Penshaw Staithes

Approximate location / Grid Reference: NZ31399 54096.

Google Maps: approximate location: 54.880699,-1.512144

The community of Penshaw Staithes was located on the south bank of the River Wear, just east of Fatfield and dates from the time when coal was brought down to the River Wear by waggonway (horse drawn, later mechanised) and loaded onto keel boats for onward transportation down-river to the port of Sunderland. By the 1790's, 25 local pits were supplying coal to 10 staithes on the Wear near Penshaw to load keel boats. For further information, please refer to the "The Keelmen" page of this site.

At the time of the 1737 Mark Burleigh map (below), this area was marked as "Mr Tempest's Ground" and a number of staithes were already well established at what was to become known as Penshaw Staithes. The wagonways that supplied some of these staithes also fed staithes located at the bend in the river to the east of the map. It was close to here that The Bird in Bush public house would later be built and which is visible on the 1889 map - see below.

Above: 1737 map by Mark Burleigh

The coal industry brought with it not only miners at the pits but keelmen, wagoners and men employed in the many industries linked to coal such as the lamp black works at Penshaw Staithes themselves. Here, coal dust was turned into 'blacking' which was used for purposes such as cleaning leather.

Coal was transported to the river down what is now Station Road and also Beatrice Terrace. Today's modern roads are the successors to the waggonway marked on the 1889 map below as "Londonderry Railway" after Lord Londonderry, the land - and coal - owner. Station Road follows the course of what was once known as Waggon Hill, decending from Penshaw Bank Top. In fact the area between Mount Pleasant and Whitefield Colliery at Penshaw was known as Wagon Hill because that was the course of the wagonway. The current road bridge at Fatfield was opened in 1890 and Station Road was constructed at this time and it was observed that its construction would greatly speed up the travel time between Houghton-le-Spring and Newcastle.

On this 1889 map, the course of Station Road is just visible at the foot of the map, just below Painshaw Tile Works. Near this point, the main branch of the waggonway continues in a straight line down to the river where "coal staithes" are marked and another branches off to the right to terminate near the riverside - and Penshaw Staithes.

Above: 1826 map by John Rennie

Above: 1889 Map, Penshaw Staithes

Above: Penshaw Staithes, 1896

Above: Penshaw Staithes, 1920

Workshops, houses and a whole community were established at Penshaw Staithes to accommodate the workmen and their families. A few photographs exit, but tend to be have been taken from the north side of the river, at a distance:

Above: Taken from approximately the north side of Fatfield Bridge looking south east, Penshaw Staithes is in the centre of the photograph. The row of terraced houses on the right is East Bridge Street, built later at a right-angle to the buildings at Penshaw Staithes which stood on either side of the approaching waggonway. Compare the above picture to the modern picture below.

Above: Taken from the Dog Hole area looking up-river, Penshaw Staithes is visible on the left. The fenced area bottom-left is the western perimeter of the Bird in Bush public house

Above: looking towards the river Wear at Penshaw Staithes down the course of the old wagonway

Above: The Penshaw Staithes area of the river today