Best Places to Work Remotely in North Shields

Working from home suits most days, but sometimes you need a different view, a change of routine or simply other people around you to get the head down. North Shields has more options than you might expect for a town better known for its fish and chips: a free public library with WiFi right on Northumberland Square, a historic building on Howard Street with proper workspace to rent, and a handful of cafes where a coffee and an hour or two at a table are part of the deal. Here is where to set up.

North Shields Community Hub and Library

If you want somewhere free, calm and dependable, start at North Shields Community Hub and Library on Northumberland Square. The council lists free PCs and WiFi, printing and photocopying, and rooms for hire, which makes it useful for more than a quiet morning of emails. If you need somewhere to take a client call or hold a small meeting, a booked room here is a lot cheaper than a hotel meeting suite.

The hub is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm, and it is closed on Sundays. It is also home to the North East's first BIPC Local (the Business and Intellectual Property Centre), which offers free market-research resources and advice on patents and trademarks. If you are self-employed or building a business from your laptop, that is a genuinely useful thing to have downstairs. Our guide to business support in North Shields covers it in more detail.

There is no cafe, so bring a flask, but for free, reliable internet in the middle of town it is hard to beat.

Best for: Free WiFi and PCs, bookable rooms, a quiet town-centre base that costs nothing.

The Exchange 1856

For anyone who needs more than a borrowed cafe table, The Exchange 1856 on Howard Street is the town's most serious option. The restored, Grade II listed corn exchange is best known as a live-music venue and restaurant, but it also runs flexible workspaces, from larger offices down to smaller, more compact rooms, and it caters for people who only drop in occasionally as well as permanent tenants.

The venue says members get high-speed WiFi, 10% off coffee and discounts on its meeting and event spaces, and there are conference rooms (including the historic Thomas Brown Meeting Room) and break-out areas for when a call needs a proper door. Prices aren't published, so enquire directly through the venue's website or on 0191 432 1856.

It also helps that Howard Street sits at the heart of the town's cultural quarter, a short walk from the library and the Metro, with lunch and a post-work drink both available under the same roof.

Best for: Rentable offices and meeting rooms, high-speed WiFi, the closest thing to coworking in town.

Costa Coffee, Beacon Centre

Sometimes predictability is what you want. Costa Coffee in the Beacon Centre on Bedford Street is the familiar chain option in the middle of town, with a comfortable sit-in area and the usual run of coffees, sandwiches and cakes. Costa runs a free customer WiFi service across its UK coffee shops, and a chain branch is generally relaxed about someone nursing a flat white over an hour of admin.

It is busiest around lunchtime and on Saturdays, so mid-morning or mid-afternoon is the best time to find a table. Being in the shopping centre also means errands and lunch are on the doorstep.

Best for: A predictable chain base in the town centre, handy for errands between tasks.

The Wooden Deli

The Wooden Deli on Saville Street is an independent cafe-deli that's popular with local workers and shoppers, serving cooked breakfasts, hot baguettes and proper coffee. It isn't a laptop cafe in the purpose-built sense, and we haven't been able to confirm WiFi, so treat it as a place for a shorter session: a breakfast meeting, an hour reading through documents, or a lunch break that gets you away from the desk.

Be considerate at peak lunchtime, when tables are in demand, and you will find it a friendly, unfussy spot.

Best for: A working breakfast or lunch break in the town centre, with good-value food.

Cook and Baker

A short walk from the town centre, Cook and Baker on Brandling Terrace is a small independent bakery and cafe with homemade cakes, savoury bakes and coffee. It is cosy rather than spacious, so it suits a solo worker with a notebook or tablet better than a group spreading out with chargers. Check whether there is WiFi when you arrive rather than counting on it.

For a quieter hour of writing or planning with something freshly baked, it is a pleasant change of scene from the main shopping streets.

Best for: A cosy solo session with home baking, away from the busier streets.

Old Low Light Heritage Centre

Down on the Fish Quay, the Old Low Light Heritage Centre at Clifford's Fort has a cafe with outdoor seating overlooking the river. It is run by local charity The Net North Shields, so your coffee money goes back into the community. This is a place for thinking time rather than a full working day: sketching out a plan, reading, or taking a break with a view of the Tyne before heading back to the screen.

Hours vary through the year, so check with the centre before making the trip specially.

Best for: A riverside break or thinking session, with your spend supporting a local charity.

Tips for a productive day in North Shields

Combine the options rather than trying to do everything in one place. Start at the library when it opens at 9am for focused, free work with reliable WiFi, then walk round the corner to Howard Street for lunch at The Exchange 1856 or a sandwich from the town centre. If you have a meeting, book a room at the library or enquire about The Exchange's meeting spaces in advance. Save the Fish Quay for a late-afternoon walk to clear your head.

For more coffee recommendations, see our guide to the best coffee shops and cafes in North Shields. Tynemouth and Whitley Bay have their own options, covered on their sister sites.

Know another laptop-friendly spot in North Shields? Let us know via our contact page.