The River Tyne
The River Tyne is one of the major rivers in northeast England; it is basically the confluence of two rivers, the North Tyne and the South Tyne, these two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed ‘The Meeting of the Waters’.
The North Tyne rises on the Scottish border, a bit north of Kielder: it flows through the Kielder Forest and runs through the village of Bellingham before reaching Hexham. The South Tyne rises on Alston Moor, Cumbria and runs through the towns of Haltwhistle and Haydon Bridge, along a valley known as the Tyne Gap. The Tyne River runs straight through the city of Newcastle and this is what has resulted in Newcastle’s status as a huge shipbuilding centre.
There are a total of six bridges running over the River Tyne along its length.
To the west of the more famous Tyne Bridge, the High Level Bridge crosses the river; this bridge was opened in 1849 and was the first road and railway bridge; the next bridge is the famous Swing Bridge and is situated between the Tyne and the High Level bridges. The other bridges are much smaller – these simple crossings over the Tyne River are unusual fo
r being lit up at night in rural areas.
Due to the proximity of the Tyne to the coalfields of England, it was a major transportation route for coal from the 12th century until the end days of the coal industry in the 20th century; in order to facilitate the shipbuilding industries, the Tyne River had to be dredged and deepened to allow for the passage of larger ships.
The Tyne Salmon Trail, along the North Tyne, will serve as a celebration of the river, its heritage and its increasingly diverse ecosystem when completed sometime in 2010.
The Tyne is historically a major symbol in the regional identity of the North East of England and especially the city of Newcastle.
The river plays hosts to a plethora of different species of animals – the number of creatures making their home on the Tyne is growing year by year as a result of the rivers improving health.
There is also a group for the protection of the Tyne called the Tyne Rivers Trust. The Trust, established in 2004, is a community based organisation that works to improve the habitat of native species, promote better understanding of the Tyne catchment area and build the reputation of the Tyne catchment as a place of environmental excellence.
r being lit up at night in rural areas.Due to the proximity of the Tyne to the coalfields of England, it was a major transportation route for coal from the 12th century until the end days of the coal industry in the 20th century; in order to facilitate the shipbuilding industries, the Tyne River had to be dredged and deepened to allow for the passage of larger ships.
The Tyne Salmon Trail, along the North Tyne, will serve as a celebration of the river, its heritage and its increasingly diverse ecosystem when completed sometime in 2010.
The Tyne is historically a major symbol in the regional identity of the North East of England and especially the city of Newcastle.
The river plays hosts to a plethora of different species of animals – the number of creatures making their home on the Tyne is growing year by year as a result of the rivers improving health.
There is also a group for the protection of the Tyne called the Tyne Rivers Trust. The Trust, established in 2004, is a community based organisation that works to improve the habitat of native species, promote better understanding of the Tyne catchment area and build the reputation of the Tyne catchment as a place of environmental excellence.
The Tyne Rivers Trust also wishes to enhance the reputation of the preserved bridges and other sites along the length of the North and South Tyne, along with encouraging general tourism of the Northeast portion of England.