Tyneside Pub Explorations Part 2

I finished the last post striding down the hill from the Seven Stars to catch the Shields ferry.  Turned out I had lots of time to spare before the next crossing, so I could have drank my beer at leisure, could have listened to the whole of Telegraph Road and probably could have squeezed in Sultans of Swing whilst I was at it.

In my humble opinion, the £7.50 Day Pass becomes great value for money once you incorporate the ferry into your travel plans.  I spent ten minutes with a big grin being battered by wind on the upper deck.

On the other side of the Tyne, it was just a short walk from the jetty to the Steamboat.

The Steamboat (27 Mill Dam, South Shields NE33 1EQ)

It's a looker isn't it?

Narrowing to the front on the junction of cobbled streets, with striking ground floor panelled frontage and a decent hanging basket display.

Stepping inside, I found a sturdy cask selection: 'Abbott' for the purists, 'Double Maxim' for the brown ale fans, Castle Eden for anyone wanting a resurrected local brewery, Anarchy the 'craft ale' option with a silly name.

Why am I such a sucker for a silly name?!  My Anarchy 'Jaissle I Can Boogie' was disappointing.  Not in great condition (but not quite bad enough to confidently return) which shouldn't be the case for somewhere with a Telegraph Best Pubs sticker.  It was also my most expensive beer outside of Newcastle centre.

The chap at the jukebox entered a selection heavy on the Insipiral Carpets.
I grabbed a comfy seat and enjoyed the great surroundings more than I did my pale ale.

Moving on, I found my way past the considerable building works of central South Shields to the Metro station where I caught the first train in the direction of Newcastle.
Next stop: Felling.
The original chapel-like original station is much more appealing than the new one - dating back to 1842 this is Tyneside's oldest surviving railway station.

Just a few minutes further down the road is sometime Beer Guide entry the Old Fox, picked by me because it was on the Gateshead Pub Month leaflet that I'd picked up the previous day.

The Old Fox (10-14 Carlisle St, Felling, NE10 0HQ)
The Old Fox started life as the Station Hotel, later becoming known affectionately as 'Herbie's' after 50s landlord Herbie Hardwick.  In more recent years it has become a respected local music venue which explains the spartan furniture and big open space in front of the window ready for the next live act to set up.
I guess you kinda get away it a bit when you're a music venue but, crikey, the Old Fox smelt!
Wet dog, years of beer spilt on the carpet, sweaty blokes (or was that just me?), vintage toilet aroma.  It's just as well Google doesn't offer an immersive experience to capture the sights, sounds and smells.

Of the five cask ales available (Plum Porter, Jarl, Ossett, Anarchy and Wylam) I picked the Wylam 'Magick'.  A pleasant Amarillo hopped pale ale in good condition.
The All American Rejects played from the speakers, the small dog raced around the floor in pursuit of a toy, the locals at the bar put the world to rights.

Nice pub in need of an airing and some shake n vac.
Just a couple of doors down the road is the Wheatsheaf.

The Wheatsheaf (26 Carlisle St, Felling, NE10 0HQ)

This end-of-terrace pub is most notable for the Edwardian Arts & Crafts frontage which was added in a 1907 refurb.  It looks great, especially the recessed doorway behind a pillar and tiled step.

Unfortunately the scaffolders have conspired to foil my pub picture.

And the interior doesn't jump out as a Heritage pub.

The Wheatsheaf couldn't be more different from the Old Fox.  With comfy cushioned bench seating it was bright, airy, and full of cheery folk and chatter.
Once I'd marvelled the CAMRA clock above the bar, I turned my attention to the handpumps: Ossett 'White Rat' and 'Silver King', Allendale Wagtail, Firebrick 'Propa Belta'.

I opted for the local Firebrick, whose tap room I'd hoped to make it to, but time didn't permit.  Just £4 a pint for a tasty session IPA, enjoyed in thoroughly comfortable surroundings.

Back on the Metro I headed straight to Newcastle Central, then under the bridge in search of a micro in a railway arch.

Beer Street (Arch 10 Forth St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3NZ)
Opened in 2018, I thought this was a cracking little bar.
On cask I found a Wiper & True pale ale, the Hadrian Border 'Oktoberfest' which I'd enjoyed in Gateshead the previous day, and some Sureshot murk.
The Sureshot 'Desperate Dan Appreciation Society' for me - on the pricey side, but quite superb.

