Mile End Road, Low Meeting House

The first Presbyterian church to be built in South Shields was at the head of Mile End Road and Long Bank in 1718. This was called the Low Meeting House. In 1778 there was a split in the congregation at the Low Meeting House following a dispute concerning who should be appointed minister. The 1827 Woods map shows a structure approximately in the above position labelled ‘Scotch Chapel Freehold’ which is probably this meeting house; the 1890s 10ft:1 mile town plan shows ‘Chapel Stairs’ immediately below this position.

The splinter group built a church in Heugh Street in 1789 and eventually became the Mile End Road Presbyterian Church (HER 17649).