Tesco Express

Cliffords Fort

The Lawe · 1.2 miles

Clifford's Fort was a defensive gun battery established near the mouth of the Tyne during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th century. It subsequently served as a submarine mining depot and survives today as a scheduled monument in the historic Fish Quay area of North Shields, Tyne and Wear, in North East England.

Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum

The Lawe · 1.9 miles

A Roman fort stands on the Lawe Top overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne at South Shields, Tyne & Wear, a short distance from the town of The Lawe. Constructed in 129 AD, the site was intended to protect the sea-supply route to Hadrian’s Wall and the small port on the south side of the Tyne. Initially a small cohort fort, it was altered several times: a dividing wall created a northern store for ship-borne supplies and a southern garrison area, while later phases added a new principia, barracks and up to twenty-four granaries, indicating a role as the main supply base for the wall. The fort was finally abandoned around 400 AD after a fire and subsequent conversion of some granaries into barracks. The remains are presented as a museum operated by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and managed by North East Museums under the name Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort. Visitors can view reconstructed sections such as the West Gate, rebuilt in 1986, and a collection of monuments that illustrate the cosmopolitan character of the garrison, including stones commemorating a British woman, Regina, and a former slave, Victor. The museum also displays an altarpiece to an unknown deity and a tablet bearing the name of Emperor Severus Alexander, deliberately erased in a practice known as damnatio memoriae. No modern buildings remain on the site following clearance in the 1970s.

Bede Museum

Jarrow · 2.5 miles

Jarrow Hall is a museum in Jarrow, South Tyneside, England which celebrates the life of Bede; a monk, author and scholar who lived in at the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Wearmouth-Jarrow, a double monastery at Jarrow and Monkwearmouth,, England.

Marsden Rock

Marsden · 4.3 miles

Located on the Tyne and Wear coast opposite the village of Marsden, the sea-stack known as Marsden Rock rises about 27 metres from the sea and is composed of Magnesian Limestone. The formation sits roughly 91 metres off the main cliff line and is classed as a bare rock landmark on the OpenStreetMap database. Originally a single stack with a natural arch, the arch gave way during the winter of 1996, splitting the feature into two. The smaller column, judged unsafe, was removed by the National Trust in 1997, leaving the present 90-foot stack that can be approached on foot at low tide, though it is completely surrounded by water when the tide comes in. The surrounding cliffs provide a vital breeding habitat for a range of seabirds, including kittiwakes, herring gulls and razorbills, which often perch on the rock itself. Cormorants have been present since the 1960s, and occasional winter visitors such as peregrine falcons and snow buntings have been recorded. No admission charge applies, and there are no visitor facilities on the rock or the immediate shoreline. Access is via the coastal path near Marsden Grotto, with the tide schedule the only practical consideration for those wishing to reach the stack on foot.

Souter Lighthouse

Marsden · 5 miles

The former electric lighthouse on Lizard Point, a mile north of Whitburn in South Tyneside, stands on high cliffs that give it superior sea-visibility. Built to serve the hazardous Whitburn Steel reefs, it was the world’s first lighthouse specifically designed for alternating current. Its carbon-arc lamp, first lit on 11 January 1871, produced an 800,000-candle-power flash every thirty seconds that could be seen for up to 26 miles, and a red-white sector highlighted local shoals. The tower’s daymark was enhanced in December 1891 by a broad red band, and a foghorn, originally a reed signal later replaced by a siren, added an audible warning. Designed by Trinity House chief engineer James Douglass and supervised on site by Henry Norris, construction began after the foundation stone was laid on 9 June 1869 and was completed in 1870. The complex includes a quadrangle of rubble-masonry buildings, an engine house with two magneto generators and steam engines, and five keeper’s cottages. After decommissioning by Trinity House in 1988, the National Trust acquired the site and now operates it as a museum, charging an admission fee. Visitors can explore the lantern, engine rooms and surrounding grounds, and the top of the lighthouse offers a line-of-sight view of St Mary’s Lighthouse on the opposite side of the River Tyne. Holiday lets are also available within the historic cottages. The nearest town is Marsden, and the site is accessible via local roads leading to Lizard Point.

Gosforth Park Nature Reserve

North Gosforth · 5 miles

Extensive woodland, wet carr and reed-dominated wetlands provide breeding grounds for species such as reed warbler, water rail and reed bunting, while winter brings birds like bittern, kingfisher and shoveler. Aquatic mammals including otter, water vole and water shrew are recorded, and the site supports England’s second-largest colony of coralroot orchid. The semi-natural forest, chiefly oak and birch with some conifer plantings, hosts mammals such as badger, fox, roe deer, stoat and a remaining population of red squirrel, alongside a diverse invertebrate community that includes nationally rare beetles and solitary bees. A small meadow adds heather and northern marsh orchid to the botanical mix. The reserve lies within the historic Gosforth Park estate in Tyne and Wear, north-east of the Whitebridge Park housing estate and close to the former village of North Gosforth. Medieval ridge and furrow evidence points to its agricultural past; the Brandling family later landscaped the area, creating a lake between 1810 and 1820 and planting much of the woodland in the mid-19th century. After the estate was sold in the late 19th century, the Natural History Society of Northumbria acquired shooting rights in 1924 and assumed full management in 1929, maintaining the area for wildlife. Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1977, the reserve remains privately owned by Arena Racing Company but is leased to the Society. Public entry is limited to Society members and visitors holding a day pass; non-members may purchase a pass on arrival. Dogs are not permitted, there are no public rights of way, and opening times are listed on the Society’s information page. Regular open days and educational activities for schools are organised by the Society.