This week Historic England launched an interactive map of some of our nationally protected historic coastal landmarks. It will be a celebration of our seaside heritage and is part of The Missing Pieces Project. The project invites the public to share pictures and stories of memorable places on the National Heritage list and celebrates nearly 300 years of seaside history.
The site includes Spanish City, St Mary’s Lighthouse and both Whitley Bay and Tynemouth railway stations. Our history as a seaside venue maybe more recent, as many seaside towns were, the result of the advent of the railways and of annual holidays for working people but our Coast remains a special place in many people’s hearts ad memories.
Heritage England invites photos, information and memories to try to better understand and appreciate the role seaside towns play. Some of my family’s photographs – mainly of Whitley Bay – with other families memories are part of a valuable social history. Smartly dressed men in suits and ties, everyone it seems putting clothes on to go onto the beach, a reflection of the unreliable weather in the North East. There are also stories of Scots Fortnight when perhaps Whitley Bay was at it’s height, before the advent of cheap flights to sunny Spain.
Of course our Coast is about more than just history. It is thanks to regeneration a vibrant living community. A great place to visit and to stay but also a great place to live. If you, your relations or friends would like to contribute your seaside memories you can visit http://historicengland.org.uk/SeasideStories