Whitley Bay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitley Bay |
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| Town | |
.jpg) Along the bay |
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 Whitley Bay
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| Population | 36,623 (2011 census) |
| OS grid reference | NZ3572 |
| Metropolitan borough |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WHITLEY BAY |
| Postcode district | NE25, NE26 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Whitley Bay is a fun seaside town located in Tyne and Wear, England. It's part of the North Tyneside area and used to be in Northumberland until 1974. The town is about 10 miles (16 km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne. Two famous spots here are the Spanish City, which has a cool domed roof, and St. Mary's Lighthouse, found on a small island close to the town.
Contents
History of Whitley Bay
Early Days
Whitley was first mentioned around the year 1100. Back then, King Henry I gave the land to the Priory of Tynemouth. Over time, its name changed a few times, like Witelei and Whitlaw.
In the 1300s, a man named Gilbert de Whitley got special permission from King Edward III to add battlements to his house. This was a big deal and showed his high status. It also suggested that even this far south, people felt a bit unsafe during wars with Scotland.
After the monasteries were closed down, Whitley became property of the King. Eventually, it came into the hands of the Duke of Northumberland's family, who still own much of the land today.
Becoming a Seaside Resort
In the late 1800s, coal mining in the area started to decline. But Whitley Bay found a new purpose: it became a popular seaside resort! This was helped by the opening of a new railway line in 1882, which connected the town to Newcastle. This made it easy for people to visit for holidays. The old railway line is now used by the Metro system, and the stations are still in use.
The town was originally just called Whitley. But mail often got mixed up with Whitby in North Yorkshire. The biggest mix-up happened in 1901 when a body meant for burial in Whitley was sent to Whitby by mistake! After that, the town council asked for new name ideas, and "Whitley Bay" was the most popular choice. Even today, many locals still call it "Whitley."
Whitley Bay became its own borough in 1954. However, in 1974, big changes in local government meant that most of Whitley Bay, including Monkseaton, became part of the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside.
Exploring Whitley Bay
Geography and Coastline
Whitley Bay is right on the coast, facing the North Sea. It's about 10 miles (16 km) east of Newcastle upon Tyne.
One of the most famous landmarks is St Mary's Island, which is a small island connected to the mainland by a path that appears at low tide. This is where you'll find the beautiful lighthouse. If you look closely at the cliffs near the beach, you can even see coal seams! At low tide, you might even find pieces of coal on the beach.
Getting Around
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The Tyne and Wear Metro is a great way to travel around Whitley Bay and to nearby cities like Newcastle. The yellow line runs through the town, with stations like Whitley Bay, Monkseaton, West Monkseaton, and Cullercoats. A trip to Newcastle city centre takes about 25 minutes.
You can also get around by bus, with different companies operating routes in the town.
Education for Young People
Whitley Bay has two main high schools: Whitley Bay High School and Monkseaton High School. The town uses a three-tier school system, which means students go to first school, then middle school, and finally high school.
Regenerating the Town
Whitley Bay has seen a lot of improvements recently! A big project was bringing the Spanish City back to life. This famous domed building, built in 1912, used to be a theme park. After being closed for a while, it reopened in July 2018 and is now a popular place for food and entertainment.
Other improvements include a skatepark that opened in 2008, a children's play park, and refurbished swimming pool and the Playhouse theatre. A new library and tourist information office also opened in 2013.
Sports in Whitley Bay
Football Fun
Whitley Bay F.C. is the town's football team, and they play at Hillheads Park. The stadium can hold about 4,500 fans. The club has had amazing success, winning the FA Vase (a cup for amateur teams) four times! They won in 2002, and then three years in a row from 2009 to 2011, which is a really rare achievement!
Ice Hockey Action
The Whitley Bay Ice Rink is home to the Whitley Warriors Ice Hockey Club. This team was very successful in the 1980s and early 1990s, playing against rivals like the Durham Wasps.
Rugby Union
Whitley Bay Rockcliff RFC is the local rugby union team, founded in 1887. They are often called "Rockcliff." In their early days, they were one of the strongest teams in England and even beat the famous Barbarians team in 1892!
Places of Worship
Whitley Bay has several churches and mosques for different faiths:
- Baptist churches
- Whitley Bay
- Whitley Lodge
- Roman Catholic churches
- St Edward's
- St Mary's
- Church of England churches
- St Alban's, Earsdon
- St Mary's, Monkseaton
- St Paul's
- St Peter's, Monkseaton
- Free Churches
- Havana
- The Bay
- Acorn Community
- Methodist church
- St John's
- United Reformed Church
- St Andrew's, Monkseaton
- Mosques
- Whitley Bay Islamic Cultural Centre
- North Tyneside Bangladeshi Community Association
Famous People from Whitley Bay
Many interesting people have connections to Whitley Bay:
- Gladstone Adams – He invented the windscreen wiper!
- Kate Adie – A well-known news reporter for BBC News.
- Michael Bridges – A former football player for teams like Newcastle United.
- Ann Cleeves – A popular author.
- L Devine – A singer-songwriter.
- Sam Fender – A famous singer and songwriter who went to Whitley Bay High School.
- Toby Flood – An international rugby union player for England.
- John Gilroy – An artist famous for his Guinness advertisements.
- Ian La Frenais – A comedy writer known for shows like The Likely Lads and Porridge.
- Will Lenney – A popular YouTuber.
- John Middleton – An actor known for Emmerdale.
- Peter Ramage – A former football player for Newcastle United.
- Andrea Riseborough – An actor.
- Steven Taylor – Another football player.
- Stephen Tompkinson – An actor who lives in Whitley Bay.
- Hilton Valentine – The guitarist from the famous band The Animals.
See also
- Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East England
- Whitley Bay Pier
Images for kids
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The Links, a green area near the coast.
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Buses on Whitley Road, a main street.
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An abandoned amusement arcade on the seafront, now demolished.
