Tyne and Wear is situated in the North East of England, and was created by the local government act in 1972. The county of Tyne and Wear is made up of five unique areas of Gateshead, Newcastle , North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland . These five unique areas border the two main rivers in the county, the Tyne and the Wear, where the region derived its name from. The Romans were potentially responsible for the rivers having a key role in the development, as it was they who used the two rivers as a defense when building forts as part of Hadrian's Wall .

During the industrial revolution the two rivers were used for transportation purposes, which resorted in the rapid growth of the two regions. Tyne and Wear were to first inherit their industrial fortune by wool and than later followed coal. However the steel industry played a major key role by making it the biggest shipbuilding region in the world.

Some of the most valued historic monuments on the Tyne and Wear are used for every day use to aide transportation is the bridges, with some of them dating 157 years old. However the first bridge on the Tyne and Wear was built by Romans, but fell to disrepair. The oldest bridge on Tyne and Wear that is still standing is the High Level Bridge , which dates 157 years old. The High Level Bridge is used for road and railway pedestrians. The bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson. The bridge was completed in 1849, and was the first example of a wrought iron bridge. Close after the High Level bridge was the Swing Bridge which dates to 130 years old. Work started on the Swing Bridge in 1873, but didn't open to road traffic until the 15 th June 1876. Approximately 1 month after opening the bridge to road traffic, it was decided to open to river traffic as well. Before the Swing Bridge was built there was already a bridge on site which had to be demolished to enable bigger ships to move upstream. On the 10 th June 1909 the Queen Alexandra Bridge was officially opened by Queen Alexandra. The bridge was designed by Chris A Harrison and built by Sir William Arrol. The bridge is used as a pedestrian and road traffic bridge. The most famous out of all the bridges on Tyne and Wear is The Tyne Bridge. It was officially opened on the 10 th October 1928 by King George V. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hat and Anderson, and built by Dorman Long Co. The latest bridge to be built on the Tyne and Wear is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge , which is a significant tourist attraction. It was opened on the 17 th September 2001 to the public, and is now used as a foot and cycle bridge.

Another historic monument that people pass everyday is situated in the centre of Newcastle Upon Tyne . Grey's Monument is a statue of Lord Grey, which marks the passing of the Great Reform Bill in 1832. The statue was designed by John and Benjamin Green, and is 135 feet tall and consists of 164 steps, which in summer you can pay a £1 and walk the steps.

Some other historic attractions in Tyne and Wear include The Castle Keep, which is situated in Newcastle Upon Tyne . Bede's World, which is situated in Jarrow. The Angel of the North, which is situated in Gateshead , and many more.

Romans

The Romans not only built roads, towns and forts, but were the first to introduce soldiers with various cultural influences, which included religious beliefs and burial practices, which resorted in the beliefs of many different gods and goddesses. Artifacts such as statues, alters and temple remains have been found within the military forts, especially near South Shields, Wallsend, Newcastle and Benwell. Along with the introduction of religious beliefs came Christianity. The encouragement of alternative beliefs to the native population was caused by intermarriage with Roman soldiers enlisted from far corners of the Roman Empire.

During the first few centuries of the Roman rule, cremation burials seem to have been the norm. The ashes were sometimes buried in pots, or sometimes even stone lined graves marked by carved gravestones. Then came the inhumation burial, which was the body being placed in a lead coffin. This type of burial became more popular in the later period.

The most Significant historic building still attracting thousands of tourists is Hadrian's Wall. Construction on the Wall started in 122 and was completed within 10 years. Spanning nearly 2000 years of history so it's no wonder the wall has been ranked alongside the Taj Mahal and other famous treasures of the world. In 1987 Hadrian's Wall was designated as a World Heritage Site. The Wall Starts from Wallsend right to Solway Firth and is approximately 84 miles long.

The Normans

After the Romans inhabited the north it was the turn of the Normans , however this wasn't until 1069. When they did eventually inhabit the north it became difficult for William to rule as he was still the Duke of Normandy, which made it difficult for him to rule every part of the country. So to resolve this problem he decided to divide England into large plots of land, which is similar to our countries today. These large plots of land were given to noblemen who had fought and risked their lives for him in battle. In return the nobles had to swear on oath of loyalty to collect taxes locally to give to him. Another requirement was to provide soldiers for the king if they were asked to. In return the noblemen gained titles such as baron, earl and duke. This was known as the Feudal System, the purpose of this system was to keep the English people in their place, under the control of the Normans .

By the end of the Medieval Period most villages had either a church with a priest or a small chapel, which would be served by a priest from a nearby village. At first the structures of the churches were just simple structures, although by 12 th – 15 th century the designs of the churches became more advanced with gothic features. In the more wealthy parts of the north the lords were able to make donations to the church, which resorted in the increase to the number of chapels.

The burial practice that the Normans used was a bit more advanced than the Romans as they used graveyards, which associated with medieval churches were sometimes associated with gravestones or slabs, which would be placed over the graves. The slabs were often decorated with motifs, which included crosses and other symbolic or decorative elements. However the more wealthy benefactors had stone effigies built for themselves inside churches, and sometimes they paid for chantry chapels in which they would place them.

The Industrial Revolution

In the 1750's – 1950's people associated the word industrial development with the transformation of natural raw materials into useful products. However at this time the only main power source was water, up until the 19 th century. It was then replaced by coal, and it was The Great Northern Coalfield who was the biggest producer of coal in the country. However there was a variety of other industries which were established on the banks of Tyne and Wear. Although the industries had apparent advantages of the abundant cheap supply of coal and its access to waterways its industrial development was not rapid. The improvements to the River, which took place soon after the middle of the 19 th century, allied an increase in the iron industry, and this was the growth of iron shipbuilding. However it was the coal industry that fuelled the development of Tyneside and Wearside as major industrial centers in the 19 th century. With the development of the region, came large scale social change. There were new housing developments which grew along side the collieries, engineering and shipbuilding works

With the development of the coal and iron industry, it was only a matter of time before the development of other industries were introduced such as lime, quarrying, pottery making, brick and tile making, glass making, chemicals and the railway. Industries such as these are what have developed Tyne and Wear into the county that we know today.

Present Day

Today the region of Tyne and Wear is thought to be the most visited destination in the country. The region has so much culture to offer people now whether it's nature such as The Wildfowl and Wetlands trust, art or just a family day out. Tyne and Wear have a multiplicity of attractions such arts galleries like the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, museums like the famous Stephenson Railway Museum and public art, which even attracts international interest. The region is also well known for its outstanding coastlines and award winning beaches. Not to mention its divine countryside for wildlife.

As well as culture the region also is renowned for its entertainment, which has a host of restaurants, which serves different cuisine from all around the world, theatres such as The Theatre Royal, and cinemas. And for the younger generation of today Tyne and Wear offer a variety of pubs, bars and clubs. And if that wasn't enough entertainment they are also well known for their music venues, such as Metro Arena, which offer music and dance to suit all tastes. And if retail therapy is your thing then it couldn't be easier with Europe 's largest indoor shopping centre (Metro Centre), with a variety of the high street shops and some of the biggest names in retail. And if that wasn't enough Tyne and Wear are also famous for the phenomenal international sporting events that Tyne and Wear support, such as the BUPA Great North Run.

Offering an extensive amount of attractions and activities for all generations its no wonder that Tyne and Wear is the country's most visited destination today!