Tuesday 7 June 2005. I was attending a meeting of Jisc Regional Support Centres - a service set up to support Further Education colleges in their use of Information Technology.
A colleague from the North West region (there were nine regions covering the UK including one in Northern Ireland, two in Scotland and one in Wales) was following me across the country as she had never been this way before and wanted to see the Angel of the North sculpture. Our route to Tynemouth took us right past it so we stopped for a quick look before carrying on to Tynemouth to meet the other team representatives for an evening meal.
We were all staying at the Grand Hotel Tynemouth. It was built in 1872 by the Duke of Northumberland as a summer house for the Duchess and converted five years later into a hotel. The hotel claims it as the original luxury hotel in Tynemouth and so it may well have been. The grand staircase is especially worthy of mention. At one point the hotel proprietor was named Tom Tickle. Described as genial, I suppose that his life could have been made a misery had he not been genial!
I'm not sure who it was that took this one, as I can see myself peering out from halfway down the right hand side! I do remember it was Matt's birthday.
The next morning dawned sunny and bright and for some reason I decided to get up and go for a walk along the seafront before breakfast.
On the headland of Pen Bal Crag there are the ruins of both a castle and an earlier priory which dates from the 7th century. In the year 651 CE King Oswain of Deira (south Northumbria) was killed by men of King Oswiu of Bernicia (north Northumbria). King Oswain's body was buried at Tynemouth and he was later beatified as St Oswin. He was the first of three kings to be buried here at Tynemouth.
The second was King Osred II of Northumbria. His rule had been somewhat short. He became king in 789 and was deposed in 790. He was murdered in 792 which brought to an end any thoughts he may have had of regaining his crown...
The third king to be buried here was King Malcolm III of Scotland, the same mostly known today for his featuring in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. He was killed at the Battle of Alnwick in 1093 and was brought to the priory for burial but later sent back to be reburied in Scotland. Tynemouth's coat of arms is three crowns, in remembrance of the three kings once buried at the priory.
A castle of eathworks and wooden stockade was believed to have existed not long after the Norman invasion. Robert de Mowbray who had killed Malcolm III of Scotland at Alnwick, subsequently rebelled against William II and took refuge from William's siege in the castle in 1095. The siege lasted for two months but de Mowbray escaped to Bamburgh castle for a while, returned to Tynemouth and was captured when William retook the castle and was charged with treason, being imprisoned for the rest of his life.
In 1296 the Prior was granted permission to surround the priory with stone walls which kept Robert the Bruce at bay in 1314. A gatehouse and barbican were built in 1390 facing the land and 3,200 feet (975.3 metres) of walls still exist despite the seaward north side and east side falling into the sea and indeed much of the south side being demolished.
Looking down the town's streets.
The mouth of the River Tyne. From here it is 8 miles (13 kilometres) to Newcastle upon Tyne with which city Tynemouth was long in dispute over shipping rights on the river.
The Collingworth Monument is dedicated to Lord Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood (26 September 1748 - 7 March 1810). He was Admiral Nelson's second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805 and his ship, the Royal Sovereign was the first to engage the enemy, having been fitted with a new copper on its underside which gave it an advantage of speed. It was an hour before any other British ship came close enough to fire a gun. On Nelson's death he became Commander-in-Chief of the British fleet. He was created Baron Collingwood, of Caldburne in November 1805.
Born and educated in Newcastle, his home was in nearby Morpeth at Collingwood House. The monument is 23 feet tall (7 metres) and was completed in 1845. Four years later the four cannon were added. They came from Collingwood's old ship, the Royal Sovereign.
By now I was definitely ready for a spot of breakfast! Walking back I passed the wooden building and watch tower of the Life Brigade Watch House.
