Blyth: Northumberland Port Town That Shipped Coal and Now Turns to Offshore Wind
Blyth sits on the Northumberland coast at the mouth of the River Blyth, about 13 miles north of Newcastle. The population is around 37,000. The port of Blyth was one of the busiest coal-shipping harbours in the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries, exporting coal from the Northumberland coalfield. The coal trade has ended, but the port has reinvented itself. The Blyth Offshore Demonstration Wind Farm was one of the first offshore wind installations in the UK, and the Catapult Offshore Renewable Energy centre on the port estate focuses on wind energy research and testing. The transition from fossil fuels to renewables is physically visible along the waterfront.
The town centre on Waterloo Road and Bridge Street has a market on Fridays. The Keel Row shopping centre handles chain retail. Blyth Battery, a gun emplacement on the south pier built during the First World War, has been restored and is open to visitors. Ridley Park, inland from the centre, has a Victorian layout with a bowling green and war memorial. Blyth does not have a railway station, though the Northumberland Line project aims to reopen a passenger service on the freight line to Newcastle, with a station in Blyth expected to open by 2026. The A189 Spine Road connects to the A19 and onward to Newcastle and the Tyne Tunnel. For those exploring adult companionship in southeast Northumberland, Blyth's road connections to Newcastle and the anticipated rail reopening will improve accessibility further.
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Blyth sits on the Northumberland coast at the mouth of the River Blyth, about 13 miles north of Newcastle. The population is around 37,000. The port of Blyth was one of the busiest coal-shipping harbours in the country during the 19th and early 20th centuries, exporting coal from the Northumberland coalfield. The coal trade has ended, but the port has reinvented itself. The Blyth Offshore Demonstration Wind Farm was one of the first offshore wind installations in the UK, and the Catapult Offshore Renewable Energy centre on the port estate focuses on wind energy research and testing. The transition from fossil fuels to renewables is physically visible along the waterfront.
The town centre on Waterloo Road and Bridge Street has a market on Fridays. The Keel Row shopping centre handles chain retail. Blyth Battery, a gun emplacement on the south pier built during the First World War, has been restored and is open to visitors. Ridley Park, inland from the centre, has a Victorian layout with a bowling green and war memorial. Blyth does not have a railway station, though the Northumberland Line project aims to reopen a passenger service on the freight line to Newcastle, with a station in Blyth expected to open by 2026. The A189 Spine Road connects to the A19 and onward to Newcastle and the Tyne Tunnel. For those exploring adult companionship in southeast Northumberland, Blyth's road connections to Newcastle and the anticipated rail reopening will improve accessibility further.
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