Just two other customers who instantly struck up a conversation and wanted to know everywhere I'd been.  I don't think they were too impressed with me getting North and South Shields mixed up, but they did seem impressed at how much I'd squeezed in.  They warned me that Newcastle on a weekend night isn't for the faint hearted and has some sights to behold.  Can't be more eye-opening than our walk through Leeds on a Saturday night, surely.
I was recommended the Mosaic Bar (next time) and told to steer clear of the Victoria Comet ("unaffectionately known as the spit and vomit").

The soundtrack was dominated by indie blokes with guitars - The Kooks, The Libertines, The Stone Roses...
I liked it - a great micro that's well worth the short stroll from the central station.

Plus, if you're looking for Newcastle stickers in the WC, I reckon Beer Street is going to take some beating.

More central micro action?
I walked past the Victoria Comet, a Nicolson's that looked absolutely fine to me, then through the central streets to Eldon Square.

I could see the outdoor customers but the entrance to the Wobbly Duck wasn't immediately obvious.  I was in danger of ending up in Salon Sugar by mistake.
Ah-ha, that looks right...

The Wobbly Duck (4 Old Eldon Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7JG)

Wow - a rare PropUptheBar busy pub visit. 
Set down in the basement with wooden barrels as a ceiling, exposed brickwork, and a sepia rustic feel, this micro was full of customers and a hubbub of chatter.
Opened in the summer of 2021, it's actually run by the same folks as Beer Street and the Old Fox, so I was doing a good job of patronising their venues on this day.

The cask choice included beers from Two By Two, Tartarus, Black Jack and two that had come a long way: Verdant and Dorking Brewery.
The stout from Tartarus that I really wanted was declared finished mid-pour, so I ended up with a 'Leap Frog Pale' from Byker local Two By Two.
Which I drank pretty fast because I was wondering if there'd be a glorious sunset from the Free Trade and several people had beady eyes on the stools around a beer barrel where I'd fluked a seat.

One final trip on the Metro to Byker.
Dark clouds to the west and no sunset...

Free Trade Inn (12 St. Lawrence Rd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE6 1AP) 
The Free Trade is an ale-drinkers institution in a magnificent elevated spot above the Tyne. 
This was a Newcastle revisit for me, so no waffle about it.
Comfy, bustling, big choice of beers - from which I picked the great Left Handed Giant / Tileys collab green hopped ale.

Let's go and see where they brew that Two By Two murk...

Two By Two Brewery Taproom (Unit 8, Morley's Yard, Byker, NE6 1PQ)
Two By Two was founded by Rob MacLeod who began by borrowing brewing time at other local micros before setting up a 5-barrel plant of his own in Wallsend in 2014.  Those murky pale ales were popular enough to warrant a doubling in size of the kit in 2018, then a move to the current Byker site in 2022. 

Okay, so sitting on trestle tables in an industrial unit isn't for everyone.
And the beer list was a bit hazy pale heavy.
But - as I've said many a time - I'm a sucker for sitting in a shed by shiny brewing kit and enjoyed coming here for more 'Leap Frog Pale', £4.20 on cask.

You'll also find current Good Beer Guide entry Brinkburn St Brewery just around the corner and the smart and stylish Full Circle Brewery tap room under 10-minutes walk away.  Both visited at other times during my stay in the city.

   

Well, that was a fair loop of the Tyne.
Social clubs, Spoons, micros, a spot of pub heritage, and brewery taps.
And I could do it all over again and pick a completely different set of venues.  Tyneside is great for pubs - pity it's so far away.

Tyneside Pub Explorations

More pub explorations in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne as I set about using the Metro to visit a few areas of the city either side of the river.  My day began with grey skies and showers as I wandered from my hotel to Wetherspoon's The Mile Castle.  By the time I emerged 45-minutes later there was blue sky and sunshine.  Everything is better after a couple of Lavazza coffee refills and a Spoons breakfast.
 
I purchased a £7.50 Day Saver ticket from the machine in the Metro station and set out to make the most of it.

Fist stop: Wallsend.
Four miles from Newcastle, situated - as the name suggests - at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, and home to over 40,000 folk, Wallsend grew as mining and then shipbuilding became the big local employers.
It's also the birthplace of Sting, director Paul W. S. Anderson, and Michael Carrick, who may or may not be manager of Man United by the time I finish writing this post.  

