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SOUTH SHIELDS ROMAN AND SAXON ORIGINS

South Shields grew most rapidly in the Victorian era, but its origins can be traced back to Roman times, when it was the site of the important Roman fort called ARBEIA. Arbeia, built about A.D 128, served as the sea port and supply base for Hadrian's Wall and in Roman times, it was an important commercial centre with a large civilian settlement. Its Roman occupants included a small unit of bargemen from the Tigris river valley (now in Iraq), who ferried troops and stores up and down the River Tyne. The remains of the Roman fort at South Shields, can be seen today near the area of high ground called the Lawe overlooking the sea at the mouth of the Tyne. It is one of the best preserved and most extensively excavated Roman forts in Britain.

Little is known of South Shields' history in Anglo-Saxon times though evidence suggests it may have been the site of a monastery belonging to St Hild before she moved to Hartlepool and later Whitby. The monastery may have stood on the site of South Shields parish church which is dedicated to St Hilda. The name of South Shields originates from Anglo-Saxon times. Shields derives from `Shieling' signifying a fisherman's hut.

On the 3rd of September 1844 the Parish of All Saints’ was formed due to the need for additional accommodation within the Parish of Monkwearmouth. The Parish Church, St Peter’s had no free seats.
The Salem Chapel built in 1815 by the Congregationalists and since vacated was taken over by the Dean and Chapter of Durham and used as a Chapel of Ease.
It was decided by Dr. Maltby, the Lord Bishop of Durham, to have All Saints’ Church built. J. Dobson Esq., a well known local architect, was given the task to produce plans for a church which was to be built in the Early English style. The church was built on two acres of land that was given by the Dean and Chapter of Durham.

The church was opened for service on the 13th May 1849 and consecrated by the Bishop of Durham, Rev. E. Maltby on the 23rd October 1849. The vicarage was completed in 1852.

All Saints’ Parish Hall was built in Fulwell Road in 1904. The financial burden of the Parish Hall was finally settled in September 1907. A commemorative stone was placed in the front wall to celebrate this. Between September 1907 and April 1908 Pentecostal meetings were held in the hall. The hall was sold in 1996 to the Monkwearmouth Christian Fellowship.

Some of the parishioners who lived at the Roker end of the parish did not like mixing with the people who lived near the main church. A building put up for their use in the 1890’s was accidentally burnt down in 1907. The site was later used for St Aidan’s Chapel of Ease. In October 1909 the foundation stone was laid for a new church designed by Hugh Hedley and St Aidan’s Church was completed in 1910. St Aidan’s Church was closed on 1st September 1998. On the 1st of January 1997 the Parishes of St. Peter’s, All Saints’ and St. Andrew’s merged to become one huge parish, the ‘Parish of Monkwearmouth’.

St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth is one of the oldest churches in Britain, where Christians have gathered for more than 1300 years. This is a place of worship and prayer, ministry and mission.

St Peter’s was built in 674AD by Benedict Biscop, a pioneering monk who was given a grant of land by the Northumbrian King, Egfrith. Benedict built an important complex of church and monastic buildings in the Roman style, probably on the site of a settlement founded by Hilda of Whitby. Glaziers from Gaul (France) created the windows for Benedict’s church establishing Monkwearmouth as the birthplace of British stained glass.

Benedict's work was continued and expanded by his successor Ceolfrid, the second Abbot. Ceolfrid expanded the library and supervised the making of three copies of the Latin Bible, one of which, the Codex Amiatinus, survives today in Florence.

Ceolfrid’s pupil Bede began his monastic life here at fee age of 7. Bede grew up to be a gifted writer and he recounted the early history of St Peter's and of our sister church of St Paul at Jarrow in his Lives of the Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow. His History of the English Church and People is a unique account of life in 7th century Saxon Britain.

THE CAULD LAD OF HYLTON Today the two sides of the River Wear at Sunderland are linked by the steel arched Wearmouth Bridge of 1929 and the Queen Alexandra Bridge of 1909, though until the eighteenth century Sunderland was only linked to Hylton and Monkwearmouth on the north side of the Wear by means of a ferry.Hylton Castle, one of Sunderland's most historic buildings stood guard over an important ferry crossing of the Wear. It was built by one William De Hylton around 1400 and is most famous for its ghost called the `Cauld Lad o' Hylton'. This ghost is said to be the spirit, of a stable boy who was slain by a baron of Hylton in the sixteenth century. The unfortunate young man had been caught napping by the temperamental lord, who in a fit of rage brutally struck the boy with a pitch fork killing him instantly.

The ghost who may or may not carry his head under his arm, was occasionally seen and often heard by the domestic servants of Hylton Castle. Like all good poltergeists the Cauld Lad's favourite passtime was throwing dishes, plates and pewter, but this only happened if the Hylton kitchen had been left in a tidy state. Curiously if the servants left the kitchen untidy, the Cauld Lad would tidy it up. Naturally the servants took advantage and always left the kitchen untidy.The castle building was not the only place to be haunted by this mischievous ghost, for on occasions the Cauld Lad is known to have impersonated the boatman on the Hylton ferry, where after accepting fares he would leave his passengers stranded in the centre of the river.

The Royalty Theatre began life as the Union Congregational Church hall and the Sunderland Drama Club rented it from the church from just after the War on a permanent basis. The Club made many improvements, particularly during the sixties. New sound equipment was installed in 1961-2, and in the following year new lighting was bought and the Green Room redecorated. Then in 1965-6 a major improvement was carried out: the widening of the proscenium arch to give more playing space. Then came the day which the club had looked forward to for decades: in May 1969 it bought the church, the social centre, the caretaker's house, and, of course, the theatre, for the grand total of £6,705!

When the Sunderland Drama Club bought the premises in 1969, fund-raising became the order of the day - something that, perforce, continues now!

At the end of the 1968-9 season the Building Fund stood at £5,122, and a mortgage of £3,250 was obtained. Improvements and alterations, together with architects' fees and the purchase of a strip of land adjoining the theatre cost a total of £5,567 over the next four years. Set against these costs was the income from the sale of the church itself to Sunderland Corporation (it was later demolished for road improvements) for £4,000 and donations totalling £115 from local firms. A legacy of £1,796 helped, but the rest was raised through the efforts of the members.

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