Tynemouth
Best in the North?
Introduction
In 2018, The Times named Tynemouth in Tyne & Wear the best place to live in the north calling it "a touch of class on the North Sea coast" with "elegant architecture and a thriving café culture" making it "more Jane Austen". They highlighted the "blissful" scenery from the "craggy cliffs" to the priory as well as the promenade and the on-going restoration. The judging criteria included accessibility to a wide selection of food, house prices, shops, education and more, culminating in Tynemouth being awarded the title of best place to live in the north. This article hopes to explore this topic in greater depth in a more critical fashion to put this view to the test.
About Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a historic town and borough in Tyne and Wear, England sitting, as the name suggests, at the mouth of the River Tyne, about 8 miles North East from Newcastle upon Tyne. Originally, Tynemouth was its own county borough up until 1974 when the administration was changed to the borough of North Tyneside. As of the 2011 Census, the population of Tynemouth was 10,472.
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The town dates as far back as the Iron Age as it is believed that Romans may have operated in the area. By the 7th Century, the now famous Priory was built with the Castle being built later for the area's strategic position at the mouth of the Tyne. Tynemouth Castle and Priory on the coast was once one of the largest fortified areas in England with its 2000 year history. It is in ruins now because of the destruction by the Danes in 875.
Tynemouth attracts visitors from around the world with award-winning beaches, historic building and beautiful views. The centre of the town is filled with coffee-shops, pubs, restaurants and shops which create a continental café culture.
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The area is very popular with both tourists and locals with King Edward's Bay, Tynemouth Longsands and weekend markets being major attractions for the area.
Longsands has developed a national reputation as a surf destination and has staged national championships. It has become a place to learn to surf with a rise in surfing related business.
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The beach has even been used for Premier League football training by Newcastle United, and has featured in the movie Goal. When the sun is out in the summer, it becomes a place where people come to soak up the sun, play beach games, and splash about in the sea.
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A Trip To Tynemouth
If you have heard of legendary artist Miyazaki Hayao then which of his works is your favourite? Spirited Away? My Neighbor Totor? Ponyo? Well, did you know that the Japanese director and artist created an illustrated novel called A Trip To Tynemouth?
It followed Miyazaki on his journey to Tynemouth where he brings in details from the Second World War and stories from British author Robert Atkinson Westall's books creating an almost mystical version of Tynemouth. But what is it really like?
The history of Tynemouth is very long and can be traced back to the Stone Age. As early as the 7th century, a monastery was built in Tynemouth, where three Kings were buried there. Although the ancient monastery is now abandoned, Tynemouth Castle’s ruins have still been standing on the cliffs of Pen Bal Crag, sending boats away and welcoming people in. The excellent estuary location has enabled people living in Tynemouth to develop fishing and trading. It also became a crucial strategic position in the Second World War. Now, Tynemouth attracts a large number of tourists to come and in 2013, Longsands of Tynemouth was voted the fourth favourite beach in the UK by users of TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website. It was rated the 12th best in Europe, too.
A trip to Tynemouth will not only let the sea breeze caresses your cheek, but also let you enjoy a literary journey. If you choose to go to Tynemouth by metro, you soon find yourself at The Bridge Gallery. From 1995 until now, artists from time to time display their works in the space, The Bridge Gallery, of two platforms connected by a bridge at Tynemouth station. Going out of the station, tourists can directly see the Kings Priory School’s gate on the opposite street. The school moved from Jarrow in 1865, where children's writer and poet, Henry Treece once worked as a teacher and wrote The Black Longship about Tynemouth. Additionally, when it comes to children writers, Westall has to be mentioned as he is known as "the dean of English war novelists". Miyazaki's A Trip To Tynemouth also comes from Robert 's works, in the manga, Miyazaki went to Tynemouth in order to meet Robert, and they talked about war and life together. Furthermore, the town is the prototype of many scenes in Robert 's novels.
Go along the path beside the school gate, then turn right and the heart of the town will be easily discovered, known by residents as "The Village". A statue of Queen Victoria is standing in the front of Front Street of "The Village". The right side of the street is Tynemouth Congregational Church, which lost its religious function in 1973 and now is a shopping arcade. Passing the building, walking on Front Street to Longsands, you will see a small portrait of novelist and journalist Harriet Martineau. She lived in Tynemouth from 1840 to 1845, writing 3 books. There are a lot of stories about her life of Tynemouth in her autobiography and the place where she used to live in has become a hotel named after her. If you stay in the hotel, you will have the opportunity to taste the carefully prepared breakfast by the owner.
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Longsands is on the left side of Pen Bal Crag. When you walk on the beach, will you encounter a heavy sea as writer Charles John Huffam Dickens, who is arguably one of the greatest novelists of the Victorian era. It catches you, knocks you over, and in a moment drenches you and fills even your pockets. And Prior’s Haven, which is Tynemouth’s smallest beach of the three, is on the right side of Pen Bal Crag. Tynemouth Sailing Club and Tynemouth Rowing Club are in here. When you visit Prior’s Haven, whether you would recall the scene where Harry Baguley and dog Don met for the first time in Robert’s The Kingdom by the Sea? Or would it add a thrilling and exciting colour for your Tynemouth trip, because of Robert’s horror fictions?
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Tynemouth Community
Local voices: Community life in Tynemouth
An article in The Chronicle describes Tynemouth as a "food and drink destination that has kept its village feel".
The weekly Sunday market acts as a bridge, connecting tourists and locals.
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Lee Foster from Gateshead, who runs a bookstall at the market believes that "for the outsiders of the Tynemouth community, the market is the biggest event to keep people from outside of the Tynemouth and local residents closer".
It seems like many residents are deeply attached to this small seaside village.
Dog Leap Café owner Dean Eccles says Tynemouth is "a small village but it has a vibrant atmosphere, you can get anything you want".
Melanie Thomas, manager at Tynemouth Surf Co., which has been a staple in the community since 1995, explains that "it's important to have the support of your local community". Thomas emphasises that it was a focus of her business to garner the support of the local community when the business was established.
For young adult Laura, who works in café Mister Woods, "friendly" is the most suitable description of community life.
“Everyone knows each other in the stores, and everyone is friendly and will say hello when people meet".
Many locals also think the village community is safe.
Peter, a local resident, says “it’s safe. You won’t get any bother and you won’t get any trouble".
The beautiful and clean environment is not the only draw. The community itself is also a major attraction for encouraging people to move to the area and do business.
Residents and business owners appear to enjoy their lives in the village, and actively participate in promoting a strong sense of communality.
Changing Times
Tynemouth has changed dramatically over the past 30 years.
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In order to attract more tourists to the region, the little seaside village has underwent significant redevelopment through private and publicly funded investment.
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Many locals, as witnesses to the change, said an increasing number of restaurants and cafes opened in the village.
Dean, who has been living in the village for about 20 years, said “now we have more choices to get really good food, from Italian to Asian, which makes the village a lot busier”.
Elise, the owner of Razzberry Bazaar gift shop, who has been living in Tynemouth for 30 years, explains that "when we got here, there were few gift shops, fewer restaurants and still lots of pubs, it just reflects what people want to do with their money, but now there are a lot more businesses".
local voices: changes in Tynemouth
Are Restaurants and cafés over-crowded in Tynemouth?
A number of locals believe the restaurants and cafés in the village are over-crowded.
Lee Foster said “I don’t think Tynemouth has enough space for people to open restaurants around the station and the main street. But I would not be surprised if there would be more in the future because lots of people come for a day out".
Ian Robinson, an assistant in a music album stall at Tynemouth market said, the numbers of restaurants and cafés in Tynemouth feels about right and that he doesn't expect more in the future.
Isla Gilbert, who has lived in Tynemouth for 16 years and runs a cupcake business in the market, said “there’s too many cafés and restaurants in Tynemouth. It’s over-run and there’s not much other business around”.
Eva Onishi, originally from Germany and has ran a stall in the market for 15 years, said “Tynemouth is full of restaurants and cafés. We expect more buyers coming. I don’t think the tourism is very good as there are not so many people. It should be much more".
With increasing restaurants and cafés packed into the seaside village, the competition appears more intense under the pressure of increasing business rates and running costs.
One of the most popular Tynemouth coffee shops, Mister Woods, is being forced into liquidation according to The Chronicle.
It appears small local and independent businesses in the village still face a lot of uncertainty in the future.
Lee Foster: the Black Bird Book Stall owner
Isla Gilbert: Cupcake stall owner
Tynemouth survives on Tourism
Local voices: Tourism in Tynemouth
Is seasonal tourism a problem for local businesses?
