Structure Name: Dunston Staiths

Description:
 

Large wooden staiths, located approximately 12 miles from the mouth of the Tyne, constructed for the most part from 13"x13" pitch pine, jointed with bolts and straps. The structure can be seen to be composed of three levels: at its base is a substructure of piles on which are superimposed trestles, braced in both directions; above this are 98 frames at c.5.3m centres; the uppermost level is composed of double thickness longitudinal timbers supporting a deck and track beams. The deck slopes at a gradient of 1 in 85 down toward the landward end. Although the southerly second stage was reduced to pile top level in the 1970's the rest of the staiths are extremely well preserved with the track layout, drops, and most of the workmen's shelters and huts still surviving.
 

Extant: Yes

Legal Status: Listed Building Grade II, Scheduled Ancient Monument

Location: Dunston, GATESHEAD

Eastings: 423540m (view map)

Northings: 562640m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 200m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Structure Types Identified: MINERAL RAILWAY, STAITH

Historical Background
 

'Dunston Staiths were built by the North Eastern Railway in two stages; the first staith with three berths was opened in 1893. A second similar staith was opened in 1903, immediately to the south, and a basin dug out of the riverbank to service it. There are six berths, and loading can be carried out at any state of the tide; three electric conveyors and twelve gravity spouts. Record yearly shipment was 5½ million tonnes. The second set of staiths was taken down to the top of the piles in the 1970s and then further dismantled in the 1980s. However, the majority of the structure survived intact and was restored for the Gateshead National Garden Festival in 1990.

The staiths were constructed of, generally, 13 inch x 13 inch pitch pine, jointed with bolts and straps in the usual openwork construction. The structure was in three parts; a substructure of piles driven into the mud on which were superimposed trestles, braced in both directions creating 98 frames at approximately 5.3m. Centres, and above this ran double thickness longitudinal timbers supporting a deck and track beams. The deck sloped at a gradient of 1 in 85 down toward the landward. The staiths were the last working timber staiths on the Tyne. They were severely damaged by fire during the night of 19/20 November 2003.'
[Stafford Linsley's annotation]
 

Chronology:

• 1890   Construction of staiths begun.
      Entities Involved:
            North Eastern Railway (NER): Commissioned works.
• 1893   First stage (with three berths) of Dunston Staiths opened.
      Entities Involved:
            North Eastern Railway (NER): Constructed staith.
• 1903   Second stage (to the south of the first) of Dunston Staiths opened. To service this new staith a basin was dug out from the riverbank.
      Entities Involved:
            North Eastern Railway (NER): Constructed staith.
• 1925   By 1925 the staiths had three electric conveyors and twelve gravity spouts.
• 1975 - 1976   Second stage taken down to pile top level.
• 1980   Staiths closed and partially dismantled.
• 1980s   Staithes restored for the 1990 National Garden Festival.
• 2003   In the early hours of the 20th November, 2003, a fire broke out which resulted in 40% of the structure being destroyed or damaged.

Notes
 

'I remember these staiths well, not least because when I was an apprentice engineer, I could watch the comings and goings at the staiths during my lunch break, taken sitting on the quayside on the opposite side of the river. It was to be many years later before I actually visited the staiths, and heard about how they worked, both physically and socially, including the attendance of ‘comfort girls' on waiting seamen. I also visited a small ‘toilet' cabin mounted on top of the staith, with the name-board ‘Tyne View' – the river could be seen a hundred feet or so below, through the hole in the plank.'
[Stafford Linsley's annotation]
 

References:

• Images of England
• Pevsner, N. and Williamson, E. (1985) The Buildings of England: County Durham. 2nd ed., London, Yale University Press, p.287
• Tyne and Wear SMR

The information displayed in this page has been derived from authoritative sources, including any referenced above. Although substantial efforts were made to verify this information, the SINE project cannot guarantee its correctness or completeness.

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