River Wall west of Swing Bridge

The stone river wall immediately west of the Swing Bridge on south bank of River Tyne is possibly the only length of the river's edge within the historic core areas of Newcastle and Gateshead which has not been rebuilt to form a more substantially engineered river wall. It is important because it is constructed in direct relationship to historic building plots and individual buildings rising from the mud shore at the river's edge is an important survival indicative of the early pattern of development of the riverside community. The length along the River Police Station is of coursed ashlar of varying course heights, with bold concrete coping and a modern 20th century handrail. Furthe rdownstream, where the Fountain Inn used to be it is a rubble wall of smallish stone topped by two or three courses of later, much larger squared stones. This ppears to be the oldest section. The form and construction of the quay walls at this (downstream) end appear to be directly related to the construction of the Fountain Inn (formerly a Quaker meeting house) and a three storey warehouse which stood two building plots to the west of the inn.