A Sultry River Tyne at Dunstan

Dunston is particularly known for its wooden staithes, first opened in 1893 as a structure for loading coal from the North Durham coalfield onto ships. In the 1920s 140,000 tons of coal per week were loaded from the staithes, and they continued to be used until the 1970s. They were finally closed and partially dismantled in 1980.

The staithes were restored and reopened for the Gateshead Garden Festival in 1990. Following similar events in Liverpool (1984), Stoke on Trent (1986) and Glasgow (1988), the Garden Festival occupied a large area of Dunston and Team Valley. Though other parts of the Garden Festival site, such as the Eslington and Norwood areas of Team Valley, gained an immediate spur for regeneration, the area around the staithes remained derelict and inaccessible for the whole of the 1990s.

Today, the staithes are reputed to be the largest wooden structure in Europe, and are protected as a Listed Building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
In 2002, work began on a development of riverside apartments and houses designed by Wayne Hemingway. Known as Staiths South Bank, this development celebrates the area's heritage as well as improving the setting for the historic structure. Unfortunately, in the early hours of 20 November 2003, a section of the staithes was destroyed by fire. As a result, access onto the Staithes themselves is not possible, but the structure can be viewed from the new riverside walkway constructed as part of the Staiths South Bank development. In 2005 Gateshead Council commissioned a study into possible options for the Staithes' restoration.

The Staithes suffered further fire damage in July 2010

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunston,_Tyne_and_Wear" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunston,_Tyne_and_Wear</a>