BornYesterday Images now and then

A glimpse through time

South Shields

An historic market town at the mouth of the Tyne

Market Place
St Hilda's Church
King Street

Market Place

Old Town Hall 1900

Old Town Hall 2007

The market square was laid out in the 1760's but it was not paved until 1834. It was once a thriving busy part of the town where people would gather.

The town hall was commissioned in 1768 to provide offices and to give shelter to the market traders, it was one of the few buildings left undamaged after the air raid of 1941, which left most of the market place in ruins.

Today the market square is still bustling but to market traders.

St Hilda's Church

St. Hilda's Church 1898

St.Hilda's Church 2007

It has been said that there has been a church on this area or near to it for over 1300 years, when in the early 1700's the church was rebuilt and since then extended many times.

The churchyard was once a much larger place but with road widening a lot of the outer areas of the churchyard and graves have been lost.

It too was a casualty of the heavy air raid of 1941 when it lost a lot of it's historic memorial windows.

King Street

As you walk down King Street today you will be impressed to see as you look up at the skyline, a lot of the old buildings still standing, the shops though have changed many times.

In an old photograph of Fowler & Brock in 1900 you can see the ladies and gentlemen of that time queuing up for their summer sale. The store started trading in 1892 and was later taken over in 1927 and developed into Binns. Binns closed its doors on 1st July 1995 being demolished in April 1997 where several new shops were built in its place.

Fowler & Brock 1900

2007

Notice the chimneys, the link between the photographs of King Street/corner of Salem Street in 1898.

King Street 1898

2007

On the Photo of King Street 1883 you can see Croftons on the corner, on the left. It was burned to the ground in a fire in the 1890's only to be severely damaged again in the bombing raid of 1941. Next to Croftons, going up King Street was Woolworths which opened in 1921 taking over the site of Fenwicks which had been there since 1830. It too was destroyed in the raid. A new replacement shop opened 9 years later in 1950. Woolworths is still there today.

King Street 1883

King Street 2007

You will notice the cars driving down King Street, it later became pedestrianized in 1985.

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