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business at the Tyne
Customs House, and that North and South Shields were being finically disadvantaged compared to other towns which had their own customs houses. They pointed towards the custom house branch which was already situated in North Shields. Although it not have the independence sought by the people of Shields, it represented a space in which customs activities could be exercised. The Board of Customs agreed that customs facilities could be established at North and South Shields. The North Shields custom house commenced operation in April 1848 and Shields Harbour formally became an independent Customs Port separated from
152:
340:
construction began in 1863 of a custom house and office for the Marine Board in South
Shields. The building was completed the following year with a total cost was approximately ÂŁ3,000, and opened in July. The construction of the custom house was also indicative of the contemporary development throughout the local area. In 1865, another memo was sent to the Treasury setting out the case for an independent custom house. The Treasury agreed to the request, and South Shields custom house commenced operation on 1 October of that year.
159:
394:
The building contains two theatres with 437 and 145 seats, art galleries, and a restaurant and bar. The nearby warehouses on Dalton Lane were refurbished in 2004 and became offices, a rehearsal space and community room. The main
Customs House building and the warehouses are linked by a glass bridge.
200:
in 1848. South
Shields was granted customs independence from North Shields in 1865, in part due to the construction of the new custom house building in the town. An extension was added to the building in 1878 to house the Marine Board offices. In the 1970s, the decline of the local shipping industry
339:
and alkali manufacturing. Campaigners for an independent custom house in South
Shields were faced with the reality that there was a lack of an adequate physical location from which to conduct business; an application made to the Treasury in 1862 was rejected solely on this basis. To allay concerns,
281:
Designated as a Grade II listed building on
January 25, 1978, The Customs House is among four of such structures in the Mill Dam Conservation Area. In the 1990s, a further extension was added to the Customs House. It is in a different style to the main buildings from the 1800s, but does not detract
364:
for the freehold of the “Former
Mercantile Marine Offices”. It stated that the successful purchaser would be responsible for restoration and described the space as suitable for “a wide range of uses … including commercial and entertainment”. Among the suggested potential functions for the building
318:
An application was finally successful in 1847. That year, a group of shipping merchants from North and South
Shields petitioned the Treasury for an independent custom house to be situated in Shields. They argued that vessels had to travel an excessive distance along the river in order to conduct
385:
The
Customs House opened in November 1994 as an arts and entertainment venue with two theatres and art gallery facilities. As part of the restoration and funding, the Customs House assumed responsibility for local arts development. Tyne and Wear Development Corporation also bought a set of old
334:
Following the separation between the
Shields and Newcastle customs houses, focus moved towards a further split between North and South Shields. It became evident that North and South Shields did not conduct equal business; South Shields handled greater quantities of cargo than North Shields,
343:
An extension to the building was opened in December 1878 to house the local Marine Board offices. It was designed by J. H. Morton, cost approximately ÂŁ2,400-2,500 and consisted of additional frontage to the building, a court, waiting room, office and examination room.
224:. It has been renovated to contain two theatres, art galleries, a restaurant and bar. In 2004, The nearby warehouses on Dalton Lane were refurbished and turned into offices, a rehearsal space and community room. The organisation is managed by the
252:. The original building, built from 1863-1864, was designed by architect and surveyor of the borough T. M. Clemence. In 1878, an extension to the building was constructed, designed by J. H. Morton, which housed the local Marine Board offices.
