Buildings
Dunston Staiths
Dunston Staiths is a Grade II listed timber structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument in Dunston, Gateshead. Staiths were large structures built onto river banks to allow coal to be transferred from trains to collier ships. Dunston Staiths is the last remaining staith on the Tyne and, after its closure in 1980, has become a haven for local wildlife. Since 2024, the structure has also hosted events as part of the Tyne Derwent Way, celebrating local heritage, arts, and culture.
At a glance
- The word ‘staith’ comes from the Old Norse word for ‘river bank’ but evolved in the UK to describe the man-made structures built onto them.
- Dunston Staiths was opened in 1893 by the North East Railway Company and operated until 1980 when it was closed and partly dismantled.
- The structure found a new lease of life in 1990 when it was home to the fourth national garden festival. Preparations for the 157-day-long festival saw huge investment into the area through clearing discarded coal products, planting trees, shrubs and grass, and providing training and employment for five thousand previously unemployed people.
- By 2003, sadly, the structure was placed on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk register after suffering a severe arson attack. A further fire in 2010 made its future more uncertain.
- In 2013, however, with the help of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, T+WBPT were able to begin replacing the fire-damaged timbers.
- Though the structure continued to face further arson attacks in 2019 and 2020, the support of local community organisations such as Staiths Friends and funders like Historic England and the Garfield Weston Foundation has meant that Dunston Staiths has become a stunning space for heritage and nature.
1996 – Today
Our work
Determined to save this beautiful, unique structure for future generations, T+WBPT and local volunteers Staiths Friends continue building partnerships, raising awareness, engaging the community, and fundraising for it’s ongoing maintenance and restoration.
- T+WBPT took on Dunston Staiths in 1996 and searched for ways to protect the structure. Access to the area was poor, surrounded by a building site, and the cost to restore the whole structure was monumental in itself. Fortunately, in 2014, with the support of a partnership with English Heritage, Durham Wildlife Trust and Gateshead Council, we were able to raise funds to begin to replace the damaged timbers and fully enable public access for the first time in 25 years.
- The Staiths were then able to be opened for Heritage Open Days in September 2014 during this initial restoration, and subsequently for the Late Shows and monthly food markets.
- Further fires in 2019 and 2020 lead to major damage. Since then, T+WBPT has worked closely with Staiths Friends and Historic England to fund repairs and improve security. Donors have funded replacement deck planks and security measures. Signage on site thanks them for their contribution.
- In 2024, as part of the Tyne Derwent Way, the Staiths reopened to the public post-Pandemic for a variety of events, and allowed visitors back onto the west end walking loop monthly from May to September.
For me, the Staiths is one of the icons of Gateshead and sits alongside the Angel, Millennium Bridge and [The Glasshouse]. Importantly it is the one that reminds us where the region came from, its history and underlines the importance of coal, railways and the River Tyne itself.
Martin Hulse, Trust manager
1893 – 1980
History
- Dunston is first mentioned in historical records as early as 1328 when it was primarily known for its salmon fishing, but the development of the coal industry in the seventeenth century saw the small village become perfectly positioned for transporting coal from the Durham coalfields to the wider world.
- For the following centuries, the coal would be loaded onto the collier ships by keelmen on smaller boats but, by the 1890s, a more efficient solution was needed.
- Construction work began on Dunston Staiths in 1890, the process taking 3 years is understandable when you learn that over 3,200 tonnes of timber were needed for this impressive structure. The timber chosen was North American Pitch Pine for its strength and hardiness. The structure was 526m long, had 4 rail tracks and 6 loading berths. It cost £210,000 to make, which would be upwards of £17 million today.
- There was no formal opening ceremony for what would become such an iconic landmark, but the first steamer, called The Holmside, was loaded from the staiths on the 26th of October 1893. In 1894, 1,288,668 tons of coal were shipped from Dunston Staiths alone!
- Coal exports peaked from Dunston in the 1930s and, while this was great economically, the surrounding areas of the rivers became the most polluted in the country. To increase capacity an inner staith was constructed parallel to the first, the railway re-routed and the basin dug out to allow more ships to berth alongside. Once need decreased this was dismantled, leaving just a section of the jetty it once stood upon – the lower walkway today.
- The coal trade never really recovered following the Second World War and was in heavy decline by the 1970s. The Staiths closed as functioning staithes in 1977 and ultimately closed entirely in 1980.
VOLUNTEER WITH US HERE!
We’re always looking for volunteers to help us continue on the journey to restoring and protecting the staiths and sharing them with the public. Roles include general opening as well as hosting special events, such as Gateshead International Festival of Theatre [GIFT], The Late Shows and the Dunston Staiths Dog Show. This is an exciting time to get involved. We are looking for friendly and enthusiastic volunteers to help us with open days, steward events, and support activities. Whether you can volunteer occasionally for a couple of hours or would like to sign up to more regular shifts, we’d love to hear from you!
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