The following is a timeline of the history of Gateshead in Tyne and Wear, England (before 1974 it was part of County Durham)
2nd Century 120-122 Pons Aelius a small Roman fort and bridge (linking to the Gateshead side of the River Tyne) was established in what is now Newcastle upon Tyne
7th century 650s 653 Bede refers to Utta as Abbot of Gateshead
9th century 870s 875 Vikings under Halfdan Ragnarsson sailed into the River Tyne and sacked monasteries at Tynemouth and Jarrow, before anchoring at the mouth of the River Team in Gateshead 11th century 1080 A church near the site of the current St Mary's Church was burned down by an angry mob with the Bishop of Durham inside
13th century 1240s 1242 Fire destroyed the wooden bridge over the River Tyne 1248 After fire destroyed the wooden bridge over the River Tyne, and much of the borough, a new stone bridge was eventually constructed 1250s 1255 Walter of Kirkham, Bishop of Durham granted an indulgence of 20 days to anyone who would contribute to the repair of the bridge over the Tyne 1257 The Archbishop of York granted an indulgence of 30 days to anyone contributing to repair of the bridge over the Tyne
14th century 1330s 1339 A flood swept away the greater part of the stone bridge at between Gateshead and Newcastle and killed 167 people
16th century 1550s 1553 Newcastle secured an Act in Parliament incorporating Gateshead into Newcastle, later repealed 1554 The Bishop of Durham had to cede quayside facilities in Gateshead to the mayor and corporation of Newcastle 1570s 1576 Newcastle petitioned the Crown for possession of Gateshead on the grounds of the disorder across the river 1590s 1594 Seminary priest John Ingram was executed in Gateshead and his quartered body was brought to Newcastle
17th century 1644 13 August: While Newcastle was besieged by the Scots, Lord Leven was quartered in Elswick and the Earl of Callendar at Gateshead
18th century 1740s 1747 The Team Works of the Hawks family opened in Gateshead with a few forges working up old iron brought in as ballast 1750s 1750 Russell was launched by Headlam's yard (Gateshead), the largest vessel built on the Tyne up to that time, able to carry 30 keels of coal 1770s 1771 17 November: The Great Flood of 1771 saw the collapse of part of the then Tyne Bridge and its eventual demolition 1773-81 A new bridge over the River Tyne was built, a low stone bridge of nine arches 1780s 1781 New stone bridge over the River Tyne was completed
19th Century 1800s 1801 The population of Gateshead was 8,597 The bridge over the River Tyne had become too narrow for the volume of traffic and was widened to designs by David Stephenson 1810s 1814 The Inclosure Act of 1814 distinguished at Gateshead between 'townfields' and 'other commonable lands and grounds' 1819-24 Claremont Place built in phases on land owned by a local iron master, William Hymers
1830s 1831 Cholera outbreak in Gateshead 1832 Town dispensary built in Nelson Street following the cholera outbreak the previous year Gateshead gained its own Member of Parliament 1835 Gateshead became a Municipal borough, although its functions were limited to raising rates, upkeep of roads etc, and it first met in a solicitors office 1838 18 June: A through railway line from Redheugh to Carlisle was opened 1839 First Redheugh Bridge was built
1840s 1844 A house in Greenesfield was acquired and converted into a new Town Hall for Gateshead A passenger railway station was built at Greenesfield 1847 Work started on construction of the High Level Bridge 1848 Gateshead Municipal Borough took on responsibility for health 1849 High Level Bridge over the River Tyne designed by Robert Stephenson was opened
1850s 1850 The River Tyne Improvement Act established a Conservancy Commission to replace the traditional control by Newcastle Council Queen Victoria formally opened the High Level Bridge and Newcastle railway station 1851 January: Newcastle railway station received its first train from across the High Level Bridge The Great fire of Newcastle and Gateshead followed an explosion and fire at Gateshead, which spread to the Quayside in Newcastle, and killed 53 people, destroyed the homes of 800 families and damaged many properties, clearing a long stretch of river frontage in Gateshead and Newcastle 1854 The former station at Greenesfield became the locomotive repair works for the North Eastern Railway (NER)
1860s 1861 Windmill Hills became the first public park in Gateshead 1863 A competition held for the design of a new Town Hall was won by John Johnstone 1866 October: William Affleck purchased part of Shipcote for house building 1867-70 The new Town Hall for Gateshead was built 1868-76 The Swing Bridge, River Tyne was constructed by WG Armstrong & Co
1870s 1870 The new Town Hall was opened in West Street, replacing the one built in 1844 in Greenesfield 1871 Saltwell Towers, a house for William Wailes, was built 1872 Gateshead Municipal Borough took on responsibility for sanitary conditions 1876 The Swing Bridge, River Tyne was opened Saltwell Park was opened to the public 1878-80 Day Industrial Schools built at Windmill Hills, designed by Thomas Oliver, Jnr
