Gateshead's Dunston Staiths damaged in arson attack

[Ploughman]

Gateshead's Dunston Staiths damaged in arson attack
FRom the BBC Newcastle webpage.
An investigation has been launched after a Grade II-listed structure in Gateshead was set on fire.

Emergency crews were called to Dunston Staiths at 02:30 BST on Saturday after it was "deliberately" set alight, Northumbria Police said.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has brought the fire under control, but "extensive damage" has been caused.

The timber structure on the River Tyne reopened to the public in 2015 after a £1m restoration.

Gateshead's Dunston Staiths damaged in arson attack

An investigation is under way after Dunston Staiths in Gateshead was "deliberately" set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Malcmal]

Gateshead's Dunston Staiths damaged in arson attack
FRom the BBC Newcastle webpage.
An investigation has been launched after a Grade II-listed structure in Gateshead was set on fire.

Emergency crews were called to Dunston Staiths at 02:30 BST on Saturday after it was "deliberately" set alight, Northumbria Police said.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has brought the fire under control, but "extensive damage" has been caused.

The timber structure on the River Tyne reopened to the public in 2015 after a £1m restoration.

Gateshead's Dunston Staiths damaged in arson attack

An investigation is under way after Dunston Staiths in Gateshead was "deliberately" set on fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

They really should just give up and demolish what remains. This structure is just a magnet for the vermin around that part of the world and always will be so what's the point in having yet another appeal and rebuilding what must by now surely be like Trigger's broom!!

 

[Bedpan]

An excellent piece of industrial architecture and the only remaining one of its kind. It seems that the decking has been badly affected but visually from a distance it all looks intact so I would say that demolishing what remains would be a dreadful thing to do.

I had no idea of its existence until I saw this thread, if I had known about it I am sure I would have incorporated it into a trip to Newcastle - and still will be able to in the future, hopefully.

 

[Malcmal]

An excellent piece of industrial architecture and the only remaining one of its kind. It seems that the decking has been badly affected but visually from a distance it all looks intact so I would say that demolishing what remains would be a dreadful thing to do.

If this was the first fire I might agree - but it went up in flames on 23rd February 2019. And in 2005. And in 2003. It's not worth spending any money on at all as it will just happen over and over. I would be sad to see it go but really there are much better heritage projects in the North East which are easier to protect and less flammable.

 

[Brush 4]

Amazing lack of imagination to suggest demolishing it because of a fire or 3. All the more reason to protect it. If all heritage was demolished after vandalism, there wouldn't be much left of anything eventually. As this is unique, even more reason to step up security. Cameras just passively film vandalism. Catching them from footage is too late, the damage has been done. Physical prevention of access is the only way although, with something that size, incredibly difficult. Cameras with lasers aimed at the eyes? Hmmm, probably insurance issues there after they were blinded, although that in itself wouldn't matter.

 

[yoyothehobo]

Reminds me of visiting the imperial Palace in Kyoto and reading a sign which said "And after the palace had burnt down for the 16th time..."

 

[trebor79]

I had no idea of its existence until I saw this thread, if I had known about it I am sure I would have incorporated it into a trip to Newcastle - and still will be able to in the future, hopefully.

Trust me, there is zero chance you would want to go wandering round Dunston with your camera...

 

[swt_passenger]

Amazing lack of imagination to suggest demolishing it because of a fire or 3. All the more reason to protect it. If all heritage was demolished after vandalism, there wouldn't be much left of anything eventually. As this is unique, even more reason to step up security. Cameras just passively film vandalism. Catching them from footage is too late, the damage has been done. Physical prevention of access is the only way although, with something that size, incredibly difficult. Cameras with lasers aimed at the eyes? Hmmm, probably insurance issues there after they were blinded, although that in itself wouldn't matter.

As you say, prevention of access is pretty much impossible, and even if the land approach was secure there’s always going to be reasonably easy access by water.

 

[DarloRich]

Trust me, there is zero chance you would want to go wandering round Dunston with your camera...

nowt wrong with Dunston. No different to other north east towns that are badly run down. Most recent visit was for football. No problems.

 

[Ploughman]

Is there no chemical fire retardent or preventative that can be applied?
I know that Intumescant paint can be used on woodwork but that is white and this situation would need some sort of clear coat.

 

[John Webb]

Is there no chemical fire retardent or preventative that can be applied?
I know that Intumescant paint can be used on woodwork but that is white and this situation would need some sort of clear coat.

Intumescent paints are available in a range of colours - we had to use them on the interior of the St Albans South signal box when we were restoring it. Not certain if a clear coat is available. Neither can I check which brand we used as I can't get to the box at present to refresh my memory. (It was some 12 years ago we were busy doing it!) I am uncertain too about its use as an external coating; and it's expensive and not easy to apply which adds to the problems.

Partial solution may be to replace damaged timbers with ones that have been impregnated with a fire retardant? Some form of sprinkler/drencher system is obviously out due to both limited application out of doors and potential vandalism. If I get any further thoughts (I spent 28 years working on research into fire safety matters) I'll let you know by PM.

I must admit I was unaware of this structure. I certainly would consider it of significant industrial heritage and worth trying to preserve. Regarding photography, it seems quite a few people have been to take photos - over a 100 on the Geograph website, from which this photo is one:
Dunston Coal Staithes (panorama)

© Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
(C lick on photo to go to the larger original.)

 

[xotGD]

Trust me, there is zero chance you would want to go wandering round Dunston with your camera...

Dunston is posh compared to The Teams.

I spent many a childhood hour watching the 03 push the loaded wagons up the staithes and the empties rolling back down.

 

[swt_passenger]

Intumescent paints are available in a range of colours - we had to use them on the interior of the St Albans South signal box when we were restoring it. Not certain if a clear coat is available. Neither can I check which brand we used as I can't get to the box at present to refresh my memory. (It was some 12 years ago we were busy doing it!) I am uncertain too about its use as an external coating; and it's expensive and not easy to apply which adds to the problems.

Partial solution may be to replace damaged timbers with ones that have been impregnated with a fire retardant? Some form of sprinkler/drencher system is obviously out due to both limited application out of doors and potential vandalism. If I get any further thoughts (I spent 28 years working on research into fire safety matters) I'll let you know by PM.

I must admit I was unaware of this structure. I certainly would consider it of significant industrial heritage and worth trying to preserve. Regarding photography, it seems quite a few people have been to take photos - over a 100 on the Geograph website, from which this photo is one:
Dunston Coal Staithes (panorama)

© Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
(C lick on photo to go to the larger original.)

The large gap as seen in the panorama was the result of a much earlier attempt to burn it down.

IIRC there were public access improvements made when a major garden festival was held in the area back in the early 90s?
The steel bridge at the east end obviously wasn’t there when the staithes were in use, and shipping would berth on both sides of the structure.

 

[och aye]

Money is being raised to repair the damage, over £5,000 raised so far:

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/more-5000-raised-overnight-help-18266098

Folk can donate here:

Virgin Money Giving | Virgin Money UK

Credit cards, Mortgages, Savings, ISAs, Investments and Insurance – Our quest to make banking better starts here

uk.virginmoneygiving.com

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Next time you roll in to Newcastle, look to the redheugh bridge side of the train as you cross the King Edward Bridge you can see Dumston Staiths a little bit upstream

 

[Bedpan]

I was wondering that. I have always been too busy looking out of the right hand side of the train.

 

[Swanny200]

took our son on a boat trip last year where you take in all the bridges, you head out towards Tynemouth and take in the sights and then go under all the bridges up as far as the Staiths, lasts over an hour and you can get up quite close. You could see last year the amount of damage done, can only imagine what this time has done to it.

 

[HowardGWR]

The key to avoiding vandalism is using social control measures. Just as an example, running boat trips from it and having a cafe with live-in proprietors on it, would perhaps be the sort of thing that would help. Can one walk out on to it? If not, make that possible perhaps. I expect there are better ideas.

 

[swt_passenger]

The key to avoiding vandalism is using social control measures. Just as an example, running boat trips from it and having a cafe with live-in proprietors on it, would perhaps be the sort of thing that would help. Can one walk out on to it? If not, make that possible perhaps. I expect there are better ideas.

Public access was usually only one day a week, Sunday afternoon only seems to ring a bell. There’s a roster of local key holders who just open and close the security gates, I believe the normal access is from the footpath to the low level at the west (upstream) end. The isolated section at the east end is not normally accessed.

I had a tour about 2015; you really do get a sense of the enormous scale of the whole thing from the top level, the timber structure within is pretty complex.

