riverside towns of South Shields, Jarrow and Hebburn to the urban fringe villages of Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn; from established industrial areas at the Port of Tyne and Tyne Dock riverside to new business parks at Monkton, St Hilda's and Boldon; from the highest point at Cleadon Hills down to the River Don estuary at St Paul's and Bede's World; from traditional Victorian terraces and impressive Edwardian mansions to typical inter- and post-war suburban housing; from the remains and reconstructed gatehouse of Arbeia Roman Fort to the UK's first purpose built mosque at Laygate; from the great River Tyne to the expanse of Shields Harbour at Littlehaven; from the stunning natural coastline of The Leas and the sandy beaches, bays and limestone cliffs at Marsden Bay and Whitburn to the traditional seaside parks, amusements and funfair at South Shields seafront; and from Marsden Quarry to the Great North Forest.
The EcoCentre at Hebburn is a building constructed from recycled materials, self-reliant in power generation by means of its own wind turbine and is efficient in waste management.[citation needed] There is also a local authority-managed wind turbine at Middlefields.
The weather in South Tyneside as with the rest of the North East region is variable and typical of a Maritime Climate.
The A194(M), A19 and other trunk roads link South Tyneside to the national road network. The Tyne & Wear Metro is a light rail system connecting the area with the rest of the Tyne & Wear conurbation, including Sunderland and Newcastle station and Newcastle Airport. The Tyne Road and Pedestrian Tunnels traverse the river between Jarrow and Howdon. A pedestrian ferry also serves the towns of North and South Shields. The Port of Tyne situated at Tyne Dock is a growing terminal handling large volumes of freight, including exports from the Nissan car plant in Washington.
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/Oceanic climate).[17]
Tyne and Wear is a ceremonial county in North East England. It borders Northumberland to the north and County Durham to the south, and the largest settlement is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Jarrow is a town in South Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. Historically in County Durham, it is on the south bank of the River Tyne, about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the east coast. The 2011 census area classed Hebburn and The Boldons as part of the town, it had a population of 43,431. It is home to the southern portal of the Tyne Tunnel and 5 miles (8.0 km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
South Shields is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman times as Arbeia and as Caer Urfa by the Early Middle Ages. In 2021 it had a population of 75,337. It is the fourth largest settlement in Tyne and Wear, after Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland and Gateshead.
There are 10 civil parishes in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, most of the county being unparished; North Tyneside and South Tyneside are completely unparished. It is the county of England with the lowest number of civil parishes. At the 2001 census, there were 41,044 people living in the 10 parishes, accounting for 3.8 per cent of the county's population. A civil parish is the lowest unit of local government in England.
Jarrow was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 2019 until its abolition for the 2024 general election by Kate Osborne of the Labour Party.
South Shields is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. It has been represented by Emma Lewell-Buck of the Labour Party since 2013.
The Boldons is an area made up of the three villages of East Boldon, West Boldon and Boldon Colliery in South Tyneside in the county of Tyne and Wear, England. In 2001 they had a population of 13,271.
Whitburn is a village in South Tyneside, in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear on the coast of North East England. It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the city of Sunderland and 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the town of South Shields. Historically, Whitburn is part of County Durham. Other nearby population centres include Seaburn, Cleadon and Marsden. The village lies on a south-facing slope, part of Durham's Magnesian Limestone plateau, which overlooks Sunderland. The population for the combined Whitburn and Marsden Ward in the 2011 UK Census was 7,448. For much of its history, Whitburn was a fishing and agricultural community. The village contains three schools, three churches, a cricket club, recreational grounds, a pub and a variety of shops.
Cleadon is a suburban village in South Tyneside in the North East of England. Prior to the creation of Tyne and Wear in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, the village was part of the historic County Durham. In the 2011 UK Census the population of the South Tyneside ward of Cleadon and East Boldon was 8,427. Nearby population centres include East Boldon, Whitburn, and Jarrow. The village is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) from the city of Sunderland and 5 miles from the town South Shields. It is situated on the south west of Cleadon Hills, an example of a Magnesian Limestone grassland home to a number of regionally and nationally rare species.
South Tyneside Council elections are generally held three years out of every four, with a third of the council being elected each time. South Tyneside Council is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. Since the last boundary changes in 2004, 54 councillors are elected, 3 from each of the 18 wards.
The first settlers of the South Shields area were the Brigantes, although there is no evidence they built a settlement at South Shields. The Romans built a fort there to help supply Hadrian's Wall. Many ruins still exist today. The fort was abandoned as the empire declined.
The 2004 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 10 June 2004 to elect members of South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2003 reducing the number of seats by 6. The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.
South Tyneside Council is the local authority of for the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. It is one of five metropolitan boroughs in Tyne and Wear and one of 36 in England. It provides the majority of local government services in South Tyneside. The council has been under Labour majority control since 1979. It is based at South Shields Town Hall. The council is a constituent member of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority.
The 1973 Tyne and Wear County Council election was held on 12 April 1973 as part of the first elections to the new local authorities established by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales. 104 councillors were elected from 95 electoral divisions across the region's five boroughs. Each division returned either one or two county councillors each by First-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The election took place ahead of the elections to the area's metropolitan borough councils, which followed on 10 May 1973.
The 2021 South Tyneside Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of South Tyneside Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections. One-third of the seats were up for election. The previous election in the area was in 2019.
The 2023 South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect members of the South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tyne and Wear, England. This was on the same day as other local elections.
Jarrow and Gateshead East is a constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Created as a result of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it was first contested at the 2024 general election and is currently held by Kate Osborne of the Labour Party, who previously held the abolished constituency of Jarrow from 2019 to 2024.
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