Gateshead is a town that is located in Wear and Tyne England. It is located in the southern part of the River Tyne which is opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle and Gateshead are joined together by a total of seven bridges which are all across the river Tyne. The town is popularly known for its beautiful architecture like the Angel of the north, the sage Gateshead as well as the Baltic center for contemporary art. The residents of this town just like the residents of Tyneside are all referred to as Geordies. In the year 2011 when there was a census been carried out, the population of the town was found to be at 120,046.
A deep history of the town of Gateshead
There have been a number of settlements that have taken place on the Gateshead town side of the river Tyne. The settlement went ahead to cross where the Swing bridge currently is ever since the Romans ruled over the town. During the early days, the town was under the jurisdiction of no other than the Bishop of Durham. During this time, the area in the town was mostly made out of forests and a bit of agricultural land in place. The forest that was in the town was the one that was subject to the town’s very first charter which was granted during the 12th century by the bishop of Durham who was known as Hugh du Puiset.
Gateshead and the Great Coal Mines
When you look at the time in which coal mining in the town took place, this is dated back to the year 1344 which is considered to be the earliest record that was made. As the trade of the area kept of prospering, the burghers tried to make a number of attempts so that they could be able to annex the town of Gateshead. However, there was a small group in the year 1576 who went ahead to acquire the Grand lease of the manors of Wickham and Gateshead. Unfortunately, in the year 1680, the abundant coal supply and the lease came to an end. The pits of the town were shallow especially with the problems of flooding and ventilation that were making things difficult. These problems were still the ones that made it difficult for the people in the town to attempt to mine coal from seams that were deeper.
William Hawks Iron Empire in Gateshead
In the year 1747, a man known as William Hawks who was initially known to be a blacksmith started a number of businesses in the town of Gateshead. He worked with the iron that was brought in to the Tyne as a kind of ballast by the Tyne colliers. As years went by, his business became one of the biggest iron businesses that were located in the town of Gateshead.
Things to see in Gateshead
Well, you really cant visit Gateshead or Newcastle without taking a short detour to the Angel of the North right?