Wallsend doesn't really stand out as a Pub Stop on the Metro, but I'm a sucker for a cinema conversion and The Ritz looked the business.
A double-JDW start to the day!

The Ritz (85-87 High St W, Wallsend NE28 8JD)
The Ritz opened as an ABC cinema in 1939 with seating for 1,636 movie-goers.  It closed in September 1962, the last film shown being  A Kind of Loving starring Alan Bates.  That gets 7.3 on IMDB so I don't think we can blame Alan Bates for the closure
The building then spent 49 years as a bingo hall before Wetherspoon's refurbished the site and opened the pub in 2011. 
Beyond that grand Art Deco frontage is a wind-tunnel patio area with the main entrance set back from the street.  Once inside, it doesn't feel much like an old cinema.

One big room, with a couple of separate sections to the back.  Plenty of customers pre-11am.
I visited whilst the October Beer Fest was in full swing, picking the oatmeal stout brewed by some folk from Oregon whilst they were on holiday in Southwold.  Not bad, but not the best of the festival ales that I got around to trying.
The visible ground floor 'cellar' is an interesting feature on the walk to the toilets...

But I hadn't come all this way to peer through windows at beer barrels or sit in one place ticking the beer festival booklet.
So it wasn't too long before I was back on the Metro, travelling a few stops eastward to Tynemouth.  The glass-roofed station is lovely; the tree-lined streets appealing; the local social club frontage stands out - not necessarily in a good way.

The Tynemouth Social Club (15-16 Front St, Tynemouth, NE30 4DX)
This club began life in a cottage in 1918, then purchased the old Co-Op shop building on the village High Street one year later for the sum of £2,500, where they've remained to this day.  It originally contained a piano, reading room, library and space for lectures.  In recent years the club has obtained a full pub licence, allowing me to wander in without having to mumble about possessing a CAMRA membership card or having to sign a visitor book.
As I expected before midday, the Club was quiet - just a couple of snooker players on one of the two tables at the back, confirming with a quick glance that I wasn't anyone noteworthy, as I bowled through the door.

I got a friendly welcome from the lady behind the bar as I perused the beer selection which included interesting options from Hadrian Border and North Pier breweries.  Did I really peruse them?  Or did I just arrive and say 'pint of Bass please'.  The latter I suspect.

£3.80 for a pint on top form.
I grabbed a seat out of the way of the snooker players, sat under the TV showing pub-fave channel Now 70s.  Abba's video for 'Chiquita' was showing as part of 'Essential Number 2's of the 70s'.

A few other folks arrived whilst I was settled there.
One regular staked his claim to the table next to me, came back from the bar with a Chardonnay and Bacon Fries, got the staff to put the second TV on with some Racing TV action, then did a little jig in his seat to 'In the Navy'.  Denied the top spot by Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', pop chart trivia fans.

The Tynemouth Social Club is great and well worth a visit.
As is Tynemouth in general, the castle and abbey on the headland and windswept beaches looking magnificent in the sunshine.

I followed the footpath around the northern end of the estuary with views across to South Shields, making the pleasant 15-minute walk to Fish Quay Sands.  Then a few strides up Tanner's Hill took me to my next pub, the Tyne Lodge.

The Tyne Lodge (Tynemouth Road, North Shields,NE30 4AA)
This historic inn has been trading continuously since 1799.  The Tynemouth house of correction used to stand next door, with the Lodge providing accommodation to the Judges and the kitchens providing meals to the prisoners.
By 1983 the pub had fallen into disrepair when it was brought by Hugh Price who refurbished it and turned it into a real ale destination.  No music, no TVs, no games machines, no hot meals.

Replace that green upholstery with a checked pattern fabric and stick Pig on the Wall on the bar and you could mistake this for a Black Country Ales expansion into the NE.
As it was, the cask choice was Bass, Black Sheep and two from Hadrian Borders: 'Grainger Ale' or 'Tyneside Blonde'.
A shock shunning of the Bass here from me, as I stuck with the local Tyneside Blonde because I liked the pump clip.

Served with patience as it took some time to settle; in excellent condition once it was ready.

