Kings Meadow Island

Kings Meadow Island (alternatively King's Meadow Island, or Kingsmeadow Island) was a flat island in the River Tyne in Northumberland, between Elswick on the north bank and Dunston on the south, near Gateshead, England.[1][2] A smaller island, Little Annie lay nearby.[1] The islands were removed by dredging between 1862 and 1887 by the Tyne Improvement Commission, to make it easier for river traffic to pass.[1]

Kings Meadow Island
The Tyne at Gateshead by Thomas Miles Richardson
Geography
LocationRiver Tyne
Coordinates54.9591°N 1.6434°W / 54.9591; -1.6434
Administration
CountyNorthumberland
Additional information
Removed between 1862 and 1887
The dredging of Kings Meadow Island
Kings Meadow Island on a map pre-dating the 1880s.

During the siege of Newcastle, in 1644, Scottish sentries were posted on Kings Meadow, shooting dead at least one man who attempted to sail past.[1]

In the 18th century, a public house, the 'Countess of Coventry', operated on Kings Meadow.[1]

A regatta and horse racing were held on Kings Meadow, annually until 1850.[1] It was also used for greyhound racing.[3]

Kingsmeadow Community Comprehensive School, nearby, is named for the island.[1]

References
  1. "Kingsmeadow Island". Dunston, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  2. Morton, David (27 February 2017). "Cock-fighting, coal and a vanished island on the Tyne". nechronicle. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  3. "Kings Meadow Racecourse". Greyhound Derby. Retrieved 14 March 2020.

Further reading
  • Berriman, Geoffrey (2016). Islands of England - The North East and Yorkshire. Summerhill Books. ISBN 9781911385028.
  • Skelton, Leona J. (2017). Tyne after Tyne: an Environmental History of a River's Battle for Protection, 1529-2015. White Horse Press. ISBN 978-1874267959.
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