Dunston Staiths

Dunston Staiths were built by the North Eastern Railway in two stages; the first staith with three berths was opened in 1893. A second similar staith was opened in 1903, immediately to the south, and a basin dug out of the riverbank to service it. There are six berths, and loading can be carried out at any state of the tide; three electric conveyors and twelve gravity spouts. Record yearly shipment was 5½ million tonnes. The second set of staiths was taken down to the top of the piles in the 1970s and then further dismantled in the 1980s. However, the majority of the structure survived intact and was restored for the Gateshead National Garden Festival in 1990.

The staiths were constructed of, generally, 13 inch x 13 inch pitch pine, jointed with bolts and straps in the usual openwork construction. The structure was in three parts; a substructure of piles driven into the mud on which were superimposed trestles, braced in both directions creating 98 frames at approximately 5.3m. Centres, and above this ran double thickness longitudinal timbers supporting a deck and track beams. The deck sloped at a gradient of 1 in 85 down toward the landward. The staiths were the last working timber staiths on the Tyne. They were severely damaged by fire during the night of 19/20 November 2003.

Old Photos of Dunston Staiths

This image 'is looking north over the staiths, seemingly without any colliers waiting attendance; the west end of Newcastle in the background.'
(Image from 1980)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo taken from Dunston Staiths, looking towards Dunston and the CWS Soap Works (on the left of the picture). This image 'shows the reduced inner staith and the complete outer staith, at the time of the Garden Festival.'
View from the northeast.
(Image from October 1990)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of Dunston Staiths and Dunston village.
View from the northeast.
(Image from July 1986)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of Dunston Staiths.
View from the northeast.
(Image from August 1972)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo taken between the two Dunston Staiths, prior to the basin-side staith being dismantled to pile level.
View from the southwest.
(Image from August 1974)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of a ship loading at Dunston Staiths.
View from the northeast.
(Image from August 1972)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of a couple of ships loading at Dunston Staiths, with the Redheugh Gasworks and Bensham in the background.
View from the west.
(Image from July 1974)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo taken between the two Dunston Staiths, prior to the basin-side staith being dismantled to pile level.
View from the southwest.
(Image from August 1974)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo looking along the length of Dunston Staiths.
View from the east.
(Image from October 1990)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo looking down the length of Dunston Staiths towards the CWS Soap Works.
View from the east.
(Image from October 1990)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of the excavated inner basin at Dunston Staiths, with the derelict retort house of Redheugh Gasworks in the background.
View from the west.
(Image from August 1974)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of a ship loading at Dunston Staiths (with parts of the Redheugh Gasworks visible in the background) taken from Elswick Wharf.
View from the north.
(Image from August 1972)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo of a train atop Dunston Staiths, taken from Elswick Wharf.
View from the northeast.
(Image from August 1972)
©SINE Project

Landscape photo looking over the rail deck of Dunston Staiths.
View from the southwest.
(Image from August 1974)
©SINE Project

Landscape photograph of Dunston Staiths, Gateshead.
View from the northeast.
(Image from August 1974)
©SINE Project

More information
SINE Project, Structure Details for Dunston Staiths. This site has a timeline, structure details and a nice collection of photos from the past.