Going back a few weeks, Gareth was in the Freeman Hospital and I needed to escape. I took the metro round to Tynemouth – and we cannot visit the church without admiring the station first. Pevsner says “1882 by William Bell for the North Eastern Railway Company.” Bell was the architect, Harrison the engineer – and they built a stunning station. It is huge – built to cope with the excursion traffic. A few years ago it was pretty derelict – it is far too large for the needs of the metro. Recent renovation is superb. More information here. (For the first station in the town click here). Every weekend it houses a wonderful market – bookstalls, junk stalls, tee shirts, food, flowers … – the market is a great deal better than their website.
Holy Saviour church is just up the road from the station – NZ365696 – 1839-41 by John and Benjamin Green. It was built for the Duke of Northumberland and Pevsner says “the interior … shows the quality of the patronage” – in other words, he had plenty of money. I arrived at the end of their Christmas Coffee morning as part of their Christmas Tree Festival. Nice glass, huge organ, lots of lovely trees, and a nice welcome. Just what I needed. Good church website.
The rest of Tynemouth is a pleasant little town, and I really must visit the Castle and Priory – why does one visit English Heritage properties a long way from home, but ignore the ones on our doorstep? However all the cafes and most of the shops are wheelchair inaccessible – not good in the 21st century.