Attractions and Places To See around South Tyneside - Top 20

Not often you get to cycle under a river. Much shorter than you think

great views from here on clear day

great views from here on a clear day

Along National Cycle Network Route 14 (NCN 14), you'll encounter a surprising series of sculptures celebrating local history and culture. 🚴‍♂️✨ 🧔 Norman Fay: A tribute to the legendary bicycle mechanic from South Shields. His sculpture symbolizes his contribution to cycling culture in the region. 🎤 Sarah Millican: The popular comedienne from South Shields is immortalized with a sculpture that reflects her roots and impact on the British comedy scene. 🛡️ Roman Soldier: This figure commemorates the area's Roman history, with references to the nearby Hadrian's Wall and the military presence in Britain.

The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnel is not only an engineering marvel but also an aesthetic gem from the 1950s. One of its most striking Art Deco elements is the original Waygood-Otis wooden escalators, which, upon opening in 1951, were the tallest single escalators in the UK, with a vertical rise of 26 meters. Consisting of a staggering 306 wooden steps, they remain the longest wooden escalators in the world. After restoration, two escalators were retained as emergency exits. Their side panels have been removed, revealing the internal mechanism—a beautiful example of industrial design. The tunnels are also clad with original ceramic wall tiles and feature retro signage, including the old county boundaries between Northumberland and Durham, which run under the river halfway through the tunnel. The combination of clean lines, functional elegance, and subtle decoration makes this tunnel a living museum of Art Deco design in a utilitarian context.

The Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnel is a unique piece of infrastructure that has run beneath the River Tyne between Howdon and Jarrow in Tyne & Wear, England, since 1951. Opened as part of the Festival of Britain, it was the first purpose-built cycle tunnel in the United Kingdom. The tunnel consists of two parallel tubes: one for pedestrians with a diameter of 3.2 meters, and a wider one, 3.7 meters, for cyclists. Both are approximately 270 meters long and lie up to 12 meters below the riverbed. At one time, around 20,000 people used this passage daily, primarily workers in the shipyards and factories along the Tyne.

The East Beacon on Lawe Top in South Shields was erected in 1832 as a navigational aid for ships entering the mouth of the River Tyne. It is a Grade II-listed obelisk, with a lower section of ashlar, a brick superstructure, and a pyramidal stone cap topped with a weathervane. Together with the West Beacon, it formed a pair of guiding beacons that served as high and low markers, complementing the lights at North Shields.

Arbeia was a Roman fort in South Shields, England, built around 160 AD as a supply base for Hadrian's Wall. Its coastal location allowed it to serve as a storage depot, with up to 22 granaries during Emperor Septimius Severus' campaign. It housed various units, including Gallic soldiers and Syrian boatmen, and may have derived its name from "place of the Arabs." The fort remained in use until the 5th century, underwent renovations, and today displays reconstructed sections that provide insight into the lives of Roman frontier soldiers.