Member Article

Historic almshouses? conservation call

People living in a conservation area on South Tyneside are being asked for their views on how the cottages should be protected for future generations. Mariners Cottages in South Shields is a historic enclave of two neat single-storey terraces and enclosed gardens within surrounding two and three-story dwellings. Each terrace of cottages and the two sets of garden boundary walls and railings are separately Grade 2 listed. South Tyneside Council is particularly interested in any knowledge that residents have about the buildings or area that may be relevant to its local history and special nature.Councillor Michael Clare, Lead Member for Environment, Housing and Transport, said: “The cottages are a fascinating collection of early Victorian almshouses which illustrate the wealth of the seafaring community and the respect in which it was held by our forebears. Perhaps more than anything in the Borough, Mariners Cottages link us directly to our past and our maritime heritage.” The cottages were built between 1843 and 1862 by the South Shields Master Mariners Asylum and Annuity Society with the aim of providing care for aged members, widows and orphans. Copies of the draft Mariners Cottages character appraisal can be seen at the Planning Department at South Shields Town Hall and the town’s Central Library. You can also view the document via the council’s website at www.southtyneside.info/planning where a response link is provided.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .