South Shields Walk: Town Centre & Beach【4K】

Located in the county of Tyne and Wear, on the coast of the North Sea and around 8 miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne is the town of South Shields.

The town stands on what was once the Roman fort of Arbeia. Founded in circa 160 AD, the fort guarded the main sea route to Hadrian's Wall, whose eastern extremity is located in the descriptively-named town of Wallsend around five miles upriver.

South Shields was founded in 1245. Its name derives from 'Scheles', meaning 'fishermen's huts'. From as early as 1377 there has been a ferry service to North Shields directly opposite on the north bank of the River Tyne. Besides fishing, the next industry to emerge was salt panning, which began in 1499.

By the 18th century the dominant industries in South Shields moved away from salt panning and into chemicals, glass making and shipbuilding. Coal mining soon followed in the early 19th century. These industries combined led to a population increase from around 12,000 in 1801 to around 75,000 by the 1860s.

Due to the flow of sand around the mouth of the Tyne, many ships were running aground. To address this problem, construction of the North and South Piers began in 1854, taking until 1885 to complete. Just to the south of the South Pier lies Sandhaven Beach. Featured at the final part of the walk, this sandy beach boasts a number of family attractions nearby including fairground rides, mini golf and arcades.

On Ocean Road, seen around the 7-and-a-half minute mark, is a statue of stretcher bearer John Simpson Kirkpatrick (enlisted as John Simpson). Born in South Shields, Simpson enlisted in the Australian army after the outbreak of the First World War. After landing in Gallipoli, he used donkeys to provide first aid and carry wounded soldiers to the beach, from where they could be evacuated. He continued this work until he was killed by machine gun fire during the third attack on Anzac Cove. Simpson and his donkey have become part of the Anzac legend.

Famous people from South Shields include Catherine Cookson, Ridley Scott and Sarah Millican.

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Filmed: 11th September 2021

Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/MVRyQonfBsMeD24K8

Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 River Tyne
0:10 Shields Ferry Landing
0:20 River Tyne
0:29 Path towards Market Place
1:34 Market Place
2:08 Church Way
2:37 Market Place
3:09 King Street
6:37 Ocean Road
7:30 John Simpson Kirkpatrick Statue
7:38 Ocean Road
12:37 Pier Parade
15:01 Sea Road
23:00 Sandhaven Beach