Dunston Staiths opening - update

After the disappointment of having to cancel our first open day earlier this month, we're delighted to announce that Dunston Staiths will be open for the Late Shows (Newcastle and Gateshead's award-winning nighttime culture crawl) this Saturday evening, 17 May.

The Staiths will be open from 6pm to dusk. Walks onto the Staiths will be in groups of 10, led by staff and volunteers from the Tyne Derwent Way and Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust.

The walks are free as part of the Late Shows. There's no need to book in advance - visitors can sign up on the evening at Tyne Derwent Way at Dunston Staiths, Staithes Road, NE11 9DR (What3Words: ///vision.wiped.tasty). There's also a new exhibition, Lost and Found: Found objects along the Tyne Derwent Way, curated by Jonpaul Kirvan. It's about heritage objects you can touch, rather than being behind glass - a hands-on approach to connecting with the region's history. Visitors can also enjoy a free craft activity linked to the exhibition.

If you plan to join one of the walks on the Staiths, please wear sensible footwear. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Hop on or hop off the Late Shows bus at Dunston Staiths, connecting you to other Late Show venues around Gateshead, including St Mary's Heritage Centre, which is hosting Rock Choir and craft activities, with a café/bar and snacks.

Dunston Staiths - open days this summer

The team from the Tyne Derwent Way and Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust were unable to open the Staiths as planned earlier in May after the structural engineer's inspection found decay and damage to the wood in some areas that would have been open to the public.

To address their concerns about trip hazards for visitors, the team have planned a safe route on the Staiths for small, guided groups in time for the Late Shows. This different approach to public access might mean the Staiths can also open for the other planned open days between now and September, including the next one on 7 June, if temporary repairs can be completed in time.

"The public response when we couldn't open the Staiths on 6 May was incredibly supportive," said Kari Vickers, Deputy Manager at Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust. "It's clear that people really value Dunston Staiths and how significant it is to our local heritage. We all want it to be an active part of the future of this area - for Dunston and Teams, for Gateshead and for the North East - so we'll keep exploring ways to keep it open and safe for people to discover and enjoy."

Dunston Staiths has been standing since it opened in 1893 and is the last of its kind on the River Tyne. It will take ongoing funding to be able to keep up with the maintenance and conservation needs of such a large wooden structure of this age, and in such an exposed location. The team continues to apply for grants to support this work. 

Opening the Staiths also depends on support from volunteers. If you would like to volunteer to help out for the Late Shows at Dunston Staiths or St Mary's please get in touch with Stewart Turnbull at stewart.turnbull@nationaltrust.org.uk