IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Minton Lane, NORTH SHIELDS, NE29 6DQ

Unveiled in 1922, the Memorial was erected by the Smith's Dock Company in memory of the employees from all departments who gave their lives in the Great War. It stands in a slightly different position to its original one, having been moved in order to facilitate the nearby housing development, although still in a park environment. It is a Grade II Listed building. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

These bowling greens form part of the Parks Sports Centre which lies between Howdon Road and Minton Lane. This area was shown on the 1899 second edition of the Ordnance Survey Six-Inch map of the area as the, 'West End Recreation Ground', an area used for the recreation of the workers from the nearby Smiths Docks Company. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

The best seat on the Metro is the one right at the front and next to the driver - this section (just arriving at Meadow Well station) is very straight

This is the first sighting hereabouts of the Chirton Burn which, at this point, has just emerged from a small culvert. When the first edition of the Ordnance Survey Six-Inch map of the area was published in 1865 this area was clearly shown as 'Chirton Dene' with 'Chirtondene House' standing at its head. This dene and burn have, since 1998, become a central feature of Chirton Dene Park, part of the Royal Quay's Regeneration Project. The park has water as its central theme, with the aptly titled 'Water Landscape' first appearing as a mountain stream, followed by reed beds, a central pool, a cadence and a boggy area, before culminating in a series of cascades which tumble down to the Albert Edward Dock. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

This bridge, which straddles the Chirton Burn, links Smith's Park with the Parks Sports Centre. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

The boundary fencing of this basketball court at Smith's Park has had large boarding attached and this boarding is available for use, through a Phoenix Detached Youth Project/Pinkdot Productions partnership. The partnership aims to encourage urban artists, who would otherwise create anti-social artworks on the streets, to access legal space to paint. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

This is a close up of a section of the boundary wall shown at https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6659744. The boundary fencing of this basketball court at Smith's Park has had large boarding attached and this boarding is available for use, through a Phoenix Detached Youth Project/Pinkdot Productions partnership. The partnership aims to encourage urban artists, who would otherwise create anti-social artworks on the streets, to access legal space to paint. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

This bridge, which crosses the Chirton Burn gives pedestrian access from Howdon Road to Chirton Dene. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

Like its neighbour Redburn Dene, Chirton Dene, which was created out of the former dock area in 1998, follows the natural watercourse. The dene has water as its central theme, and the aptly titled 'Water Landscape' first appears as a mountain stream (seen here just beyond the footpath), followed by reed beds, a central pool, a cadence and a boggy area, before culminating in a series of cascades which tumble down to the Albert Edward Dock. This desire path down a grass-covered slope dotted with wild flowers makes for a direct descent to the bridge across the Chirton Burn. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk

This fine brick wall, which stretches for more than 200 metres on the north side of Minton Lane, was once the southern boundary wall of the Minton Lane Gas Works. First appearing on the second edition of the Ordnance Survey Six-Inch map of the area in 1899, the gas works were, until dismantled in 2016, a vital part of the gas supply system, responsible for supplying gas to thousands of people across the country. More latterly, they were used to bolster the gas network’s supplies during colder weather, and at peak times in the early evenings. At the time of the publication of the 1899 map Minton Lane was known as Meadowell Lane. For a selection of detailed free to download walking routes in the area visit www.northtynesidewalks.co.uk