Out & About in South Shields

Ideal South Shields Guest House Location

There is such a lot to tell you about the attractions of South Shields that the first problem is - where to start. Given the number of families that stay in our Guest House here in South Shields, we thought we would start this section of the website with some details of interest for children in South Shields. All of the attractions detailed below are within comfortable walking distance of our Guest House on Urfa Terrace in South Shields.

South Shields Beaches.

Little Haven Beach, South Shields
There are two beaches in South Shields. Little Haven beach lies just across the North Marine Park from the Guest House. This pleasant, small beach lies beside the mouth of the river Tyne.

Located beside Little Haven beach is the artistic display - The Conversation Piece. This display is comprised of 22 bronze life-size figures sculpted by the Spanish artist Juan Munoz. South Shields locals call them the weebles because of their circular bases. They are interesting for adults at one level and fascinating for children at another, and they have now become a South Shields landmark.

Sand Haven Beach, South Shields
The larger Sand Haven beach is adjacent to Little Haven and is a huge sandy expanse that runs up to the World War II gun emplacement on the cliffs at the Lees.
Sand Haven beach is very well maintained to blue flag standard by the South Shields Council and is backed by tall sand dunes. It’s a really pleasant experience sitting in the dunes watching the huge ships slide up the river Tyne.

Ocean Beach Pleasure Park, The Amphitheatre, South Shields
Between South Shields two beaches you will find Ocean Beach Pleasure Park. The Pleasure Park first opened in 1897 and has an array of rides and attractions.

Sea Road is a very pleasant promenade that runs the length of Sand Haven Beach. It has an amphitheatre where several free concerts are played in the summer. The South Shields council has invested a considerable sum in upgrading this promenade in the last couple of years.

Cookson Festival, South Shields
South Shields was the birth place of Catherine Cookson and South Shields and the surrounding area is known as Catherine Cookson Country. The Cookson Festival takes place each year, running from early June to late August. The activities include free concerts in the Amphitheatre on Sea Road, brass bands in West Park and open air events in Bents Park, King Street and Sandhaven. Free to attend and organised by South Shields council, the events include well known UK artists and parade that usually represents many different cultures and nationalities.
You can usually pick up a leaflet at the Guest House detailing dates and events.

Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields
The fort was built on a rocky outcrop by the Romans in AD160. It was built as a stronghold to protect the harbour at the mouth of the Tyne and to supply the troops based along Hadrian’s wall.

There was a very strong Roman presence in the immediate area around the Guest House and street names like Fort St, Claudius St, Trajan St, Julian St and Vespasian Ave allude to this connection.

The ruins of Arbeia have been re-constructed and the West Gate and Commander's House buildings have been very realistically rebuilt. They are now used for educational purposes and there are frequent work shops for the children in the summer, with re-enactments giving a true feel for life in those times. Admission is free and Information is usually available in the Guest House regarding opening times.

Please see Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields in our articles section for more details of the fort and the activities of the Arbeia society.

South Shields Ferry Landing Stage
Enjoy the fresh air and take the family across to North Shields to enjoy the famous North Shields Cod & Chips. The South Shields ferry landing stage is a pleasant walk from the Guest House. You will enjoy terrific views of the harbour and the huge ferry ships further down the Tyne. Close to both the North Shields and South Shields Tyne ferry landing stages you will find nice pubs to sit outside and enjoy a refreshment – as neither mum nor dad will be driving…..!!

 

Coming Soon – Attractions for Grown Ups in South Shields

In the next development of the website we will give you details of some of the South Shields attractions for the adults as well as the youngsters.

If you would like to be notified when this South Shields update has been added, please e mail your details to us.

South Shields Guest House Reviews

If you would like to see some reviews of our Guest House written by our guests, please visit Guest House Reviews page