River Tyne

The River Tyne rises in the North Pennines near Alston Moor and flows east for 118 kilometres to the North Sea. Its two main branches, the North Tyne and the South Tyne, meet at Warden near Hexham in Northumberland. The river’s catchment covers 2,936 square kilometres and contains 4,399 kilometres of waterways. The North Tyne begins close to the Scottish border at Deadwater and passes through Kielder Forest and Bellingham. The South Tyne flows north from Tyne Head, turns east near Haltwhistle, and follows the line of Hadrian’s Wall before joining the North Tyne. The Tyne has shaped industry and transport in the region for centuries. Coal staithes at Dunston, Hebburn and South Shields once loaded millions of tonnes of coal onto ships. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the lower river became one of the world’s leading shipbuilding centres. The Tyne Improvement Commission, created in 1850, deepened the channel from 1.8 to 9.1 metres and removed 150 million tonnes of silt. The river’s tidal section is now managed by the Port of Tyne Authority. A bronze statue of the River God Tyne stands in Newcastle’s Civic Centre, and a travelling Salmon Trail celebrates the river’s wildlife. Visitors can walk or cycle along the riverbanks between Hexham, Corbridge and Prudhoe. Ten bridges span the Tyne between Newcastle and Gateshead, including the Tyne Tunnel linking Jarrow and Wallsend. Islands such as Broomhaugh and Gold Island remain, though some were lost to dredging. The river passes under Hadrian’s Wall near Chollerford and flows past Tynemouth into the sea. The Tyne Rivers Trust works to protect habitats and improve understanding of the catchment. Sculptures and trails along the banks highlight the river’s history and wildlife.