20 wonderful South Shields buildings which you've probably walked straight past
By Gary Welford
Published 22nd Feb 2019, 14:59 GMT
Updated 22nd Feb 2019, 15:02 GMT
They are the architectural gems which are at risk of being ignored amid the daily hustle and bustle of daily life in South Shields.
But take the time and trouble to stop, look up or around you, and you will be rewarded with some stunning architecture which reflects the town's rich heritage and history. Thanks to local author Caroline Barnsley, author of South Shields in 50 Buildings (Amberley, £14.99) for the inspiration and many of the pictures.
South Shields Gems
Built in 1857 for bankers Messrs Dale Young and Co, this magnificently-curved building on the corner of King Street and Fowler Street has been a bank ever since. It's one of our favourite buildings.
It has divided opinion since work started on it in 2010. With its sloped front representing the prow of a ship pointing at the river, it's definitely grown on us.
Stroll down Mill Dam and look left before you turn to the Customs House and you'll see this late Victorian curved terrace, which was converted to apartments in the 1980s.
Look up as you pass under the Metro bridge as you head down King Street, and you'll see this marvellous building, originally the Edinburgh Bakery, built in the 1880s.
This Grade II-listed building, in Charlotte Terrace, at the bottom of Westoe Road, is a great example of a late Victorian pub, built in 1898 by South Shields architect John Wardle Donald.
Built for town clerk Joseph Mason Moore in 1881, Harton Hall was originally much bigger, but parts appear to have been demolished for Moore Avenue to be built.
Built by public subscription in 1873, to mark Robert Ingham's retirement as the town's first MP. It closed in 1990 and is now used for residential purposes.
Now a pub, this was one of the grandest buildings in the town when it opened in 1869 as the Marine School. It originally had on observatory on top, but this was removed in 1979 before renovation.
Housed at Nos 101-103 King Street, this ornate Renaissance Palazzao-style building was designed by architect J.D. Kitson and completed in 1913. Look up or you'll probably miss it!