 

[HowardGWR]

Public access was usually only one day a week, Sunday afternoon only seems to ring a bell. There’s a roster of local key holders who just open and close the security gates, I believe the normal access is from the footpath to the low level at the west (upstream) end. The isolated section at the east end is not normally accessed.

I had a tour about 2015; you really do get a sense of the enormous scale of the whole thing from the top level, the timber structure within is pretty complex.
View attachment 78148

Well, that's the answer then! Make it an amusement pier so that the local yobs have somewhere to go instead of burning it down. Have caretaker flat and restaurant owner accomodation included so that there is humanity present all the time.

 

[Malcmal]

Make it an amusement pier so that the local yobs have somewhere to go instead of burning it down.

I thought that it was already serving this purpose for the local yobs!!! You would need heavy security 24/7 to keep this structure safe and while I am as nostalgic as the rest of you there are times to be a realist also.

 

[mmh]

The key to avoiding vandalism is using social control measures. Just as an example, running boat trips from it and having a cafe with live-in proprietors on it, would perhaps be the sort of thing that would help. Can one walk out on to it? If not, make that possible perhaps. I expect there are better ideas.

It doesn't follow that unattended things will necessarily be vandalised. Here the churches and signal box are overnight, and have never been attacked. Then there are the thousands of unattended railway stations which aren't.

 

[Malcmal]

It doesn't follow that unattended things will necessarily be vandalised. Here the churches and signal box are overnight, and have never been attacked. Then there are the thousands of unattended railway stations which aren't.

Sometimes you just get the "perfect storm" - in this case a lot of social deprivation and a massive pile of wood.

 

[A.Butler]

Thanks for this thread ... as others have said I was not aware of this structure at all ...(Perhaps being a native from the South Coast didn't help!)

I gather that the coal wagons were pushed up onto the ramp ... but how did they empty them into the boats moored alongside? Looking at the photo posted above I see there were metal structures on the rampway ... but what did they do exactly?

Many thanks in advance. AB.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks for this thread ... as others have said I was not aware of this structure at all ...(Perhaps being a native from the South Coast didn't help!)

I gather that the coal wagons were pushed up onto the ramp ... but how did they empty them into the boats moored alongside? Looking at the photo posted above I see there were metal structures on the rampway ... but what did they do exactly?

Many thanks in advance. AB.

IIRC from the brief I had, (it’s quite a while ago), the wagons were bottom discharge, down between the rails into the inboard end of the conveyors that were positioned over the ship‘s hold alongside.

I expect there’s a certain amount of machinery been removed, it’s likely anything easily removed was taken away for scrap, and what’s left is the stuff that was too difficult...

 

[A.Butler]

IIRC from the brief I had, (it’s quite a while ago), the wagons were bottom discharge, down between the rails into the inboard end of the conveyors that were positioned over the ship‘s hold alongside.

I expect there’s a certain amount of machinery been removed, it’s likely anything easily removed was taken away for scrap, and what’s left is the stuff that was too difficult...

Thanks for the prompt reply!... makes sense.
Does anyone know where I can find some photos of the slaithes "in operation" please.

 

[Malcmal]

Out of interest - there were working rail served coal staithes next to Blyth Cambois MPD until the late 1980's. Dunston closed in 1980 according to Wikipedia.

 

[swt_passenger]

Out of interest - there were working rail served coal staithes next to Blyth Cambois MPD until the late 1980's. Dunston closed in 1980 according to Wikipedia.

North Blyth Staithes were of course the “Get Carter“ filming location. Unless it’s changed recently, the North Blyth Staithes “footprint” at water level is still there, they only dismantled the superstructure.

 

[Malcmal]

North Blyth Staithes were of course the “Get Carter“ filming location. Unless it’s changed recently, the North Blyth Staithes “footprint” at water level is still there, they only dismantled the superstructure.

Just to clarify - North Blyth staithes (the Get Carter location) is NOT the one that lasted into the late 1980's. Blyth had many different staithes and the very final one was just next to Cambois.

 

[swt_passenger]

Just to clarify - North Blyth staithes (the Get Carter location) is NOT the one that lasted into the late 1980's. Blyth had many different staithes and the very final one was just next to Cambois.

Oh right, I must have had the wrong impression of the overall area in my mind. Highly likely given I never saw it in real life...