373:
confirmed plans for the restoration and extension of the building as an arts centre, as well as providing ÂŁ2.5 million of funding for the building and renovation work. The new organisation itself would be run by the
1094:
303:. Since 1815, shipowners at Shields had campaigned for a custom house to be stationed at the harbour, where a large amount of the River's industry took place. Applications for customs houses at both
1015:
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sits at the top and centre of the building. The front of the building displays a coat of arms sculpted by Thos William. Around the side of the building are more windows framed by
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In the 1970s, the custom house building became derelict due to the decline of the shipping industry. In 1979, a “for sale” notice was published in the
270:. An additional smaller arch sits at each side of the entrance. On the first floor, above the arches, are three semi-circular windows. A triangular
266:
and Heworth stone dressings. It has two floors; the original ground floor entrance to the building sits behind three arches each supported by a
60:
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Before an independent custom house was established at the harbour of Shields, all vessels doing business on the Tyne had to be cleared at the
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workshops on Dalton Lane, refitting them as an office, rehearsal, community and storage space for the Customs House in 1994.
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Customs House Trust Ltd. The current Executive Director of the Customs House, until March 2024, is Ray Spencer MBE.
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and triangular pediments. The 1878 extension was built in the same style as the original construction.
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The Borough of South Shields : From The Earliest Period To The Close Of The Nineteenth Century
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led a restoration effort and extension of the building, transforming it into an arts centre.
1052:
A Place for the Community?: Tyne and Wear Development Corporation's Approach To Regeneration
544:
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192:, built to facilitate the import and export of goods at Shields Harbour. Before 1865, both
209:
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980:"'Mr South Shields'- Ray Spencer MBE steps down from Customs House after nearly 30 years"
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and South Shields operated as a single customs port following their separation from the
335:
stationed more vessels, and the south of the river was home to more industry including
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914:. Vol. 955. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 3 August 1978.
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is an arts and entertainment venue in the Mill Dam Conservation Area of
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680:"The Customs' Division Of The Tyne. Public Meeting At South Shields"
878:"For Sale Former Mercantile Marine Offices Mill Dam, South Shields"
351:
325:
235:
1119:
744:"Proposed Division Of The Port Of Tyne. Meeting At South Shields"
1093:
South Tyneside Council Neighbourhood Services (September 2006).
1016:
Holborn Riverside South Shields Tyne And Wear Heritage Statement
1043:. Paternoster Square and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: Walter Scott Ltd.
1040:
The Making of the Tyne : A Record of Fifty Years' Progress
39:
entrance to the Customs House facing northwest towards the
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In 1846 and 1847, North Shields imported no cargo at all.
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614:
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South Tyneside Destination Management Plan 2017 - 2022
770:"The Newcastle Corporation and the Tyne Custom Houses"
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and South Shields were continually turned down by the
1032:. Newcastle Upon Tyne: Andrew Reid & Company Ltd.
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The theatre and restaurant were refurbished in 2016.
201:
meant the custom house became derelict. In 1992, the
158:
248:of South Shields and sits on the south bank of the
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View of the Customs House on the River Tyne (left).
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954:South Tyneside Council Neighbourhood Services 2006
602:South Tyneside Council Neighbourhood Services 2006
575:South Tyneside Council Neighbourhood Services 2006
477:South Tyneside Council Neighbourhood Services 2006
330:A photo of the front of the Customs House (left).
1095:Mill Dam Conservation Area Character Appraisal
590:Archaeological Services Durham University 2020
244:The Customs House is the main feature of the
8:
808:"Mr C. M. Palmer On The Depression Of Trade"
549:"Former merchant marine offices (1232273)"
367:South Shields Marine and Technical College
262:style. It is characterised by white brick
29:
20:
1141:Buildings and structures in South Shields
356:The modern entrance to the Customs House
18:Historic site in Mill Dam, South Shields
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282:from the overall architectural theme.
371:Tyne and Wear Development Corporation
203:Tyne and Wear Development Corporation
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7:
927:"ÂŁ2.5m arts centre job up for grabs"
850:"Customs Imports A Wealth Of Talent"
489:
487:
485:
398:The Customs House is managed by the
382:, and other local representatives.
1056:. Great Britain: The Policy Press.
848:Brownlee, Nick (21 December 1994).
453:Equivalent to roughly ÂŁ300361 today
365:included a radar simulator for the
311:, in part due to pressure from the
925:Woods, Natasha (9 December 1992).
