3. The Leas, the Cleadon Hills and Temple Park
The Leas is an open space of grasses between the A183 Coast Road at the Groyne, South Shields and the Souter Lighthouse at Marsden, and includes the site of the former village which I have included in the section under History. The Leas are several kilometres in length with a width which varies from 500 meters to under 50.
The land is now the responsibility of the National Trust handed over by South Tyneside Council to prevent possible use for other purposes in the future and because maintenance had proved a cost problem. First impression when driving along the coast road is of a flat surface whereas there are different levels nearer the cliff edge and in parts the grass is left coarse because of wild flowers.
There is a full length gravel cycle path and bicycles can be hired for half or a full day with protective gear, from the information centre on the promenade by the covered walk way. There is roadside parking along most of the length of the Leas and off road car parks at Marsden Bay. There is also parking beach side between Gypsies Green Sports Ground and Trow Rocks which is reached by a road from the Coast Road which also takes one to the former Water's Edge Restaurant and Bar.
At Trow Point there is the gun emplacement on the highest point with commanding views of the South Shields beach and the mouth of the Tyne and here rock has been quarried but is now grassed over.
The cliffs are dangerous from crumbling rocks and there are clear markings which should be strictly adhered to. Within view of each other there are red signs each numbered for the purposes of summoning help in an emergency and at more frequent intervals there are simple benches with a plaque, donated by family or friends. Each one tells a story and it is good to sit and think about the lives remembered, some short, some on behalf of those who moved away from the area, while others were regular walkers through their long lifetimes.
There are three Leas, Trow, Frenchman's and Marsden. There are Housing developments on the other side of the Coast Road and above the bank for a short distance after the junction with the A1300,and then there is a banked mobile home site, the former Lime Kilns and a working Quarry. Behind this area of coast there is a vast area of almost continuous countryside with two adjacent golf courses, the Whitburn and the South Shields courses, active agricultural land, and the protected Cleadon Hill nature reserve from which there are panoramic views across Sunderland to the South and into Durham to the West and across Gateshead and Newcastle into Northumberland to the North West. There is then the Cleadon Parkland as part of the Cleadon Park residential area although from the Cleadon Hills through Agricultural land there is direct access to the vast usually deserted area of Temple Park, a space lager than Green or St James Park in London but left as a natural space with trees and shrubs although there is a lighted walkway and off the main inland road between South Shields and Sunderland there is an indoor Swimming Pool, three large indoor sports courts and a range of other indoor leisure facilities as well as outside all weather pitches and a skate board area.
There is continuing controversy about the purpose of Temple Memorial Park, especially since a fire station was built at the road side opposite the entrance to the General Hospital. There is a commitment not to build housing, business or industrial premises although making better use of the space for recreational purposes would seem sensible as there were only one or two other people when I went for walking breaks while visiting my mother at the hospital.
This volume closes with five pages of photographs of the Leas. Three further pages, and photographs of the area of Cleadon Hill, the Italianate former Waterworks' Tower and pumping station and Temple Park will open the second volume of Rivera 2007.
The Leas is an open space of grasses between the A183 Coast Road at the Groyne, South Shields and the Souter Lighthouse at Marsden, and includes the site of the former village which I have included in the section under History. The Leas are several kilometres in length with a width which varies from 500 meters to under 50.
The land is now the responsibility of the National Trust handed over by South Tyneside Council to prevent possible use for other purposes in the future and because maintenance had proved a cost problem. First impression when driving along the coast road is of a flat surface whereas there are different levels nearer the cliff edge and in parts the grass is left coarse because of wild flowers.
There is a full length gravel cycle path and bicycles can be hired for half or a full day with protective gear, from the information centre on the promenade by the covered walk way. There is roadside parking along most of the length of the Leas and off road car parks at Marsden Bay. There is also parking beach side between Gypsies Green Sports Ground and Trow Rocks which is reached by a road from the Coast Road which also takes one to the former Water's Edge Restaurant and Bar.
At Trow Point there is the gun emplacement on the highest point with commanding views of the South Shields beach and the mouth of the Tyne and here rock has been quarried but is now grassed over.
The cliffs are dangerous from crumbling rocks and there are clear markings which should be strictly adhered to. Within view of each other there are red signs each numbered for the purposes of summoning help in an emergency and at more frequent intervals there are simple benches with a plaque, donated by family or friends. Each one tells a story and it is good to sit and think about the lives remembered, some short, some on behalf of those who moved away from the area, while others were regular walkers through their long lifetimes.
There are three Leas, Trow, Frenchman's and Marsden. There are Housing developments on the other side of the Coast Road and above the bank for a short distance after the junction with the A1300,and then there is a banked mobile home site, the former Lime Kilns and a working Quarry. Behind this area of coast there is a vast area of almost continuous countryside with two adjacent golf courses, the Whitburn and the South Shields courses, active agricultural land, and the protected Cleadon Hill nature reserve from which there are panoramic views across Sunderland to the South and into Durham to the West and across Gateshead and Newcastle into Northumberland to the North West. There is then the Cleadon Parkland as part of the Cleadon Park residential area although from the Cleadon Hills through Agricultural land there is direct access to the vast usually deserted area of Temple Park, a space lager than Green or St James Park in London but left as a natural space with trees and shrubs although there is a lighted walkway and off the main inland road between South Shields and Sunderland there is an indoor Swimming Pool, three large indoor sports courts and a range of other indoor leisure facilities as well as outside all weather pitches and a skate board area.
There is continuing controversy about the purpose of Temple Memorial Park, especially since a fire station was built at the road side opposite the entrance to the General Hospital. There is a commitment not to build housing, business or industrial premises although making better use of the space for recreational purposes would seem sensible as there were only one or two other people when I went for walking breaks while visiting my mother at the hospital.
This volume closes with five pages of photographs of the Leas. Three further pages, and photographs of the area of Cleadon Hill, the Italianate former Waterworks' Tower and pumping station and Temple Park will open the second volume of Rivera 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment