The Shiels on the river Tyne banks

Prior Germanus had given permission in 1225 for 7 sheels to be built with their own quays, between the Pow Burn and sikket. Eventually more houses and mills were built. But, the burgessess of Newcastle insisted that no fish or bread could be sold outside the Newcastle boundaries. This led to a dispute with Newcastle which was to last for hundreds of years.

In 1279 a trial was held before the Justice Itinerant, John Delavale, and the Prior of Tynemouth was fined five marks and the town was "forbidden to hold a fair or market, or expose for sale, meat, drink, or other articles." Owners of vessels were forbidden to load or unload their cargoes at Shields or sell their merchandise in the town.

By 1292 over a hundred houses existed at Shields, and by 1364, the town had its own bailiff. In 1376, the Priory was receiving an annual rent for the township of £9. 7s. 6d., and it was now being called North Shields to distinguish it from the township on the south side of the Tyne, South Shields. The fish being caught at this time were, lampreys, mullet, smelt, sprats, conger eels, coal-fish and skate.

Despite opposition from Newcastle, North Shields began to grow and prosper, but an Act of Parliament was passed in 1530, which protected the "fishing, victualling trades and manufacture of salt", but imposed narrow limitations on industry within the town, for the next two centuries . This was not helped by the Dissolution of Tynemouth Priory on 12 January 1539, which led to the eventual decline of the town.

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Find out how the town managed to load its merchandise.

The background image shows how the shiels might have looked.