Bill Quay
| Bill Quay | |
 Bill Quay
Bill Quay shown within Tyne and Wear |
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| OS grid reference | NZ297626 |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | Gateshead |
| Metropolitan county | Tyne and Wear |
| Region | North East |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GATESHEAD |
| Postcode district | NE10 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament | Gateshead East and Washington West |
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Bill Quay is a village in the east of Gateshead in North East England, situated between Hebburn to the east and Pelaw to the west. It lies on the south bank of the River Tyne, facing Walker-on-Tyne. Although it has been assimilated into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead it has retained a lot of the unique features of a village, which it originated as, it remains an affluent and desirable location.
History
During the 19th century it was an industrial area catering for chemical works, bottle works, Robson's Paint and shipbuilding. The area saw an economic upturn at the end of the 19th century when the CWS (Co-Operative Wholesale Society) opened its vast and extensive string of factories along its main thoroughfare, Shields Road. Boutlands, Harrisons and Wood-Skinner were shipbuilders at Bill Quay with Harrisons remaining the last shipbuilders on the Tyne's south bank until its closure recently.
Notable establishments
- Bill Quay Community Farm
- An important urban farm and one of only 16 farm parks nationally recognised by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in the UK. Breeds include Tamworth pigs, Jacob sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey hens and Bagot goats. It plays host to Chickenstock, a showcase festival for local Gateshead based bands that happens yearly.
- Bill Quay Albion Cricket Club
- Bill Quay Albion Cricket Club compete in the Durham Cricket League.
- Bill Quay Fabric Workshop
- Bill Quay Methodist Church
- Bill Quay Book Shop
- Small book shop, selling wide range of second hand books, also contributes to local events/information.
Bill Quay in fiction
The novel Schoolfrenz by Ray Crowther (ISBN 0-9541110-3-6) is set mainly on Tyneside. Bill Quay is mentioned several times and is the location for a murder scene in the book. The author's website (Ray Crowther) contains an extract from Schoolfrenz about Bill Quay, and has photographs of Bill Quay and the surrounding area.
External links
- Website of Bill Quay Community Farm
- Geograph's page for NZ2962
- Local history site's article on Bill Quay
- Early shipbuilding at Bill Quay
- Website of Bill Quay Fabric Workshop
- Website of the Bill Quay Albion Cricket Club
- Another website of the Bill Quay Albion Cricket Club
- Website of the local book shop, Bill Quay Books
- Website of Bill Quay Primary school
