Hunt for relatives of those who drowned in Hebburn's industrial lakes

Hebburn resident, Vikki Holt, of Mill Lane, began looking into the history of the town’s industrial lakes just over a month ago, having always harboured a fascination with the sites.

Dating back to the 1800s, the four lakes stretched from Campbell Park Road to where the Mill Tavern pub is now located, on the land now home to Hebburn Comprehensive School, Hebburn Lakes and St James R C Primary School.

The lakes, along with 20 industrial ponds across Hebburn, were popular spots for ice-skating in the winter.

Vikki has so far uncovered 85 victims who drowned, before the lakes were drained in the late 1950s-60s after tragic events shook the town.

In January 1956, four young boys aged between three and four-years-old drowned after playing on the ice near Lindisfarne Road, despite residents’ attempts to save them. Their deaths caused an outcry, with thousands signing a petition calling for the council to drain the waters.

But according to Vikki, there are many more tragedies which are less known. Her earliest records date back to 1875 and include two sisters who died in 1903, a soldier who took his own life in 1916, and three other young children in the 1940s.

“We all grew up with stories about the lakes, so I’ve always been fascinated with them,” said Vikki, a driving instructor by day.

“When I saw some of the tragedies that had happened, I thought these people deserve to have their stories told.”

With the help of local history groups and old newspaper archives, Vikki is compiling a database to tell the stories of the victims, with the hopes of publishing it and passing it onto local schools.

The Friends of Hebburn Cemetery group also want to organise a memorial bench dedicated to all the victims of Hebburn’s industrial waters.

“Lots of people in Hebburn have got a story,” added Vikki.

“It would be nice to have them all recorded, to share the memories with the younger generation, before they are lost.”

Anyone with any memories or stories of Hebburn’s industrial waters can contact [email protected]