North Shields, North Tyneside
Lloyds Hailing Station
Last Updated:
4 Apr 2023
North Shields, North Tyneside
This is a
Hailing Station
55.009114, -1.430625
Founded in
Current status is
Ruined
Designer (if known):
Foundations still extant but dilapidated.
NEHL - Near the Old Low Light and the Fish Quay is the remains of the Lloyds Hailing Station. It was an important method of record keeping, tracking the movements and status of ships coming in and out of the Tyne.
There was a timber watchhouse at the end of the pier, and the stationed fellow used to quite literally hail to ships requesting their cargo and end destination for this to be recorded in the Lloyd's Register of Shipping. There were various classifications which shipyards and slipways were tied to. For example, covered berths earned a higher classification which provided a substantive increase to their reputation.
The station closed in 1969, though the jetty and its timber foundations are still standing. The hut mysteriously disappeared in 2003.
Listing Description (if available)
Both Ordnance Survey maps above show the Lloyds Hailing Station between the 1890s and 1910s. The first, dated from 1896, shows the jetty without its wooden hut which was washed away in the early 2000s. It was a relatively new structure at this point - The Fish Quay undertook a dramatic transformation having previously being a shipyard. It was probably constructed at the time time around a decade earlier.
The 1915 map shows the hut added. Vessels would come very close, though must have been difficult to communicate on stormy days.
The 1947 edition shows a very similar scene, with the Clifford's Fort area experiencing limited change in the inter-war years.
The remains of the jetty shown here. There used to be, and likely still is, two slipways for lifeboats. They are probably buried underneath the sand.
The wooden hut on the end of the jetty, undated. It was painted white, and likely had comfortable accommodations for the worker serving their shift. Posted by Ken Hastie on Facebook.
Photograph of the hailing station in 1960, with the Norwegian Oil Tanker 'Höegh Spear' moving in close to provide details of their journey. Source: Copyright of James Scott, https://www.jimscott.co.uk/Local/LH_120_Lloyds_hailing_station.html