Washington is a 'New Town' within the district of Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. Historically part of County Durham, it is the ancestral home of the Washington family, from whom the first U.S. President, George Washington, descended. Situated between Chester-le-Street, Gateshead, and Sunderland, Washington was designated a New Town in 1964 and became part of the Borough of Sunderland in 1974, which later became a city in 1992. 

Since its designation, Washington has expanded significantly, with new villages created and areas reassigned from Chester-le-Street to provide housing and employment for newcomers from surrounding regions and beyond. According to the 2011 census, Washington had a population of 67,085, up from 53,388 in 2001.

A new Heritage Research Group (HRG) meets monthly at the Washington Arts Centre to share local history and heritage research findings, and to map local history walks and heritage trails.

To join in with activities of the Washington Heritage Research Group, email [email protected] for details.

Read the latest minutes and study updates from the group here. Archive meeting minutes will appear here as the group progresses.

The WEA's HLF-funded 'Routes of Social Change' project is participating in the Washington Heritage Partnership's celebration of the 60th anniversary of the New Town's designation on 24th July, 1964 - "Washington 60".

Contact Matthew at [email protected] for details of a guided Heritage Trail to take place on Saturday, 6th July."

Other useful links:

Washington History Society, Washington
Facebook - Washington Heritage Partnership
Twitter - Washington Heritage Partnership
 

The George Washington Connection:
William de Wessyngton was an ancestor of George Washington, the first president of the United States, after whom the U.S. capital, a state, and many other places are named. Though George Washington's great-grandfather John Washington emigrated to Virginia from Northamptonshire in England's East Midlands, Washington Old Hall was the ancestral home of George Washington's family. The current structure includes remnants of the medieval home where they lived. Each year, American Independence Day is commemorated with a ceremony at Washington Old Hall.

Local Attractions:
Washington is home to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust nature reserve and the Washington 'F' Pit Mining Museum. The Washington Arts Centre, housed in a converted farm building, features a vibrant exhibition gallery, community theatre, artist studios, and a recording studio. The North East Land, Sea, and Air Museums (NELSAM) are located just north of the old RAF Usworth base, with much of the remaining area now occupied by the Nissan plant, which led to the closure of the municipal airport in 1984.

Industrial Heritage:
Washington had a significant coal industry, with several pits throughout the area. One such pit, in the Albany district, is preserved as the 'F' Pit Museum. Many of Washington's old communities developed around these pits. Supporting the mines, a series of wagonways and later railway lines transported coal to Staithes on the River Wear, where it was loaded onto barges and taken to seagoing vessels at Sunderland.

Historical Figures:
Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell and his wife Margaret, grandparents of Gertrude Bell, lived in Washington New Hall on The Avenue. After Margaret's death in 1871, Sir Isaac established an orphanage in the house, named Dame Margaret Home in her honour. It later became a Dr. Barnardo's home until World War II. After the war, the National Coal Board took over the building as a training centre, and it subsequently became a children's home again.

Building the New Town:
Washington's development as a New Town aimed to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth. The town is divided into 18 residential "villages" and was initially organized into fifteen numbered districts. These numbered districts were abolished in 1983, though they persisted for some time on road signs and in postal addresses.

South Shields, with its important Roman, religious, and diverse industrial and trading history, is an ex-mining and shipbuilding town with six miles of coastline, nearly three miles of riverside, and a population of some 73,000. The town’s industrial past - fishing, glass-making, mining, shipbuilding, shipping, and local press - has been well-documented historically, and is of national and international significance. 

As documented by J.B. Priestley in his English Journey of 1934, the towns of South Shields, Jarrow, and Hebburn suffered greatly from unemployment in the depression years and, perhaps through necessity, evolved a proud history of volunteering and voluntary support groups, many linked to churches, and many not. Action Station on Boldon Lane was founded in 1998 by local residents, groups and churches to support the most disadvantaged residents of South Tyneside. 

It is a place where individuals and groups can access services and opportunities which will enhance their life chances and well-being - and it is the venue of a new Heritage Research Group (HRG) supported by the WEA’s ‘Routes of Social Change’ project. HRG members aim to meet socially every two weeks to explore, share, and document hidden layers and wider fields of local history and heritage whilst improving their own learning and skills in research, archiving, publication and dissemination.

Other useful links:

South Shields Local History Group

To join in with activities of the South Shields Heritage Research Group, email [email protected] for details.

Read the latest minutes and study updates from the group here. Archive meeting minutes will appear here as the group progresses.

South Shields, situated on the southern bank of the River Tyne's mouth, was known as Arbeia in Roman times and Caer Urfa by the Middle Ages. Archaeological evidence indicates habitation from the Late Mesolithic period. Discoveries at the site of Arbeia Roman Fort, which protected the main sea route to Hadrian's Wall from CE 129, include Stone Age arrowheads and an Iron Age roundhouse. Arbeia served as a crucial garrison and supply base for other forts along Hadrian's Wall, marking its importance in Roman Britain. The name "Arbeia" means "place of Arabs," possibly referring to a squadron of Mesopotamian boatmen from the Tigris (modern-day Iraq). Over its approximately 300-year Roman occupation, the fort housed infantry from Iberia and Gaul, along with Syrian archers and spearmen.

The name "South Shields" may derive from the northern Middle English word ‘schele’ or ‘shale’, related to the Old Frisian ‘skul' (hiding place) or the Old Norse ‘skjol' (shelter) and ‘skali' (hut). Locally, "Shields" is still used as an abbreviation and might have originally referred to a row of fishing family dwellings or upturned boat shells. Viking ship remains have reportedly been found in South Shields (Denmark Centre) and Jarrow.

Historical records indicate that Oswine, son of King Osric of Deira (mostly modern-day Yorkshire), was born in 'Caer Urfa'. The Venerable Bede mentions Oswine donating land to St. Hilda for a monastery foundation at Caer Urfa around CE 647. The present-day St. Hilda’s Church, near the Market Place, is believed to stand on this monastic site.

Early industries in South Shields included agriculture, salt panning from the 15th century, boat building, and fishing. During the English Civil War, two years after its outbreak, Scottish Covenanter allies of Parliament captured the town and its Royalist fortification, near the original Roman fort site, after a lengthy battle. The Royalist militia retreated to Hylton.

In the 19th century, coal mining, alkali production, glassmaking, railway development, shipping infrastructure, and maritime trade spurred significant growth in the town. The population surged from 12,000 in 1801 to 75,000 by the 1860s, driven by economic migration from Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of England. John Readhead & Sons shipyard, founded in 1865, was acquired by Swan Hunter in 1967 following the Geddes Report's recommendation to rationalize shipbuilding on the Tyne. Nationalized with Swan Hunter in 1977, the shipyard at South Shields closed in 1984