After its dissolution in 1539, the site, lands etc. of Tynemouth Priory were leased for 21 years to Sir Thomas Hilton. The property included "four Salt pannes, in the tenure of Thomas Johns, John Robinson, ... Wedell, widow, and William Davye, in Lez Shelths and in Tynemouth, which were in the occupation of the late Prior of the said late Monastery;...", though Hilton was not accountable for their rent of $10 13s 4d. There continued to be salt pans here into the post-medieval period, and they were presumably located close to the river's edge. Dated C16th.

"Mention is made of coal mines belonging to the priory at Merden, or Marden, in 1316 (sic)...", though the prior's coal workings at Marden are said to have been destroyed in 1315 by a Scottish army which actually got as far as the priory. Dated C14th.

"Allusion is made in an assize roll of 1293 to the bridge by St. Leonard's hospital, a precursor of the modern Spital dene bridge. There was at that time no other passage across the Pow burn...". NCH cites another reference to "Spittle Bridge" in 1718 so it presumably continued in existence from the C13. It is not mentioned by Jervoise. It lay (lies) under the road along the south side of Tynemouth Golf Course, just west of the early railway. Dated C13th.

"Early records show that coal was worked in Tynemouth during the latter part of the thirteenth century, and that the monks were then already deriving an income from collieries there". After its dissolution in 1539, the site, lands etc. of Tynemouth Priory were leased for 21 years to Sir Thomas Hilton. His account of 1538-39 includes in the list of property "a Mine of Coal in Tynemouth, which at the time of the dissolution was in the Prior's own possession", and was worth $2 6s 8d. There is no clue as to its location. Dated C13th.

In an account of a gaol delivery at Tynemouth in 1290 there is reference to the market cross where, "sitting upon its steps, the justices read their warrant for the third time...". The cross stood in the village outside the monastery, being shown on a C16 map at the head of Front Street near the priory gatehouse. Dated C13th.

There is reference in 1582 to "the kepinge of a continuall light in the night season at the easte ende of the churche of Tinmouthe castle, as in former times had ben, for the more safegarde of such shippes as should passe by that coast". The light consisted of "a fire made of coals, burnt probably in an open brazier upon the top of one of the two turrets flanking the east end of the presbytery of the priory church". It was probably lit only at half-tide when the water was deep enough for ships to enter the Tyne, and this arrangement continued until 1659 when the stairs to the top of the turret collapsed. Five years later it was replaced by a stone tower (SMR 730). {1} It is not known when the light at Tynemouth Castle was established but there is reference to it in 1581-2 to 'the kepinge of a continuall light in the night season at the easte ende of the churche of Tinmouthe Castle, as in former times had ben' (Acts of the Privy Council, 1581-2, p. 306). Unlike the candle lights at Shields (SMR 4556 and 4557), it was a coal fire burnt in an open brazier on the top of one of the two turrets at the east end of the priory church. It was a private light, not maintained by the Trinity House but by the captain of Tynemouth Castle, who by agreement with the Trinity House, collected the lightage dues. The first known owner of the light was Henry, eighth earl of Northumberland. {2}

In 1664 Colonel Villiers, governor of Tynemouth Castle, built a new lighthouse at the north-east corner of the castle promontory. A free-standing structure, this was a replacement for the beacon which had previously burnt on a turret of the priory church. An 18th century view shows it to have been a stepped tower, presumably of stone, of 3-4 stages (perhaps square, hexagonal, octagonal) beneath a conical roof. The light was provided by coals burnt in an iron basket. This tower survived until c. 1775 when it was partly or wholly taken down and rebuilt. {1} In 1664 Colonel Villiers, the governor of the castle obtained a grant of 1s toll from every English ship and 3s from every foreign ship for the maintenance of the light, and built a new lighthouse at the north-east corner of the Castle promontory. From the Villiers family it passed to their relatives the Fowkes. In 1775 the old tower was rebuilt. In 1802 a revolving oil lamp with reflectors was installed in place of the coal fire. The lighthouse was purchased from William Fowke by the London trinity House in 1836, and was pulled down in 1898 after the building of new lighthouses at St. Mary's Island (SMR 1037) and Souter Point (SMR 2489) {5}.

"...a polished stone axe-head from Earsdon..." was received in 1932 by the forerunner of the Museum of Antiquities in an exchange of material with the Hancock Museum. There is no information about its original discovery. The Museum Records report it to be of quartz dolerite; Miket's dimensions (not quite the same as the museum's) are: length 134 mm, width 62 mm, thickness 34 mm. He also notes that it is pitted on both faces and with a facetted edge.

A small polished stone axe-head, with a narrow butt, "was found in 1961 in digging a back garden at 19 Barrington Avenue, Marden, Tynemouth...and remained in private possession. It was 120 mm in length and 57 mm in maximum breadth. Hand examination suggested that it was a Langdale product and had been reworked".

In 1967 a sandstone boulder carrying a runic inscription was seen close to the cliff face and just north of a sewer outlet at the Cullercoats end of Tynemouth Long Sands. It was possible to examine it in 1968, and the translated Scandinavian inscription read '(personal name ending in "-rik"?) raised (the) stone(s) good luck Alawin'. It was concluded to be a forgery, both on linguistic grounds, and because the boulder was weathered but the inscription was not, in spite of its lying below the normal high tide mark.