Newcastle upon Tyne (England)

Newcastle upon Tyne is a large port city in Tyne and Wear (metro county in North East England), located approx 165 km (103 mi) south of Edinburgh (Scotland) and approx 446 km (277 mi) north of London. Port of Tyne is on River Tyne and approx 14 km (9 mi) from North Sea. By urban population (around 300,000), Newcastle is North East England's largest city. By metro population (around 1,65 million) Tyneside (conurbation/metro region) is ranked UK's 8th largest - following London, Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, Glasgow, Liverpool, and South Hampshire.

Port Tyne (locode GBTYN) is the gateway to England's northernmost region Northumbria. The city attracts tourists with its modern infrastructure, architecture, entertainment options, classy atmosphere. The city is served by Newcastle Airport, located approx 10 km (6 mi) from downtown (near Ponteland). The main airport-city connection is the Tyne and Wear Metro (railway system) with travel time ~20 min. By annual passenger traffic (around 10 million) the airport is ranked UK's 10th largest and connects Newcastle to over 90 global destinations.

Port of Tyne

Port Newcastle as facilities comprises all the commercial docks on River Tyne (total area ~250 hectares / 2,5 km2 / 1 mi2). Its Gross Value Added for 2018 was GBP 690 million. Port's shipping operations support around 14,000 North East England jobs.

Port's cruising season is May through September. Most popular itineraries are Norwegian Fjords and Russia-Scandinavia.

Port's growth started in the 13th century. Back then, Newcastle was ranked England's 6th largest export port, with the country's principal exports at that time being wool, timber, coal, dairy products, fish, salt, hides. Much of the shipping trade was with countries in the Baltic Sea (mainly with Germany). From the 16th-century onward, the port's growth was mainly based on coal export.

In the late-19th century, the Port's river channel was deepened to 10 m (32 ft). Then were also built the two main piers (North and South), Tyne and Albert Edward Docks, and Northumberland county was formed. In 1928 was opened Tyne Commission Quay (now Northumbrian Quay) at North Shields, where was handled the cargo shipping trade with Bergen Norway.

Port of Tyne Authority manages the port since 1968. Port's current-day trade is based mainly on UK-made cars export. The port has 2x car terminals, 1x cruise terminal (Northumbrian Quay) and 1x ferry terminal (North Shields). Regularly scheduled cruiseferries connect Newcastle with Amsterdam (Holland). Currently, the company DFDS Seaways offers 7 weekly crossings to Amsterdam, with travel time 16 hours. As alternatives to this route are offered crossings between Harwich and Hook of Holland, as well as Hull-Rotterdam and Hull-Zeebrugge (Belgium),

Port of Tyne's cruising business started on August 30, 1999, with the arrival of the Cunard's liner Royal Viking Sun (now Amera). For 20 years (1999-2019), the cruise port has been invested ~GBP 8 million in passenger facilities, including GBP 5 million in Northumbrian Quay's redevelopment/extension into a dedicated cruise ship dock/berth. In the period 1999-2019, the cruise port handled a total of 450 ship calls and 700,000+ tourists from 60 different companies. For season 2019, Port Tyne's International Passenger Terminal had scheduled 59 cruise ship calls (berth bookings), including 10 turnarounds/roundtrips by the homeported here MS Marella Explorer (Marella Cruises).

All cruise vessels dock at the North Shields ferry terminal's pier (adjacent to Royal Quays Marina). Port's cruising business adds approx GBP 55-60 million and creates over 1700 related jobs for UK's North East economy. The cruise port's 2017 schedule had the all-time highest number of ship calls - 50. For comparison, in 2016 this number was 44.

