Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in North East England, situated around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. It consists of the five metropolitan boroughs of Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and the City of Sunderland. The county is bordered to the north by Northumberland, to the south by County Durham and to the east of the county lies the North Sea. It is the smallest county in North East England by area, but by far the largest in terms of population.
Chester-le-Street is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. Its history goes back to the building of a Roman fort called Concangis. This Roman fort is the "Chester" of the town's name; the "Street" refers to the paved Roman road that ran north–south through the town, and which is now called Front Street.
The Tanfield Railway is a 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge heritage railway in Gateshead and County Durham, England. Running on part of a former colliery wooden waggonway, later a steam railway. It operates preserved industrial steam locomotives. The railway operates a passenger service every Sunday, plus other days, as well as occasional demonstration coal, goods and mixed trains. The line runs 3 miles (4.8 km) between a southern terminus at East Tanfield, Durham, to a northern terminus at Sunniside, Gateshead. Another station, Andrews House, is situated near the Marley Hill engine shed. A halt also serves the historic site of the Causey Arch. The railway claims to be "the world's oldest railway".
Quaking Houses is a small village near to the town of Stanley in County Durham, in England. It may have been originally settled by Quakers, but during the Industrial Revolution it developed into a mining village with traditional terraced houses. The Quaker origin is supported by the 1873 name for a mine with two shafts at the village called Quaker House Pit. However, an alternative origin is suggested by the following; the 1865 OS Map shows a farm called Quaking House to the north at Anniefield Plain and a colliery railway line ran past this farm branching to the village mine. This colliery railway line was called the Quaking House Branch Line. A colloquial name for the village was "banana goat island" perhaps reflecting the livestock kept in the extensive allotments and grazing area around the village.
Sunniside is a common name for villages in historic County Durham:
Causey is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated a short distance to the north of Stanley.
Chilton is a town in County Durham, England. It is situated a few miles to the east of Bishop Auckland and a short distance to the south of Ferryhill, on the A167. The bypass on the A167 opened on 20 June 2005, cutting down the traffic through Chilton by up to 80%.
Murton is a village in County Durham, England. Lying eight miles (13 km) east of the city of Durham and six miles (9.7 km) south of Sunderland, it has a population of 4,534, increasing to 7,676 at the 2011 Census.
Fishburn is a village and civil parish in County Durham, in England. It is situated about 12 miles west of Hartlepool. It had a population of 2,454, increasing to 2,588 at the 2011 Census.
Roddymoor is a village in County Durham, in England. In the 2001 census Roddymoor had a population of 500.
Greatham is a village and civil parish in the borough of Hartlepool and the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The population of the civil parish was taken in the 2011 census was 2,132. Greatham village is located approximately three miles south of Hartlepool town centre.
Chopwell is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Rowlands Gill and 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Hamsterley. The Gateshead MBC ward had a population at the Census 2011 of 9,395.
Cleadon is a suburban village in South Tyneside, North East England in the county of Tyne and Wear, and the historic County Durham. In 2001 the population of Cleadon was 4,795, increasing for the South Tyneside ward of Cleadon and Boldon at the 2011 Census to 8,457. Nearby villages or population centres include East Boldon, Whitburn, and Jarrow. The village is around 5 miles from the city of Sunderland and 10 miles from the city of Newcastle.
Sunniside is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, which is located around 5.5 miles (9 km) from Newcastle upon Tyne. Prior to the creation of the county of Tyne and Wear in 1974, it was part of Whickham Urban District, which in turn formed a part of County Durham.
Sunniside is a district of Sunderland, North East England, towards the eastern side of the city centre, bounded to the west by Fawcett Street, to the south by Borough Road, and to the north and east by the Inner Ring road. A significant programme of urban development has established Sunniside as a centre of culture, film, dining, entertainment and art in the city. It is also known as the historic heart of Sunderland's legal and real estate sectors, with many solicitors and estate agencies based in the area.
Woodstone is a hamlet in County Durham. It neighbours the larger villages of Fencehouses and Burnmoor. The local towns are Chester-le-Street and Houghton-le-Spring.
Byermoor is a village near Burnopfield and Sunniside in England. The village has a population of around 100 and contains a school and a church. The village sits on the South side of the A692 on a ridge overlooking the Derwent Valley and the nearby village of Burnopfield. It lies just within the County of Tyne and Wear and is the last village on the old turnpike road to Wolsingham before it reaches the border with County Durham.
Marley Hill is a former colliery village about six miles to the south west of Gateshead, near the border between Tyne and Wear and County Durham. It has been part of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead since 1974. Prior to this it was part of Whickham Urban District. It lies within the Whickham South & Sunniside electoral ward of the Blaydon parliamentary constituency.
Thomas "Tommy" Armstrong was an English, County Durham-based concert hall songwriter, and performer in the late 19th century. His most famous song is arguably "Wor Nanny’s a mazer". He was known as "The Pitman Poet" or "The Bard of the Northern Coalfield".
