Tyne & Wear is Off the Beaten Track But Very Picturesque

In Tyne & Wear County in North England, despite strong local friction, between Newcastle and Gateshead, many bridges connect the two communities strongly. There are many enchanting places to see in different cities. In North Tyneside there is Segedunum Roman Fort & Museum, Wallsend, Tynemouth Castle and St Marys Island bird reserve. At Gateshead a visitors finds The Sage Gateshead, Angel of the North, Saltwell Park, MetroCentre, Gateshead InternationalStadium,BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Tanfield Railway at Sunniside that crosses boundary into Derwentside county, Beamish Museum, which crosses the Gateshead/Chester le Street boundary and Gibside.

This whole conty is steeped in history as you will find when you get there and is very picturesque. When a tourist comes to see South Tyneside he/she can see Marsden Rock bird reserve, Souter Point Lighthouse, Bedes World at Jarrow and Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum at South Shields. At Sunderland WWT Washington, a wildfowl and wetland nature reserve of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.

The 2nd tier county units were created by combining the many existing boroughs and districts. The county boroughs lost their status and a single municipality was created that covers the 4 county boroughs of Gateshead, Newcastle, South Shields, Tynemouth and many other urban boroughs and districts. Many councilors gave different opinions about different problems, many wanted a change in its boundaries. However, no plan or suggestion ever materialized.

The metropolitan county comes in between Northumberland and County Durham that has River Tyne. North Tyneside and Newcastle upon Tyne are in the north of it and Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside lie in the south. Some institutes still do not recognize Tyne and Wear as a county, this consists specially the biological and wildlife recording groups, for them maintaining long term records is important that the stability of marking boundaries should be done properly.

In 1883, when Parliament made the Church of England, a Diocese of Newcastle from the Diocese of Durham, the River Tyne was lined as the border and it still is. Some inhabitants still prefer to use the ancient counties while referring to different places in Tyne and Wear. Some people feel that the Tyne is connecting factor and not a dividing line as many inhabitants say themselves to be Tynesiders or Geordies, to whichever side of the river they belong to.

Other fascinating locations include the Museum and Winter Gardens, Fulwell Windmill, Stadium of Light, Sea to Sea Cycle Route, The Empire Theatre, Sunderland Aquatic Centre, only Olympic pool in the region, The National Glass Centre, Bowes Railway at Springwell Village and Eighton Banks at Gateshead, St. Peters Church, Hylton Castle and Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art.

Last, but not the least there is Newcastle upon Tyne where you will find The Discovery Museum earlier called Museum of Science and Technology, Leazes Park, Jesmond Dene public park, St James Park, Newcastle Chinatown, Tyne Bridge, Northumberland Street, Grey Street, Greys Monument, Tyneside cinema, Theatre Royal, Metro Radio Arena, Quayside, Centre for Life, Town Moor, Laing Art Gallery, The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle Castle Keep, Hancock Museum and Hadrians Wall.