554:National Heritage List for England
14:
255:The Customs House was built in a
208:The Customs House is a Grade II
157:
150:
911:Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
978:Lake, Evie (11 January 2024).
886:. 24 November 1979. p. 30
776:. 14 September 1865. p. 2
188:. It opened in July 1864 as a
1:
814:. 13 December 1878. p. 5
906:"Ships' Officers (Training)"
812:The Newcastle Weekly Courant
220:stone dressings, arches and
1026:Hodgson, George B. (1903).
774:The Newcastle Daily Journal
750:. 24 August 1865. p. 3
710:The Newcastle Daily Journal
706:"The Custom House Question"
686:. 24 August 1865. p. 3
684:The Newcastle Daily Journal
444:Equivalent to ÂŁ372584 today
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348:Renovation into arts venue
246:Mill Dam Conservation Area
1136:Theatres in Tyne and Wear
748:Newcastle Daily Chronicle
712:. 8 April 1848. p. 3
495:"About the Customs House"
390:Facilities and management
228:Customs House Trust Ltd.
166:Location in Tyne and Wear
145:
141:
137:
99:
28:
1071:South Tyneside Council.
1048:Russell, Hilary (1998).
1010:Archaeological Services
412:History of South Shields
1146:Arts centres in England
1037:Johnson, R. W. (1895).
198:Newcastle Customs House
966:South Tyneside Council
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90:Architectural style(s)
497:. Customs House. 2019
355:
329:
239:
323:for the first time.
94:Classical Italianate
985:The Shields Gazette
797:, pp. 201–202.
669:, pp. 200–201.
645:, pp. 199–200.
378:, the Corporation,
216:and decorated with
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332:
297:Tyne Customs House
242:
130:Reference no.
1014:(November 2020).
1012:Durham University
956:, pp. 12–13.
855:Evening Chronicle
577:, pp. 22–23.
362:Newcastle Journal
313:Newcastle Hostmen
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210:listed building
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1102:. Retrieved
1080:. Retrieved
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989:. Retrieved
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937:. Retrieved
935:. p. 47
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888:. Retrieved
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860:. Retrieved
858:. p. 10
853:
843:
836:Russell 1998
816:. Retrieved
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795:Hodgson 1903
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778:. Retrieved
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764:
752:. Retrieved
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731:Johnson 1895
726:
714:. Retrieved
709:
700:
688:. Retrieved
683:
674:
667:Hodgson 1903
662:
655:Johnson 1895
650:
643:Hodgson 1903
638:
631:Hodgson 1903
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619:Johnson 1895
597:
592:, p. 8.
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558:. Retrieved
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499:. Retrieved
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232:Architecture
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190:custom house
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1004:Works cited
932:The Journal
883:The Journal
337:glass works
276:architraves
1130:Categories
1104:13 January
1082:14 January
991:21 January
939:14 January
890:14 January
862:14 January
818:14 January
780:19 January
754:14 January
716:19 January
690:19 January
501:21 January
418:References
260:Italianate
250:River Tyne
122:Designated
108:– Grade II
52:Mill Dam,
41:River Tyne
37:Italianate
1021:(Report).
560:7 January
461:Citations
321:Newcastle
264:sandstone
257:Classical
222:pediments
214:sandstone
82:Architect
1100:(Report)
1078:(Report)
406:See also
309:Treasury
272:pediment
49:Location
400:charity
286:History
226:charity
218:Heworth
133:1232273
1060:
1098:(PDF)
1076:(PDF)
1019:(PDF)
423:Notes
305:North
74:Built
1106:2024
1084:2024
1058:ISBN
993:2024
941:2024
892:2024
864:2024
820:2024
782:2024
756:2024
718:2024
692:2024
562:2024
503:2024
268:pier
176:The
77:1863
35:The
315:.
299:on
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852:.
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772:.
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