England Guide
The Northeast
Along the River Tyne
From between the castle and the cathedral a road known simply as The Side – formerly the main road out of the city – descends to Newcastle's Quayside. The river is spanned by seven bridges in close proximity, the most prominent being the looming Tyne Bridge of 1928, symbol of the city. Immediately west is the hydraulic Swing Bridge, erected in 1876 by Lord Armstrong so that larger vessels could reach his shipyards upriver, while modern road and rail lines cross the river on the adjacent High Level Bridge, built by Robert Stephenson in 1849 – Queen Victoria was one of the first passengers to cross, promoting the railway revolution. Beyond the Tyne Bridge, the modern-day regeneration of the Quayside is in full swing. Riverside apartments, a landscaped promenade, public sculpture and pedestrianized squares have paved the way for a series of fashionable bars and restaurants, centred on the graceful Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the world's first tilting span, designed to pivot to allow ships to pass. The bridge allows pedestrians to cross the Tyne to the Gateshead Quays, to visit BALTIC, the dramatic Centre for Contemporary Art, and its strikingly modern neighbour, The Sage Gateshead concert hall complex.