Mill Dam, 'Merchant Navy Memorial'

1990 by Robert Olley, foundry was Burleighfield. A bronze statue 2.5m high of a sailor at the wheel on a sloping yellow ashlar pedestal 1.74m high. Inscribed on the pedestal on a plaque are the words: "MERCHANT NAVY MEMORIAL/ THIS STATUE WAS UNVEILED BY/ COUNTESS MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA/ ON 19TH SEPTEMBER 1990/ IN MEMORY OF THE THOUSANDS OF MERCHANT SEAMEN/ WHO SAILED FROM THIS PORT AND LOST THEIR LIVES IN WORLD WAR II/ UNRECOGNIZED YOU PUT US IN YOUR DEPT/ UNTHANKED YOU ENTER OR ESCAPE THE GRAVE/ WHETHER YOUR LAND REMEMBER OR FORGET/ YOU SAVED THE LAND, OR DIED TRYING TO SAVE/ JOHN MASEFIELD POET LAUREATE". The £56,000 needed was raised by public subscription. The plinth was paid for by Tyne and Wear Development Corporation. LOCAL LIST