Blaydon Burn, lead wharf

HER Number:
8469

District:
Gateshead

Site Name:
Blaydon Burn, lead wharf

Place:
Blaydon Burn

Map Sheet:
NZ16SE

Class:
Maritime

Site Type: Broad:
Landing Point

Site Type: Specific:
Wharf

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C18

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
The terminus of the 1713 remodelled Brockwell Way was at Lord Widdrington’s ‘Shipcoale Staiths’, described as four keelrooms at the west end of Stella staithrooms [Clavering et al, 60]. Shipcoal was good quality coal destined for the London market. A branch of the Brockwell Way, using part of the earlier Winlaton Way through Horsecrofts, led to two staiths in Blaydon called ‘the panncoal Staithroomes’. Pancoal was later called ‘duff’ or ‘slack’, and was used to fuel the extensive saltpans at North and South Shields. Joseph Cowen & Co. used Blaydon Burn Staith, which actually lay in Stella Township. Bricks were put into open sided crates at the works and carried on flat wagons to the staith, until 1936 when the new bridge was built this involved crossing the main Blaydon to Ryton road at ‘Cowen’s Crossing’ (107). At the staith, fireclay goods were loaded onto the firm’s own boats and taken by river for delivery to local firms. In 1899 the loading involved eight men, who had a crane to help with the ‘lumps’ [Davidson 148]. No visible remains.

Easting:
1807

Northing:
6361

Grid Reference:
NZ18076361

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Northern Archaeological Associates & Northern Counties Archaeological Services, 2005, Blaydon Burn, Gateshead - Archaeological Desk Based Assessment and Building Survey of Industrial Structures