Apart from the increasing restaurants and cafés, seasonal tourism could also be a big challenge for small local businesses.
According to the locals who are doing small businesses in Tynemouth market, the lack of guaranteed consistency flow of customers is the biggest challenge they face.
Isla said "no one is really here and there’s nothing to do in the winter, but in the summer it’s always busy”. In the cold season, she usually stays with children.
Many locals who doing small businesses also have their own ways to deal with the winter crisis.
Lee looks for business in Tynemouth market, he thinks the market is one of the most well-known and well-attended despite being seasonal.
“November is really quiet. The number of people coming to the market depends very heavily on the weather. In the cold season, I tend to look for indoor affairs, shift the focus of business in order to earn living".
Film album stall owner Charles Roberts, who has been living in Northeast for 65 years, also has online stores and a Facebook page for selling his products to make up for the lack of customers in the market during the cold season.
Eva Onishi & Charles Roberts
running 'Hollywood in Tynemouth' film album stall
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Tynemouth Market
Tynemouth Station’s Famous Undercover Market
Restored to the former glory of the grand Victorian days, Tynemouth station offers a vast covered space for the famous markets each weekend.
Tynemouth Market is located within Tynemouth metro station. It opens every Saturday and Sunday all year round from 9am-4pm. Its magnificent glazed roof offers shelter whatever the British weather, come rain or shine.
The market fills both sides of the platform, with over 150 closely packed stalls offering huge variety. Every weekend, it is one of the most crowded places in Tynemouth, visitors come from far and wide to join the crowds and the atmosphere is vibrant in the market with full of voices.
Stalls offer a diverse variety of goods, from antiques costing hundreds of pounds to toys costing pennies and everything in between, including collectables, plants, arts & crafts, household items, vintage jewellery, CDs, DVDs & LPs, books, vintage clothing, fresh produce, and a good range of street food such as award-winning artisan ice-cream, sausage bap, cupcakes and aromatic coffee.
A selection of popular events are held several times a year. A farmers’ market is held every third Saturday of the month, on which lots of butchers bring a variety of specialist pork and beef. Annual book fairs take place on 15th April, 10th June, 12th August, and 14th October. Thousands of books sell during the book fair. There is also an annual Christmas Market for people to find a unique seasonal gift which is held on Saturday the 25th & Sunday the 26th of November.
It is known that the rental fee is not high here, ½ Stall 1 table (6 x 2’6”) will cost £17, 1 Stall and 2 tables plus one of the trader’s own would set you back £25 per day. Traders are friendly and amusing, they also don't mind haggling.
Lee Foster, who hails from Gateshead, has been running his bookshop in Tynemouth Market for six months now. He said the market is a hobby for him, but he comes every week no matter what the weather is like. During the winter he shifts his focus to some indoor affairs because of the seasonal tourism in Tynemouth. He said that Tynemouth Market is one of the most well-known and well-attended markets, which helps bring tourists and residents of Tynemouth closer together.
Isla Gilbert has been selling cupcakes in Tynemouth Market for a year or two. She has been living here for 16 years. According to her, when it comes to festivals and holidays, people always come together, and it is full of hustle and bustle both in the market and other places in the Tynemouth. She also said that it is highly competitive to get a stall in Tynemouth Market because it is always full.
Eva Onishi & Charles Roberts have ran a bookstall called Hollywood Tynemouth for 15 years. “Many people don’t know it’s not a free market, and people usually expect a cheaper price”, said by Eva. They said that they expect more buyers coming.
Mr. Wilson, who is a painter, sells his watercolour prints here. All the watercolours are drawn by him and almost all of them are Tynemouth and Newcastle landscapes. He said that he often goes around Tynemouth for finding a view to draw. The prices of the prints vary from £4 to £30 depending on the print sizes.
During the weekend tourists from Holland, Norway, and other European countries frequent Tynemouth and the market by the ferry which sails across the North Sea
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Does Quality of Life come with a price?
The average house price in Tynemouth has increased to over £300,000 since the beginning of 2018.
“House prices have started to go up quite rapidly”, admits business owner Melanie Thomas.
“I think Tynemouth is becoming more popular, but I also think that is an effect of the private school Kings turning into a state school”.
“More people want to move so that they are in the catchment area for the school, because it is a good school”.