1880s 1880 Sheriff Hill Isolation Hospital built, the first purpose built hospital in Gateshead 1882-85 Public library built in Swinburne Street, designed by John Johnstone (architect) 1885 Free Public Library opened in Gateshead 1886-90 The Infirmary for Gateshead Union Workhouse was built 1889 Gateshead became a County borough
1890s 1891 The population of Gateshead was 85,692 1899-1900 Wrekenton School was built
20th century 1900s 1902 Gateshead Municipal Borough took on responsibility for education 1906 10 July: King Edward VII Bridge was opened by King Edward VII, designed by Charles A Harrison 1909 The locomotive works at Greenesfield was the largest single employer in Gateshead with over 3,300 workers George Black opened the Palace theatre and cinema, with 1,450 seats, on Sunderland Road
1910s 1914-17 Shipley Art Gallery built in Shipcote, designed by Arthur Stockwell 1917 Shipley Art Gallery was opened to the public
1920s 1921-23 The first 232 houses were built in Carr Hill 1923-27 Carr Hill was expanded with the building of a further 342 houses 1924 7 August: Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead Corporations (Bridge) Act received Royal assent approving construction of the Tyne Bridge The proposal to build a new road bridge over the Tyne was supported by the local labour exchange to provide work for 50,000 unemployed skilled engineers and shipbuilders 1925 August: Work started on construction of the Tyne Bridge.Jacobean houses on Quayside, Newcastle, were demolished to make way way for the approaches to the bridge. 1927 The last pit in the Gateshead area at Redheugh was closed 1927-30 School at Carr Hill was built 1928 25 February: Upper ends of the arch of the Tyne Bridge closed amid celebrations 10 October: Tyne Bridge officially opened by King George V
1930s 1932 The locomotive works for the NER at Greenesfield was closed 1936 Construction of the Team Valley Trading Estate began, owned by North Eastern Trading Estates Ltd 1936 Gateshead Council had built 2,360 houses by this date 1937 Joicey Road Open-Air School was opened for 'sickly' children 1939 June: Construction began on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead
1940s 1941 The Infirmary of the Gateshead Union Workhouse was converted to a general hospital, Bensham Hospital 1942 In Gateshead, 5,620 people were living in property scheduled for demolition 1948 March: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead was opened A new housing estate was completed by the Council at Highfield and Blue Quarries 1949-1955 Gateshead Technical College was built
1950s 1950 Baltic Flour Mills on the waterfront was built by Joseph Rank Ltd, designed by Mouchel & Partners Beacon Lough estate of 347 houses was completed 1952-54 Cedars Green estate of 59 houses was built 1954 A new building for the Borough Treasurers Department opened in Shipcote as the 'Civic centre first stage' 1955 Gateshead International Stadium was built 1956 Dryden Road Girls Grammar School was opened
1960s 1960 The Palace theatre and cinema on Sunderland Road was closed 1962 Trinity Square shopping centre and multi-storey car park were designed by Owen Luder 1963-64 Breckenbeds Middle School, Saltwell Road South, was built 1969 Trinity Square development was completed
1970s 1970 St Cuthberts Village in Windmill Hills was opened by Prime Minister Harold Wilson Trinity Square multi-storey car park featured in the film Get Carter 1972 Police headquarters built 1973-74 Gateshead became a Metropolitan borough which included Blaydon, Felling, Ryton, Whickham, Birtley and Lamesley 1976 Magistrates Court built Work began on construction of the Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge 1978 1 August: The two sections of the Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge were joined in the centre 1979 St Mary's Church was damaged by fire and subsequently restored
1980s 1981 6 November: Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II 15 November: Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge and new section of Metro line from Haymarket, Newcastle upon Tyne to Heworth opened to the public, as well as the Gateshead Interchange 1983 New Redheugh Bridge between Gateshead and Newcastle was opened by Diana, Princess of Wales 1987 Gateshead Civic Centre opened in Regent Street
1990s 1990 Gateshead Garden Festival was held 1998 Angel of the North completed, designed by Antony Gormley 1998-1999 Baltic Flour Mills demolished to only its facade, to be rebuilt as the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
21st Century 2000s 2001 Gateshead Millennium Bridge was opened 2002 July: Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art was opened Gateshead Millennium Bridge won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize 2002-04 Sage Gateshead was built, designed by Foster and Partners 2006 Saltwell Park won its first Green Flag Award and the Civic Trust Park of the Year Award 2008 Trinity Square shopping centre was demolished
See also Timeline of County Durham Timeline of Tyne and Wear Timeline of shipbuilding on the River Tyne Timeline of Newcastle upon Tyne
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