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Riverscape Ferries
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Riverscape
Ferries Until the
opening of the Newcastle & North Shields
Railway in 1839, the river was the main form of
transport with ferries sailing from Newcastle to
Shields linking both sides of the Tyne from a dozen
or more landings. Ferries and sea going ships were
at the heart of community and commercial
development providing the essential links along the
river and the coast. Before the
railways, Northern Europe was perceived as closer
to Newcastle than London and this had a telling
impact on the independent evolution of commerce and
industry on the Tyne. Local ferries
not only got people to work but away on day trips -
to watch a boat race or even a day at the seaside,
such as a trip to Marsden Rock. With no bridge east
of Newcastle the busiest part of the river was also
a barrier and ferries were the only north/south
link unless someone was brave enough to wade across
the Harbour Bar at low tide. Communities
naturally grew on the riverside and only began to
sprawl away from the river to follow the railways
in the 19th century and the motor roads in the
20th. The last
century saw the industrial decline of the river and
the abandonment of townships, railways and ferry
services that had been part of industry, this decay
brought about the social and economic need for the
recent regeneration to attract people and business
back to the riverside. This renewal has succeeded
in changing the image of large sections of the
river banks to areas of leisure and valuable
residential use although some have the look and
feel of sleepy suburban dormitories. Today the
only Tyne ferry is between North and South Shields
at the river mouth but Nexus is working on a new
link to the 'Royal Quays' as part of a new public
transport route between South Shields and the
Silverlink Business Park. Riverscape
will present a proposal to run a new Ferry up river
from Shields to the Metro Centre. 18 stops are
planned for a service that will be faster than
other forms of public transport over most of the
possible journeys. The ferry will use new marine
technology on a hull design that will create a low
wash enabling it to run at a higher speed than is
currently permitted. The new ferry should bring a
radical change to the perception of the river by
linking separate communities and enabling both
leisure and business opportunities to
develop. Riverside
cultural and commercial projects will benefit with
new landings at the Royal Quays Marina, Bede's
World, Segedunum (Wallsend Roman Fort ),
St.Peter's, Ouseburn, The Baltic and Gateshead
Quays, Newcastle Business Park , Railway Heritage
at Dunston and the Metro Centre. The
regeneration of the riverside not only brings life
back to the river and a pride of place to the
people but counterbalances the unnecessary and
wasteful growth of urban sprawl over green
fields.
