Parks, Green Spaces and Walks in North Shields

For a town best known for its Fish Quay, North Shields has a surprising amount of green space and some genuinely good walking, most of it with the river never far away. From a beautifully restored Victorian park to the riverside path out to the mouth of the Tyne, here is our guide to getting outdoors in and around the town. (A note for visitors: this is North Shields on the north bank; the beaches and priory at Tynemouth, and the coast at South Shields across the water, are separate places.)

Northumberland Park

North Shields' finest green space is Northumberland Park, a short walk east of the town centre off Tynemouth Road. Opened in 1885 by the Duke of Northumberland, it is a classic Victorian park that was given a major restoration by North Tyneside Council in 2015, backed by a £2.2m Heritage Lottery grant, which brought back lost period features and added new facilities.

Today it offers woodland and lakeside walks, a Victorian-style bandstand, a herb garden, a butterfly meadow, bowling greens and a play area, along with a visitor centre and tea room. There is even a historic pet cemetery, and the excavated remains of the medieval St Leonard's Hospital, uncovered during the restoration. It holds a Green Flag Award, the national mark of a well-kept park, and is a lovely spot for a gentle stroll.

The Fish Quay and the riverside walk

The best walk in North Shields follows the river. From the Fish Quay a riverside path runs east past Clifford's Fort and the Old Low Light, below the Collingwood Monument, and along the water's edge from Fish Quay Sands all the way to Prior's Haven at Tynemouth. Interpretation panels along the route tell the story of the working river, and the path forms part of National Cycle Network Route 72, so it is good for cycling as well as walking.

Along the way you pass beneath Knott's Flats, the striking 1930s modernist blocks on Tynemouth Road named after the North Shields shipowner Sir James Knott, which look out over the mouth of the Tyne. It is an easy, flat and constantly interesting walk, with the harbour, the piers and the open sea unfolding as you go.

Royal Quays and Chirton Dene

West of the town, the Royal Quays development around the historic Albert Edward Dock has its own waterside walking. Chirton Dene Park follows the restored Chirton Burn through a chain of water features, and an easy loop of a couple of miles links Coble Dene Park, Chirton Dene Park and Royal Quays Marina. The marina itself, with its café-bar, makes a pleasant turning point.

A quiet green space: Preston Cemetery

For somewhere peaceful, Preston Cemetery on Walton Avenue is worth knowing. Opened in 1856, it is the largest cemetery in North Tyneside and a designated wildlife site, with mature woodland that has earned it a Green Flag Award. It is a calm, green place for a reflective walk away from the town's busier streets.

The Waggonways

North Tyneside's Waggonways are a network of former nineteenth-century coal railways, since converted into traffic-free walking and cycling routes. Several link into North Shields and down to the Fish Quay, where you can pick up the riverside path or the ferry, or head north along the coast towards Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. They make it easy to explore the wider area on foot or by bike.

A walk-and-ride on the Shields Ferry

Finally, the Shields Ferry is a small adventure in itself. The Nexus foot-ferry, the last passenger ferry on the Tyne, crosses from North Shields to South Shields in about seven minutes, running roughly every half hour, seven days a week. Walk the Fish Quay, ride across the river and back, and you have a proper little day out; check the current Nexus timetable before you go.

Making the most of it

Pair a walk with lunch or a drink on the Quay, our guide to the best places to eat and drink on North Shields Fish Quay has the options, and see the North Shields maritime heritage trail to add some history to your riverside walk.