Tyne & Wear: Local History Resources

Discover more about the local history resources available about Tyne and Wear, in North East England, UK.

Tyne & Wear is a county in the region of North East England. It was created in 1974, when communities were moved across from parts of Northumberland or County Durham.

Any visitor to the county will note the friendliness of the people because talking to strangers doing everyday tasks is part of the culture. In addition, regional pride is very strong, and people identify strongly with the communities they live in.

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What Is Tyne and Wear Famous For?

Tyne & Wear is famous for being the home of the Geordies (Tynesiders) and the Mackems (Wearsiders), two Premier League football clubs, and the cities’ alcohol-fuelled party atmosphere at night.

The area has strong artistic movements, some of them bourne out of political and social conviction. Local residents have a wide range of theatres, cinemas, music venues, art galleries and museums within easy reach, with many open to the public free of charge.

Why Is It Called Tyne and Wear?

The County is called Tyne & Wear after the two rivers that flow through it, the River Tyne and the River Wear.

Tyne & Wear is not a city but is a County bringing together the cities, towns and villages throughout an area of 540 km². Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland are the two cities in the county of Tyne & Wear.

The Geordies Versus The Mackems

It’s sometimes said the Geordies of Newcastle and Mackems of Sunderland hate each other, and there are a number of unproven theories to explain it. Today, the rivalry is good-natured and often revolves around football. Locally called ‘the beautiful game’, football is extremely popular.

Why are Tynesiders called Geordies? Probably because Newcastle upon Tyne and surrounding area supported King George II during the Jacobite Rising of 1745 (not the Jacobite Rebellion 1715).

No one knows where the term Mackem came from to describe people from Wearside. There are many theories, some of which focus on the different local accent. Until the 1980s Mackem was used by Geordies as an insult, but in recent years Wearsiders have embraced the term as their own.

Cities, Towns And Villages In Tyne & Wear

Albany, Annitsford, Ashbrooke, Ayton, Abbey Farm, Abbey Grange, Arthurs Hill

Backworth, Barlow, Barmoor, Barmston, Barnes, Battlefield, Benton, Benwell, Bill Quay, Birtley, Blackfell, Black Callerton, Blackhall Mill, Blakelaw, Blaydon, Blucher, Boldon, Boldon Colliery Brandling Village, Brenkley, Brunswick Village, Brunton Bridge, Brunton Park, Burradon, Byker, Black Callerton, Bells Close

Callerton Lane End, Camperdown, Carr Hill, Castletown, Chapel House, Chapel Grange, Chapel Park, Chartershaugh, Chopwell, Clara Vale, Claxheugh, Cleadon, Coalburns, Colliery Row, Columbia, Concord, Cowgate, Cox Green, Coxlodge, Crawcrook, Crookhill, Cullercoats, Cragston Park, Cradlewell, Cochrane Park, Church Green

Deckham, Deptford, Dinnington, Donwell, Doxford Park, Dudley, Dunston, Denton Burn, Darras Hall, Dissington, Denton Park

Earsdon, East Denton, East Holywell, East Rainton, Elswick, Etal Park

Farringdon, Fatfield, Fawdon, Felling, Fence Houses, Fenham, Ford Estate, Forest Hall, Fulwell, Fairways, Four Lane Ends

Gateshead, Glebe, Gosforth, Grangetown, Greenside, Grindon, Greystoke Park

Halls Estate, Harraton, Harton, Hastings Hill, Haydon Grange, Hazlerigg, Heaton, Hebburn, Hendon, Herrington, Hetton-le-Hole, Highfield, High Callerton, High Heaton, High Newport, High Spen, Holystone Interchange, Heddon-on-the-Wall, Hillheads, Holywell, Houghton-le-Spring

Jarrow, Jesmond

Kenton, Kibblesworth, Killingworth, Killingworth Village, Kingston Park, Kenton Bank Foot, Kenton Bar

Lambton, Lamesley, Leadgate, Lemington, Lintzford, Longbenton, Low Fell, Little Benton

