A monument to Tyneside’s industrial past has begun a new life as the river’s latest visitor attraction.

People will now be able to walk along part of Dunston Staiths on the Gateshead riverside to take in the spectacular views of the Tyne and its bridges.

It follows the completion of restoration work on 40 of the structure’s 98 timber frames, which were damaged in arson attacks.

A launch event at the staiths on Tuesday marked the opening of the “summer season” which will see the structure opened to visitors on Wednesdays and one day – to be decided- at weekends.

There will also be a programme of events and guided tours with details to be announced on www.dunstonstaiths.org .

Visitors will be able to take a 400-metre circular walk, using the upper and lower decks of the structure.

The repair operation to the staiths cost £470,000 with owners Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust receiving a grant of £418,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with cash also coming from English Heritage.

The 526-metre long listed staiths is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and is believed to be the largest timber structure in Europe.

The newly-formed Friends of Dunston Staiths will run the weekly open days.

The staiths are closed during the winter because, along with the adjacent salt marsh and mud flats, they are an important roosting site for a wide variety of birds.

Lottery Fund North East Area chairman and former Sunderland MP Chris Mullin said: “We’re delighted to see the reopening of Dunston Staiths. Thanks to national lottery players and the good work of all involved, the future of the staiths as a Tyneside landmark, and important link to our region’s past, has been secured.

“The project will provide opportunities for the local community and visitors to access this heritage, as well as providing a safe haven for wildlife.”

The restoration work was carried out by North East civil engineers Owen Pugh Construction, whose project team undertook land based repairs to remove and replace damaged timber, as well as more challenging work involving structural repair work over water.

Lee Buchanan, contracts manager at Owen Pugh Construction, said: “We’re really proud of the work undertaken on behalf of the Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust to restore Dunston Staiths which is an important reminder of the region’s coal mining past.”

Remember When:
The old Staithes at Dunston – then and Now

Dunston Staiths was constructed in 1893 by the North Eastern Railway to allow coal from collieries in Gateshead and County Durham to be loaded on to ships bound for London and the continent. The demise of the coal industry finally saw it close in 1982.

Leader of Gateshead Council, Mick Henry, said: “Dunston Staiths are a lasting symbol of Gateshead’s industrial strength and ingenuity. They’re also a vivid reminder of the enormous role that Gateshead played in the heavily-linked history of both the coal and railway industries.

“This restoration project will allow more people the chance to come along and learn about the history of the staiths and to truly appreciate this impressive structure.”

Martin Hulse, manager of Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust, said: “It has been an incredible journey to make the structure safe to allow the public to access. The launch event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the work and also to allow people to enjoy being back on the staiths.

“It was crucial to get people back on the staiths so that they can appreciate the enormity of the structure, and imagine all the collier vessels tied up alongside.”

It is hoped that pleasure cruise boats which work the Tyne will be able to call at the staiths to allow passengers to take a walk.

The task also starts now to raise more money to complete repairs on the remaining timber frames and to consider how to tackle the large gap left in the structure by the worst of the fires in 2003.

At its peak in the 1930s, the staiths loaded more than four million tons of coal a year on to collier boats.

There is a car park at the west end on Staiths Road, NE11 9DR.