At the mouth of the Tyne, on a rise above the river, stands a reconstructed Roman gateway that looks surprisingly new. It belongs to Arbeia, the Roman fort at South Shields, which supplied the soldiers along Hadrian's Wall and was built, strategically, to guard the entrance to the river. Ships unloaded grain and other goods here, and the stores were carried along the Wall's line, so this was the logistical heart of the frontier. Reconstructed buildings, including the gatehouse, a barrack and a commander's house, show how it looked, and the museum holds finds from the site.
South Shields is a town of about eighty-four thousand people, with a working harbour, a long beach and a lively market. The Shields Ferry crosses the river to North Shields in a few minutes, and the view of fishing boats and container ships is wonderful. The novelist Catherine Cookson was born in the town, and her story is told locally. The seafront has amusements, ice cream and a famous tradition of fish and chips, so a bag of those on the sea wall is the thing to do.
Further along the coast, the Souter Lighthouse at Whitburn, the first in the world designed to be powered by electricity, stands in red and white stripes, and the Marsden Rock, a sea stack, is a short ride south. Hadrian's Wall began at Wallsend, across the river, where another fort, Segedunum, has an excellent museum and a viewing tower. Fuel and food are easy in any direction.
Riding around Tyneside is mostly urban, with dual carriageways, bridges and the Tyne Tunnel, which charges a toll. Escape west along the Tyne valley or south along the coast for quieter lanes. Weather is changeable, with cool sea breezes even in summer, and the haar, the sea fog, can roll in suddenly. Early spring and autumn are best for clear days, and winter can be bleak, but the harbour has a stark beauty.