Marley Hill, Marden, Marsden, Melton Park, Millfield, Monkseaton, Monkton, Monkwearmouth, Moorside, Murton Village, Montagu Estate, Manor Park

Newbottle, Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, New Herrington, New Horton Grange, New Silksworth, New York, Nookside, North Brunton, North Shields, North Walbottle, Newcastle Great Park, North Kenton, Nuns Moor

Old Hartley, Oxclose, Old Benwell

Pallion, Paradise, Pelaw, Pennywell, Penshaw, Preston, Palmersville, Philadelphia, Prestwick Village, Parklands, Ponteland

Quayside

Redhouse, Rickleton, Roker, Rowlands Gill, Ryhope, Ryton, Regent Farm, Red House Farm

Scotswood, Seaburn, Seaton Burn, Seaton Sluice, Seghill, Sheriff Hill, Shieldfield, Shiney Row, Shiremoor, Silksworth, South Denton, South Hylton, South Shields, Southwick, Spital Tongues, Springwell Village (Nr Washington), Springwell (Sunderland), Street Gate, Sulgrave, Sunderland, Sunniside, Swalwell, St. John’s, Slatyford, South Gosforth, South West Denton, Sandyford, Saltmeadows, St. Anthony’s

Team Colliery, Team Valley, Thorney Close, Throckley, Tynemouth, Tunstall, Tudor Grange, Teams

Urpeth, Usworth

Walker, Walbottle, Wallsend, Washington, Washington Village, Westerhope, Westoe, West Holywell, West Moor, Whickham, Whitburn, Whitley Bay, Wideopen, Willington, Willington Quay, Windy Nook, Winlaton, Winlaton Mill, Wrekenton, Whitebridge Park, West Denton, Whorlton, Whorlton Grange, West Jesmond, Walkerville, Walkergate, West Denton Park, West Denton Hall

Local History Videos Of Tyne & Wear

If you look at the listing of cities, towns and villages of Tyne & Wear above, you’ll notice some of them are highlighted. Click on them, and you’ll find a page showing a wide range of online free-to-view videos about that community.

Facebook Groups

  • Blaydon And Winlaton Local Page
  • Gateshead Local History
  • Geordieland Plus – in Old Photo’s
  • Local History Walking group Whickham
  • Northumbria Historical Society
  • West Allotment Local History Group
  • OLD Blaydon and OLD Winlaton

Local History Resources About Tyne & Wear

  • Architectural and Archaeological Society of Durham and Northumberland
  • Association of Northumberland Local History Societies
  • Dukesfield Smelters and Carriers Project
  • Dunston Staiths Friends
  • Flickr – Newcastle Libraries
  • Friends of Discovery Museum
  • Friends Of Puffing Billy
  • Friends of Saltwell Park
  • Friends of Segedunum
  • Friends of St George’s, Jesmond
  • Friends of Walker Park
  • Gateshead Local History Society
  • Institution of Civil Engineers North East Region Heritage Panel
  • Killingworth Local History Society
  • Land Of Oak & Iron
  • Literary & Philosophical Society of Newcastle
  • Low Fell Forum
  • Natural History Society of Northumbria
  • Newcastle City Guides
  • Newcomen Society – North East
  • North of England Civic Trust
  • North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers
  • Northumberland and Newcastle Society
  • Ouseburn Trust
  • Path Head Water Mill
  • Ponteland Civic Society
  • Ponteland Local History Society
  • Robert Stephenson Trust
  • Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne
  • St James’ Heritage & Environment Group, Benwell
  • St Mary’s Heritage Group, Gateshead
  • Sunderland Antiquarian Society
  • Tanfield Railway
  • Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust
  • Tyneside Society of Model & Experimental Engineers
  • Victoria Tunnel
  • Wallsend Local History Society
  • Washington History Society
  • Winlaton & District Local History Society

Back to Home page.

Thanks to Newcastle Libraries for the image at the top of this page, which shows the Tyne Bridge under construction in 1928.

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