Birtley, Tyne and Wear

Birtley, Tyne And Wear

Coordinates: 54°54′00″N 1°34′37″W / 54.900°N 1.577°W / 54.900; -1.577

Birtley is a town in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. It is situated to the south of Gateshead and is physically linked to Chester-le-Street across the County boundary in County Durham. Until 1974, Birtley and the adjoining areas of Barley Mow, Vigo and Portobello were part of the old Chester-le-Street Rural District. Since 1974, these neighbouring areas have been considered part of 'greater' Birtley. Birtley was a civil parish with a parish council (which also covered the adjoining neighbourhoods) until April 1, 2006 after a local referendum agreed to abolish it. The former parish has a population of 11,377. Birtley lies within the historic county boundaries of County Durham and uniquely among settlements in Gateshead, Birtley forms part of the Chester-le-Street post town in the Durham (DH) postal area.