Season 2017's scheduled cruise ship calls were 52, including 19 port-transit itineraries and 33 turnarounds (roundtrips) to Baltic and Mediterranean destinations, like Iberia, German waterways, Russia (St Petersburg) and various UK-based itineraries (around Britain and Ireland). Among the port's largest customers in 2017 were the companies Fred Olsen, CMV UK, AIDA, DCL-Disney. Newcomers docking in the region were NCL Norwegian and TUI. In 2017, the port handled around 120,000 cruise passengers and 600,000 ferry passengers (DFDS SEAWAYS). Containership trade volumes increased by 8% (mainly manufacturing parts, recycled materials, raw tea export to Canada). The port now handles over 40% of UK’s total raw tea import.

In June 2018 was announced port business growth, following the completion of investment projects at South Shields (started in 2017) of over GBP 100 million. South Shields' new facilities can handle now larger volumes of wood pellets. Also updated were the port's infrastructure and equipment. By automotive trade (number of cars exported from here) Port’ of Tyne is ranked UK’s 2nd largest (after Southampton).

In early-March 2019, the Port received GBP 60 million (~EUR 70 million) refinancing from Lloyds Bank (British commercial bank) to support port's infrastructure development program. The 5-year deal comprised GBP 30 million revolving credit plus GBP 30 million term loan. By this program was also upgraded the port's container terminal (1991-opened, sized 20 acres / 81,000 m2). The GBP 2 million investment resulted in the terminal's extension (by 40%) and reconfiguration, repositioning the heavy-duty weighbridge. Terminal's new annual TEU capacity is ~100,000. here are handled containerized cargoes like tea (~1/3rd of UK’s import), clothing, consumer goods, furniture, machinery, recovered (by-products and waste) materials.

On May 13, 2020, was announced the plan for the construction of an Operations and Maintenance Base at Port of Tyne. The facility (office space and a warehouse) will serve the Dogger Bank Wind Farm in the North Sea. The offshore wind farm complex (currently the world’s biggest) is located approx 120-290 km (80-180 mi) off England's (Yorkshire) coast.

• Dogger Bank Wind Farm is currently under construction, being developed by the Forewind consortium that includes the companies SSE plc (Scottish and Southern Energy / Scotland), RWE AG (Germany), Equinor ASA (Norway / fka StatoilHydro) and Statkraft AS (Norway).
• Dogger Bank Wind Farm will generate ~5% of the UK’s electricity. The offshore complex is a 50:50 joint venture of Equinor and SSE Renewables (subsidiary of SSE plc). Offshore construction works started in January 2020.
• Planned to become fully operational in 2023, Dogger Bank Wind Farm's expected lifespan is ~25 years. The energy project has an estimated capital cost of ~GBP 9 billion (~USD 11 B / ~EUR 10,2 B) with investments in the period 2020-2026. 

Newcastle upon Tyne cruise terminal

Newcastle upon Tyne tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

• Tyne Bridges: there are six, best known are three of them. The High Level Bridge is the oldest one and dates from the 1850s and was designed by Robert Stephenson. The second oldest, Swing Bridge, dates from 1876 and its designer is Sir W. G. Armstrong. The bridge that is the symbol of Newcastle is Tyne Bridge. Its official opening was in 1928 by King George V. It used to be the bridge with the largest arch until it was surpassed by the Australian Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Quayside/Sandhill: great place to wander among old small houses, interesting shops and welcoming restaurants. The district is near High Level and Tyne Bridges. You can also find several historic buildings (for example – the Merchants’ Court and Guildhall).
• St Nicholas Cathedral: located on Mosley Street. The cathedral was built in the period 14th -15th century. It gained it cathedral status (of parish church) in 1882. The building impresses both by architecture and interior.
• Queen Victoria Memorial: located on St Nicholas Square. Its author is Sir Alfred Gilbert and it dates from 1900.
• Chares: the Old City is to the Tyne Bridge’s east. Most popular attractions are the Trinity House and the Custom House.
• Trinity Maritime Centre: located on Broad Chare. Explore the history of the city and its port.
• Church of All Saints: dates from the 18th century. It is neo-Clasical  work of David Stephenson.