Departing the Tyne Lodge, I walked straight along Tyne Road to North Shields, the Good Beer Guide-listed Seven Stars my target.
Open from 12:00 on a Friday said the CAMRA website.  Open from 14:00 said Google.  Google was right - meaning I arrived 45-minutes too early to find a locked door.
With the local micro also choosing to open later in the afternoon, a quick wander around town revealed few enticing alternatives.
Oh well, the North Star has a striking sky blue frontage...

The North Star (97-98 Bedford St, North Shields, NE29 6QH)
Previously known as the Pow Burn, this pub underwent a major refurbishment complete with name change in 2023.
I was absolutely certain that this would turn out to be a one-time Wetherspoon's.  

Right down to the signage, the (very respectable) toilets, and the carpet...

But no.  Never been a Spoons.  It's just a wet-led town pub, pool table at the rear, sports on TV, quiet music in the background, and an impressive number of lunchtime punters.
The three local ales from Cullercoats on cask were unexpected.

Expecting them to be on top form may have been a step too far, though.
The 'Polly Donkin' stout had a sharp tang to it which suggested it had been on for a fair while and was heading past best if not already there.

I think that a large chunk of the refurbishment money went to the local Curry's superstore.
Over here, over there, TVs, they're everywhere.
I could see two different channels showing horse racing, Androni Iraola's press conference on the screen directly in front of me, an F1 replay if I swivelled to the right.

Oh well, not a great beer, but the North Star is clearly a functional pub that is serving the folks of North Shields well with Carling, Guinness and ample sports coverage.
Five-to-two - back up the road to the Seven Stars, with a plan for a speedy visit - an eye on the clock as I wanted to catch the 2:30 ferry.

Seven Stars (7 Albion Rd, Tynemouth, North Shields NE30 2RJ)
Unsurprisingly I was the first customer of the day, the staff member still pottering around completing the opening routine.
Dire Straits 'Telegraph Road' playing in the background - a track long enough that I wasn't intending to stick around long enough to hear the end of it.

Prior to transforming into a 2020s real ale local, this pub used to be the Oddfellows Arms with the upstairs rooms operating as a late-night club with a bit of a notorious reputation in the '80s.  It really doesn't look like somewhere that would ever have had a notorious reputation.

The beer board showed five cask ales, seven keg, and three ciders on offer.
A half of Three Kings 'Ring of Fire' 4.5% American pale ale for me.
Finished in the time it took me to read the first page of the Canny Bevvy local CAMRA mag, Mark Knopfler just getting going when I returned my glass to the bar.
I felt a little bit guilty for the speedy visit, but I had a boat to catch.

More Tyneside explorations to follow shortly.

Hebburn Is A Place On Earth

10th October 2026
Oxford City FC were making one of their longest journeys of the season in the Conference North, taking on league newcomers Hebburn Town on the southern side of the River Tyne.
It seemed a worthwhile challenge to make it to this one.

Actually it falls short of the longest of City's 26/27 trips - South Shields' Mariners Park ground is all of 1.1 miles further away.

My day started in Newcastle city centre which was enjoying glorious blue skies but wicked cold gusty winds.
The stencils celebrated local heroes...

Whilst visiting Brighton fans had been making their presence felt with a bit of stickering...

After a spot of breakfast in the Five Swans Wetherspoon's by the University, a visit to the Laing art gallery, and taking the opportunity to marvel the grand city centre buildings in the sunshine, I made my way to the Newcastle Tap for a pre-noon beverage.

Newcastle Tap (Baron House, 4 Neville Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5EN)
This addition to the Pivovar Tap empire was opened in 2017.  It's on the ground floor of former office block, Baron House, so unlikely to trouble the Taps at Sheffield or York for architectural wow factor.

Head back to 1974, when the office block was newly constructed, and you'd find the 8,000sq ft Geordie Pride pub in the basement, which featured a mock Victorian Street and recreation of the buffet from the former Douglas Hotel which stood on the site pre-1971.
Dare I say it sounds way more exciting than the Tap, a neat  industrial single room bar with a mezzanine level.

Not many customers at 11:30 on a Saturday.  
Lots of beers to pick from.
I went for the Wilde Child 'Shamrocks and Shenanigans', a good interpretation of a dry Irish stout, in great condition for what will have been the first poured of the day.

Right, midday, time to make the trip across to the south side of the river.

My expert research had confirmed that Hebburn and Radcliffe are battling it out for worst pub town in the National League North.

