South Tyneside History
| Title | The Pier, South Shields |
|---|---|
| Date | c1920s |
| Location | South Shields |
| Type | Real Photographic |
| Publisher | Unknown |
| Series | |
| Size | 139mm x 88mm |
| Reference Number | P208 |
| Further Information | In 1852 the Tyne Commissioners were authorised by Parliament to construct piers at the mouth of the Tyne as a way of preventing the shipwrecks and loss of life that was caused by ships trying to navigate across the bar at the entrance to the Tyne in the gales it was exposed to. The foundation stone to the piers was laid on June 15th 1854 by Mr James Cowen. The piers have a base of rubble and a super structure of concrete and built stonework. The stone for the piers was provided by a quarry at Trow Rocks. The building work, which took more than fifty years to complete, was fraught with difficulties with parts of both piers carried away during heavy storms. The lighthouses were first lit on November 11th 1895. The South Pier is 5,170 feet long (110 feet short of a mile). The North Pier is 2,950 feet long. |
