Ferry Street, ferry landing

The distinctive new ferry landing, built by Harbour & General, was officially opened in July 1999. It consists of a 50m steel bridge leading to a 32 square metre reinforced concrete pontoon. The landing provides three berths as well as an indoor waiting room and offices. The landing was built at the Pallion Yard in Sunderland and transported by sea as a floating vessel. The landing itself is made of watertight concrete and the workshop buildings and waiting room were built on top later. It was named Maisie’s Landing after Councillor Maisie Stewart, who at the time was Lord Mayor of South Shields. The name was chosen through a competition in the South Shields Gazette.
There have been ferries across the Tyne since the 14th Century and this is the only service that remains. The ferry service makes just under 25,000 journeys a year and carries nearly 400,000 passengers a year. There are two vessels that operate the service, currently The Pride of the Tyne (1993) and The Spirit of the Tyne (2007). LOCAL LIST