History of Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a town located at the mouth of the River Tyne, and lies
between North Shields and Whitley Bay . In 1974 Tynemouth became part
of the borough of North Tyneside . It is also known to be a historic
resort, but thought of as a fortress and as a religious site. One of
Tynemouth's famous historical buildings is Tynemouth Priory and Castle.
The castle was originally built in 1296, whereas the Priory was built in the 11 th century. Both historical buildings have been assembled on the site of a Saxon 7th century priory. With over 700 years of history much of the castle and priory are still intact. The gatehouse and keep are still combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried. In 1954 the castle became the birthplace of Henry Percy, 9 th Earl of Northumberland. The castle was also used as a coastal defense unit in the Second World War, and it is now supervised by English Heritage.
Another famous attraction in Tynemouth is the 7m statue of Lord Collingwood, who was born in Newcastle . He was the first British Commander to open fire at Trafalgar before breaking the French line. The statue looks out over the mouth of the Tyne, which also looks over North and South Shields . Lord Collingwood took command of the battle of Trafalgar upon the death of Admiral Nelson. The base of the statue features a cannon from his ship, ‘Royal Sovereign'. Which are the only existing Trafalgar guns, aside from those on the HMS Victory.
