Railway line from the North Eastern Railway, South Shields Branch, (SMR 2288) to the Brandling Staiths, (SMR 2344).

Brick Field, in South Shields. Is the Brickworks on Claypath Lane listed by Davison? 1875. Manufacturer in 1871 W Alderson.
(Source: Davison, P J, 1986. Brickworks of the North East, 120, 122 site 3.)

Water Works, the extent of the site is unclear from the 1st edition OS mapping.

Glass Works.

Ballast Hill. Many ships coming to the Tyne to load coal entered the river 'light' or 'in ballast'. This means that no cargo was being carried. In the absence of cargo, the ballast gives the vessel stability. Ships returning from London coal voyages often carried shingle or chalk as ballast. Sand and other materials were also used. Over the centuries, great hills of ballast grew along both banks of the Tyne. There were substantial ballast hills near Bill Point Walker, Willington Quay, Hebburn, Jarrow and North and South Shields. Ships were charged fees to unload their ballast. By the early 1820s this was about 20p per ton. To avoid the fee some masters resorted to the dangerous act of discharging ballast before entering harbour. One estimate suggests that some 20% of all imported ballast ended up in the river, risking the Tyne silting up..

Soda Works, South Shields.

St. Hilda's Wagonway, connected St. Hilda's Colliery (SMR 2355) to the Templetown Wagonway (SMR 2449). It was built in 1822 by the Brandlings and eventually became part of the Harton Colliery Railway. The line was modernised during the 1890s and electrified in 1908 {2}. This interesting mineral railway is now disused over its entire length. The track from Hilda Hole exchange sidings (NZ 356 663) between St. Hilda's wagonway and Brandling Railway[?] main line to Harton High Staith (SMR 2236) being dismantled {3}.

St. Hilda's Colliery was served by St. Hilda's Wagonway (HER 2356) and by a Ballast Railway (HER 2427). Shaft first sunk in 1822 by Robert and John William Brandling. Associated was Church or New Engine Pit which was sunk in 1825. The Colliery opened in 1825. Later owners were from the 1850s, William Blackett, N. Wood, Anderson and Philipson, then Wood Blackett & Co, then Harton Coal Company. An explosion on 31 May 1817 killed 5 miners. The mine holds a significant position in the development of ventilation, lighting and safety in the mines. Following another gas explosion in 1839, which killed 51 miners, an inquest found that the disaster had resulted from the use of lighted candles in the mine and recommended that their use should be abolished. A 'Committee for the Investigation of Accidents in Mines' was formed in South Shields shortly afterwards, the report from which considered the relative merits of the various safety lamps and went some way towards improving the safety of mines. St. Hilda's Colliery worked throughout C19. New structures were constructed on the surface in the late 19th century and further building took place in the early 20th century when the structures at the pit head were altered and a new pumping engine house, which still survives, was constructed adjacent to the shaft. In 1910/11 Westoe Colliery was sunk, approx. 1km from St. Hilda's, with the intention of working reserves under the sea and the shaft acted as a man-riding shaft for St. Hilda's until 1940 until the winding of coal from St. Hilda's stopped - principally due to dwindling markets and contracts resulting from the war. After the war mining recommenced, based largely at Westoe Colliery, working the undersea coal. The St. Hilda shaft was utilised as an upcast shaft and emergency escape route. A crew was kept on to maintain and man the pumps for ventilation. The amount of buildings was reduced on the St Hilda's site and a small electric motor was installed to work the shaft. Westoe Colliery closed in 1993 so the need to maintain the shaft and buildings ended. The pumping engine house at St Hilda's had been partially renovated in 1989 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the disaster. The remaining buildings on the site (the colliery head stocks) were listed grade 2 in 1990 {4}. The head stocks building was recorded in 2017 ahead of use as a community space.

Swinburne's Brick Field. Swinburne's Brick Field.
1861
(Source: Davison, P J, 1986. Brickworks of the North East, 122 site 2.)

This station was originally the northern terminus of the Brandling Junction Railway after it had been extended in 1842 (SMR 2288). In 1864 the North Eastern Railway closed this station and replaced it with one at Mile End Road (SMR 2462) {2}. The original Brandling Junction Railway South Shields station was situated near to Messrs. Brandling's coal drops (Harton High Staiths) and was a considerable distance from the town. Quite a large sum of money was spent on the land and buildings, despite the fact that the station on that site was not intended to be permanent. There was only one room in the station house for the accommodation of waiting passengers. As early as 28th February 1840, the Directors reported to the company's shareholders that land had been purchased near to the Market Place at South Shields "where a most convenient station will be formed". It seems fairly certain that the plans for the Market Place extension, including the passenger station building, a goods shed and an engine shed, were prepared under Nicholas Wood's direction. On 21st August 1841 Nicholas Wood reported that considerable progress had been made, and the hope was expressed that the line would be completed before winter. Owing to unexpected difficulties in obtaining possession of part of the land, progress was delayed for about a year. However, at the end of 1842 Joseph Colthurst could at last announce that, "all the principal works on this branch are completed…. The brickwork, masonry and roofing to the station is finished, and the whole will be ready in the latter end of this month". In fact the Market Place station was opened on 17th December 1842, and thus preceded the Felling station (SMR 1013) by a few weeks. The Market Place passenger station was closed on 2nd June 1879 when a new section of railway was completed from High Shields station to meet the former Stanhope and Tyne Railway at Garden Lane junction, and the present station was opened at Mile End Road. The rails remained in situ alongside the platform at the Market Place Station until 1970. The station buildings and the massive stone pillars at the Station Road entrance are still more or less intact, and have been occupied by a garage firm for a good many years {3}.