Location
This site occupies land adjacent to the Dunston Staithes on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead.
The Staiths is a large multi-level timber structure built out into the river on a curved planform, originally built to load bulk materials, (particularly coal), from railway carriages on railway tracks into merchant vessels moored alongside.
The curved shape of the Staiths encloses part of the river to form a protected basin. This section of the river is subject to tidal influence and the usable basin area therefore varies with the tide. The mud exposed at low tide is an important wading ground for coastal birds.
Read more about this topic: Staiths South Bank