Kings Meadow Island

Kings Meadow Island (alternatively King's Meadow Island, or Kingsmeadow Island) was a flat island in the River Tyne in Northumberland, between Elswick on the north bank and Dunston on the south, near Gateshead, England.[1][2] A smaller island, Little Annie lay nearby.[1] The islands were removed by dredging between 1862 and 1887 by the Tyne Improvement Commission, to make it easier for river traffic to pass.[1]

Kings Meadow Island
The Tyne at Gateshead by Thomas Miles Richardson
Geography
LocationRiver Tyne
Coordinates54.9591°N 1.6434°W / 54.9591; -1.6434
Administration
CountyNorthumberland
Additional information
Removed between 1862 and 1887
The dredging of Kings Meadow Island
Kings Meadow Island on an old map

During the siege of Newcastle, in 1644, Scottish sentries were posted on Kings Meadow, shooting dead at least one man who attempted to sail past.[1]

In the 18th century, a public house, the 'Countess of Coventry', operated on Kings Meadow.[1]

A regatta and horse racing were held on Kings Meadow, annually until 1850.[1] It was also used for greyhound racing.[3]

Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School, nearby, is named for the island.[1]

References
  1. "Kingsmeadow Island". Dunston, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. Morton, David (27 February 2017). "Cock-fighting, coal and a vanished island on the Tyne". nechronicle. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. "Kings Meadow Racecourse". Greyhound Derby. Retrieved 14 March 2020.

Further reading
  • Berriman, Geoffrey (2016). Islands of England - The North East and Yorkshire. Summerhill Books. ISBN 9781911385028.
  • Skelton, Leona J. (2017). Tyne after Tyne: an Environmental History of a River's Battle for Protection, 1529-2015. White Horse Press. ISBN 978-1874267959.
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