It's a bit of Tyneside with almost as many clubs as pubs.
Filtering the CAMRA pub map for those selling cask ale revealed few options. 

You could, of course, just stick in the city centre and travel on the Metro in time for kick-off, but I was determined to go on a mission to find somewhere that would serve me a decent beer before the match.
Firstly, 1.1 miles from the ground in Bill Quay.

The Wardley (Brack Terrace, Bill Quay, NE10 0TT)
The current building dates to 1897 when the local area was blooming with riverside industry and new terraced houses were being built to accommodate the influx of workers.  Many of those terraces have since being demolished leaving the Wardley standing alone.
Step inside (with just a little bit of trepidation - we're way off the tourist trail here) and you'll find a L-shaped room with a snug area to the back.  Cushioned bench seating to one side by the fireplace, high stools lined up to face the bar.  An odd feature was a floor to ceiling mirror at the end (who's that scruffy bloke taking pictures?)

The sole cask on offer was Ossett 'White Rat', a second hand pump with a turned around clip.  The White Rat, at £3.90 a pint, was served with a bit of patience, taking a while to settle, but once it was handed over to me I found it on pretty good form - an enjoyable beer.

The rest of the custom consisted four solo blokes, all obvious locals, and three dogs.  The build-up to the early Prem kick-off was showing on the TV screens, Tommy Hunt 'Lovin' on the Losing Side' (1976) playing in the background.  Uh-oh, is that an omen?

After the Wardley, I made my way up beyond the football ground and into the centre of Hebburn itself.

As I wasn't intrepid enough to venture into the club which supposedly sells cask, my only other option was a ten-minute trek along Jarrow Road to reach the Longship.

The Longship (Ushaw Road, Hebburn, NE31 2YA)
This is a community pub dating back to the eighties, but looking thoroughly modern within due to a 2025 refurb.  It's a Greene King house - the sole cask beer 'Abbott', which seems to be the norm these days since IPA has been put on the back burner.
The Longship was doing a roaring Saturday lunchtime trade.  Lots of Sunderland shirts by the bar, soon to depart to make the journey to the Stadium of Light.  Lots of food trade, with plates of pub grub coming out to tables full of folk of all ages.
Not a pub I'd get excited about, but good to see it doing well.  Abbott in 'Acceptable' condition.

A twenty minute walk took me back to the entrance to the Trustmark Group Stadium.

Hebburn Town FC achieved promotion as Northern Premier Division champions in 25/26, marking an ascension to the highest level they've played at to date.
They were founded as a works team for local engineering giants Reyrolles in 1912.  The factory, which stood between the ground and the river, is long gone, modern housing taking its place.  But the football team continued, recently going from strength-to-strength, the ground being further developed each time they moved up a league.

The two storey Sports Club in the corner has a pleasant bar on the ground floor and a function area with balcony overlooking the pitch on the first floor.  Closed for a private event on this occasion, which is a pity as I was looking forward to grabbing a spot on that balcony. 
The big brand keg beers were good value, Arsenal v Leeds was on TV screens, friendly folk shared my table and weren't shy to get chatting to the odd-bod from Oxford.

At the time, this was 3rd vs 5th in the National League North, Hebburn snubbing several predictions that they'd struggle at this level with strong performances in the first couple of months of the season.
In fact, they hadn't been beaten in a league match at the Trustmark Group stadium for a year. 

So it was an impressive start for the visitors when Tyrone Marsh scored for City after just 3-minutes.
I thought the two teams were pretty evenly matched for the remainder of the first half. Hebburn would have equalised if only you were allowed to take a throw-in from somewhere completely different to where the ball went out.

After surviving an early scare in the second half, City took control of the game.  Ludwig Francillette, once on Newcastle's books, took advantage of his considerable height and a perfectly placed corner to head into the top corner of the net.  Then Ellis Brown niftily drove the ball past the keeper to make it three after 64 minutes.

A great result, with only Macclesfield and Hereford above us in the league table.
Here's the hardy bunch of City supporters at the end of match, picture courtesy of the club's Facebook page.

I can't make it to the next couple of away fixtures, so the next footy ground pics and exploration of a new town will hopefully be from Hednesford in mid-November.
Keep the momentum going and we'll still be troubling the top of the league at that point.

And yes - very pleasingly - Hebburn did play the Belinda Carlisle track just before kick-off!