The earliest recorded incumbent of St Mary's was Robert de Plessis in 1275 (Mackenzie, 123). It is possible that even at this date the rector's house stood on the site of the later rectory on the east side of Oakwellgate; it was certainly there by 1428, when a document refers to 'a tenement by the name of an aqueduct and a messuage built thereon, on the east side of Oakwellgate between the tenements of the Rector of Gateshead and John Dolphanby' (Welford, 277). Archaeological investigations in 1990 and 1991 revealed at least one structure on the east side of Oakwellgate, possibly part of the medieval Rectory. A number of 18th century plans show the Rectory as a large rectangular building, standing in its own grounds with a formal-looking garden plot to the east. Thompson's map of 1746 (the earliest plan covering the east side of Oakwellgate) shows an imposing structure apparently facing south, two stories high with a row of three dormers and three large chimneys. In 1783 the rector of Gateshead was given licence to rebuild and enlarge the premises and over £65 was spent on rebuilding the east end (Mackenzie and Ross, 89). The Rectory was further altered in 1814 during the incumbency of the Rev. John Collinson, at which time it probably acquired the bay front to the east. In 1834 it was described as being 'a commodious house, with gardens, and commands a fine view towards the river' (Mackenzie and Ross, 89). By 1839 however it had been abandoned in favour of a new building in Bensham (Manders, 138) and the western part of the old Rectory was converted into a public house run by Susanna Stobart - the name of which - The Brandling Arms - reflected local interest in the then current Brandling Junction construction works and appropriately commemorated that family's contribution to the industrial development of this part of Gateshead. Between 1861 and 1863 the Co-operative Society had its first store in the old rectory (Manders, 91). Only one photograph of the old rectory appears to have survived, dated to the 1880s, showing the western part of the building then used as the Brandling Arms public house. This shows a two storied building of squared stone with a pantiled roof. The Rectory and public house became a 'muniment office' for the North East Railway by the late 1880s, and was subsequently converted into gas and water offices for the company. The Rectory was mostly pulled down c.1914 and rebuilt as stores and offices for the Judge Brand Co. Ltd. Dated C15th.

This ENE-WSW running line, probably a Grand Allies route from Lawson’s Main Colliery, is marked as an ‘old wagonway’ on the first edition 25” Ordnance Survey. It is shown running from east of Lawson’s Main Pit towards the River Tyne in Walker. The indicated line is only partial; it is not known if it continued on the same alignment to the river - which would have taken it to the staiths used by Fair Pit from 1753 - if it dipped to the south towards Wincomblee staiths which were in use by 1766, or whether it ran to an entirely different set of staiths somewhere in Walker.

A Wagonway, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1858.

A Wagonway, marked as 'Old' on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1858. Excavations by Pre-Construct Archaeology between 2009 and 2011 recorded evidence of this waggonway. It ran from Gosforth Pit (HER 4184) of Walker Colliery to the River Tyne. There was a substantial NW-SE aligned clay trackbed embankment and trackside ditches. No timbers survived. The waggonway crossed the dene of a tributary of the Stott's Burn. The maximum recorded width of the embankment was 6.5m but the full width was not exposed. The embankment had a gentle gradient to ensure the efficient operation of the waggonway. Linear impressions infilled with coal and ash indicated the positions of timbers. The parallel trackside ditches were aligned NW-SE and may have been associated with the earliest phase of the waggonway. They drained the trackway and delineated the wayleave corridor. The north-eastern side of the waggonway was bounded by a U-shaped ditch which was later recut. In part of the site the embankment was overlain by crushed coal and ash deposits which raised the height and widened the embankment. Two sub-rectangular postholes possibly formed a fenceline. Seven upright timber stakes and a stakehole in two rows may represent a timber revetment. A group of postholes including a row in a NNE-SSW alignment may have formed part of a bridge over the trackside ditches. The waggonway embankment and trackside features were overlain by successive colliery waste deposits up to 1.2m thick, representing C19 to early C20 levelling. The 1908 OS map shows a road running through the site, along the line of the former waggonway and skirting the Walker Refuse Destructor Building. The road was created by dumping colliery waste over the disused embankment.

The possible line of an old wagonway shown on the 1st edition OS mapping.

A Shipbuilding Yard. This was possibly out of use by 1895, as it is not shown on the 2nd edition OS mapping {1}. being the steamer Chusan, for the P&O Line.
Map Evidence
First Edition Ordnance Survey, Sheet ///
A ship building yard is shown immediately to the east of Battle Hill. A complex of structures on the western edge of the yard is probably mostly residential. A furnace lies towards the northern edge of the yard and a crane lies towards the centre, a distance back from the river. A walled inlet lies just beyond the northern edge of the yard and the boat landing for the Hebburn Quay Ferry lies at the southern edge of the yard.
Second Edition Ordnance Survey, Sheet ///
The yard has been subsumed within the Neptune yard by this time {2}.

Walker Colliery Anne Pit. Walker Colliery opened before 1765. Owners were Lambert & Co (1850s), N.G. Lambert & Co and then Walker Coal Company Ltd. By 1862 (the year of a major disaster at Walker Colliery see HER 4206) the Anne shaft had been closed for several years and had only been opened up about a year before when it had been deepened to reach the Low Main Seam. Closed in 1920.

Walker Colliery B Pit. This is just marked as an Old Shaft on the 2nd edition OS mapping. The first shaft at Walker was West Engine Pit which opened in January 1762 and reached coal at 600 feet. The pit was fitted with winding apparatus driven by 8 horses. A corf of coal could be raised in 2 minutes. In 1769 the horses were partly replaced by steam. This early steam winder was then replaced by a water gin. In 1784 a rotative steam engine was installed. In 1796 a James Watt steam pumping engine was installed to raise water. By 1795 only creep-affected pillars of coal were left in the High Main Seam. By 1811 it was exhausted. The colliery lasted until 1918 working the lower poorer seams. There were four other pits besides the West Engine Pit - Anne Pit (HER 4207), Charlotte Pit (NZ 294 653 - opened in 1801), East Pit (HER 4215) and Jane Pit (HER 4200). Owners were Lambert & Co (1850s), N.G. Lambert & Co (who also ran Bebside Colliery) and then Walker Coal Company Ltd. The colliery viewer was TJ Jobling of Point Pleasant, Wallsend and the resident viewer was WH Cole. Several disasters - on 2 April 1765 an explosion killed 8 miners, another explosion on 18 March 1766 killed 10. A fall of stones on 19 June 1823 killed 6 people. Explosions killed 16 miners on 22 November 1862. The day before the disaster the lower furnace had been dampened down to allow the shaft to be retubbed. This reduced the ventilation. Nevertheless 28 workers went down the pit with 9 horses and 21 ponies to do some blasting work on a geological fault (a 'trouble'). The explosion happened some 4 hours later. The stables were on fire and all horses and ponies were killed. One pony called French was found alive. The inquest was held at the Railway Hotel in Walker. A faulty lamp was blamed. The Mining Journal wrote a full report on the accident. 8 workers were killed on 24 October 1887. Walker Colliery closed in 1920.

Wincomblee Brick and Tile Works; the 1st edition OS mapping shows a brickfield and clay pit on the site. These works were possibly out of use by 1895, as they are not shown on the 2nd edition OS mapping.

A Gasometer. Not shown on the 2nd edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1895.