The most recent Ofsted inspection in 2015 graded the school ‘good’. The report commends King’s Priory School, stating that “the quality of teaching has improved rapidly since the academy opened”.
Tynemouth is not short of quality, local schools. With both Tynemouth Nursery and Cullercoats Primary school rated ‘good’ 2017 inspections.
The effect on house prices is evident; with the average house price in Tynemouth sitting well above the £123,781 average for the North East, and the English national average of £214,794.
But Melanie Thomas believes it is a cost-effective area to run her business, suggesting that she “doesn’t think it’s particularly expensive”.
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North Shields resident, Ian Robinson says “expensive is the basic impression of Tynemouth”.
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“House prices in Tynemouth are probably a third or two times more expansive than the average”.
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“If you came to North Shields, the same house that is in Tynemouth would be 50 per cent cheaper”.
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It’s all about location, and in the case of Tynemouth, it appears it is a much-sought after spot.
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Ian also believes that people from southern England, especially London dabble in the Tynemouth property market.
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“People from outside, from London, they sell houses in Tynemouth, which makes it very expensive”.
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The attraction to Tynemouth is seen as tourists and residents flock to Front Street to participate and enjoy the “continental café culture” that has emerged over the last few years.
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Award winning restaurants, bars, cafés and bespoke shops allure visitors to the coastal town, because of the significant investment made in the area by the council and businesses.
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Lee Forster, who runs a bookshop in Tynemouth, says that he “wouldn’t be surprised if there would be more restaurants and cafés in the future”.
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But that “the number of people coming depends very heavily on the weather”.
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The increased demand in the area has influenced the local economy, and not always positively.
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In 2014, the Post Office was relocated to merge with Priory Newsagents to avoid permanent closure.
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Andrew Philips, the manager of the new store, felt it was important that Tynemouth avoided losing an important fixture of the community.
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Philips, who hangs a copy of The Sunday Times article in the Post Office, described how he took over the establishment as it was losing a lot of money. He felt that he could attract more customers into his newsagents by combining with the Post Office.
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Early in 2018 Philips merged the Post Office with a craft-beer off licence specialising in bottles and beers on tap to diversify his business, called The Yard House.
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“The craft beer community like to keep their favourite spots hidden”, Philips says, but business has been steady as word of the Post Office’s little secret begins to spread.
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However, Philips mentions the new car parking scheme on Front Street as a hindrance to Tynemouth businesses.
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The decision by the council to restrict parking to Front Street, whilst nearby streets have been turned into resident only permit parking is killing Tynemouth business, agrees the Tynemouth Business Forum.
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With parking charges on Front Street now at £1.20 an hour, there are concerns the higher cost than just up the coast in Whitley Bay are keeping customers away.
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Is Tynemouth's idyllic way of life under threat?
Is Tynemouth facing an anti-social crisis?
The North East’s Blue Flag coastline hosted hundreds of families and tourists during April’s heatwave; but with it came unwelcome anti-social behaviour, underage drinking, and vast amounts of rubbish dumped on the pristine beaches.
Businesses and residents fear for the summer ahead, is their charming way of life under a summer siege?
There were reports of intimidation, anti-social behaviour, swearing, vandalism and property damage; causing residents and business to demand that the “chaotic scenes” they saw over the weekend needed to end once and for all.
The award-winning beaches and continental café culture are the focus of many visitors, but residents are concerned that waste left behind by tourists are creating a problem for the area.
Their pleas for help have, so far, gone unnoticed and unheard.
“I was sworn at, intimidated, and I saw my business equipment stolen and vandalised”, said water sports business owner Simon Laing.
“Our beaches were trashed, and it really made me upset”.
Many business owners spoke of their disappointment; stating that they hoped the heatwave would bring a spike in business, which it arguably did.
However, they faced significant repercussions to their business, through no fault of their own.
Over 400 concerned residents and activists demanding to be heard and held an emergency meeting; among the attendees were North Tyneside mayor Norma Redfearn and local MP Alan Campbell.
Campbell, who has been MP for Tynemouth since 1997, said that three things needed to be done to solve this issue.
“The community needs to come together and say that this is unacceptable”.
“Powers need to be used to the fullest extent,” he said, calling on the police and even the Metro system to control the misuse of alcohol by tourists as they journey to the coast.
