South Tyneside History
| Title | The Lawe: Johnson's Cottage on Hill Top |
|---|---|
| Reference Number | STH0002834 |
| Photographer | Unknown |
| Town or Village | South Shields |
| Date | late 1800's |
| Original Format | Sepia Photograph |
| Period | Victorian (1837-1901) |
| Copyright | South Tyneside Libraries |
| Further Information | Johnson's Cottage, Lawe Top, junction with Trajan Ave., the home of William Meldrum Johnson who was the Engineman and General Manager for Thomas Salmon at the Ballast Wharf (Pilot Street), South Shields from 1846-1862. In the 19th century two ballast railways ran across the Lawe, one after the other, and were the means not only of heightening it but also extending it to the east. The first 'Fairles Railway' ran from the west across Mile End Road to the edge of the Lawe Top. The second, Salmons Railway, ran from the river approximately opposite the North Shields Fish Quay to and beyond what is now known as Trinity Towers, the Radar Station ( demolished 1991), so that the sea bank of the Lawe Top was extended considerably. Salmons Ballast Railway, constructed 1846, ran from the Ballast Wharf, crossed Low Street on gears, was carried by a tunnel under Wellington Street and by a bridge over Mile End Road to the Lawe. The ballast being hauled up by a stationary engine near Trinity Towers, until removed for the making of the parks and recreation ground. |
