South Shields, Coastal town in South Tyneside, England
South Shields is a coastal town at the mouth of the River Tyne in northeast England with several miles of sandy beach. The settlement sits where the river meets the North Sea, surrounded by gentle hills and open water, with residential neighborhoods stretching inland.
The Romans built a fort here in the 2nd century as a supply base for Hadrian's Wall. Later the settlement developed into an important coal port and shipbuilding center along the Tyne during the 19th century.
The name comes from the old fishing huts that once lined the coast and offered shelter from wind and waves. Today locals visit the beach regularly for walks while children play in the shallow surf and families eat ice cream along the promenades.
The town center sits within walking distance of the beach and offers shops, cafés and toilets while the seafront promenade is accessible via ramps and paved paths. On windy days it can feel chilly along the open coast so weatherproof clothing is advisable for longer spells outside.
A Yemeni community settled here from the 1890s onward due to work on steamships and founded one of the oldest Muslim communities in Britain. The first mosque in northeast England arose in this port town and still stands today.
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