“There needs to be a sustainable plan”, he finalised. Stating that there was need for communities and agencies to work together to prevent them having to meet on a regular occasion to discuss their concerns after an event.
Although no solutions were mentioned, or details of a potential plan expanded on, mayor Norma Redfearn added that the beaches “need to be protected”.
Redfearn spoke that the council had already entered discussions with Metro owner, Nexus, to patrol certain stations during the peak season.
She said they had a responsibility to take unruly people off the metro before they got anywhere near the beach.
“If you think, as a council, we’re going to allow people to come down here and destroy it, we are not”.
Northumbria police were forced to make a statement on Facebook during the events as the complaints piled up.
“Our message is clear – enjoy the warm weather, but anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and will be dealt with accordingly. Extra officers will be deployed to combat such offences when we know the weather is going to be warmer”.
The introduction of extra officers follows complaints that only five officers were left to deal with the anti-social behaviour over the first days of the heatwave.
Their statement highlighted a significant rise in “youth disorder”.
This included groups of youths drinking and putting themselves in danger by jumping into the sea, leaving some local residents concerned following increased levels of noise and litter.
Norma Redfearn spoke about how the council had managed in previous years to rid the coastline of the drug problem at Whitley Bay, and they would enact a similar plan to protect the coastline.
The emergency meeting on the beach lasted only 30 minutes, but residents felt content with how the events unfolded.
“Fantastic event today, looking forward to strengthening the community today with this lot” said one activist.
“Two areas to push the council on; alcohol ban on the beach and deploy the council camera van” called another attendee.
280 people signed up to further updates on the community project, offering their skills and expertise to assist in reducing the anti-social behaviour.
The residents of Tyneside face a familiar foe; the rise of anti-social behaviour during warm weather returns.
However, this time the residents and business are prepared to fight back using all the resources at their disposal.
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They have even had to deal with oil spills in the North Sea; a recent palm oil spill has led to pockets of the liquid clogging up on the golden sands.
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Although it is used in foods for human consumption, it is toxic to animals. Dog walkers have been warned as in extreme cases it can even cause death.
It is evident that locals are willing to protect their way of life and community. The quiet winter months have ended and now Tynemouth faces a tough summer if no action is taken.
Tourism to the area is both a saviour and an emerging community crisis.
Future Development
Speaking to residents about the future of Tynemouth it becomes clear that future development for the Tynemouth area is closer to nit-picks than a desire for drastic change. The biggest improvement in the area is the proposed £2 million redevelopment to the rock pool which plans aim to turn it into an outdoor swimming pool once more.
The pool was originally a popular outdoor pool until the mid-90 when it was transformed into a rock pool which was hoped to support some marine life.
Since then “The Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool” have started a movement in the area to return the rock pool to a leisure facility.
However the current funding for the project far short of the £2 million needed and sits at around £100,000
A number of residents expressed that the improvements made to the pool would be good for Tynemouth and the site will be popular once open.
Parking has long been an issue both for the locals and tourists.
Aside from the pool, Parking has long been an issue both for the locals and tourists. Peter highlighted parking issues: “You cannot have somewhere with the number of bars, restaurants and specialist shops if you cannot park”.
He continued to say that on certain days “you will not get parked” and have to walk into Tynemouth.
The Chronicle lists 30 parking fine hotspots in Newcastle, among which five are in Tynemouth.
The hottest one in Tynemouth is on the front street, which is issued 1127 PCNs a year, among to £28,829.22.
The other four parking hotspots in Tynemouth is Grand Parade Car Park, Beaconsfield Car Park, Sea Banks and Huntingdon Place.
“Parking is really terrible. I can see in the morning, they have to park at 5 am or 6 am, even overnight”, according to Eva.
However, for some, parking was less of a concern believing that Tynemouth should become more pedestrianised.
Laura, a barista at Mister Woods “I think it would be lovely if the street was pedestrianised again but I am not sure how that would work as there would be people wanting to park".
She continued: “we have a certain weekend each year where the street is pedestrianised because we have big event on in Tynemouth and that weekend is really lovely”.
Whilst some brought up parking and pedestrian issues others such as Dean highlighted that the castle needed better access and said “it’s a huge part of Tynemouth sitting at the end of front street and a lot of the time you cannot get in … it’s a massive space that should be opened up to the public".
You can watch the full interviews by clicking here.