mmChronic and I saw a mystery object floating up the Tyne the other day. And no, it wasn't a brown shark, as it flowed against the tide. We figure it was a sea monster. Anyways, the Sea Monster was floating past a place where there used to be an island called Kings Meadows. The Island existed until the 1860's, until it was dredged to allow shipping upriver, and bigger ships to be launched from the yards on the Newcastle side of the Tyne. What price progress, eh? We would've had another pub to go to at lunchtime if it wasn't for those pesky industrialists!
"this area was a rural riverscape, the main feature being the King's Meadows a 30 acre island. Complete with a Pub, the Countess of Coventry, the island was a popular festival venue for horse racing and regattas and the landlady kept cows to supply the village of Elswick with milk."It's where they used to have the Blaydon Races you know? Fascinating facts... ;)
2 comments:
Did you see that bit about Riverscape wanting to reconstruct the island? We'll have to do our bit and throw a handful of mud into the river everyday when we go for food/beer. Then claim it for New Links and set up a tax haven. Or something.
Re the pesky industrialists: we may have lost an island because of them but we also gained Jesmond Dene. Yay for philanthropic squillionaires!
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