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Dunston Industries
The main area of industry has always been concentrated near the River Tyne at Dunston and Swalwell.
Dunston is believed to have its origins in fishing. Historians believe that the settlements original houses were built along the Teams and the Tyne because of the rich pickings on offer. The advent of heavy industry along the riverside put paid to that. Now it is all gone, salmon are back in the Tyne!
The River Tyne provided a good method of transport as it was navigable for ships of about 8,000 tons beyond Derwenthaugh and in the 1950s was dredged to about 30 feet.The factories were also connected to a branch railway.
Long before the end of the century all had changed. The old industries were replaced by light industry, retail and service trade sited at the industrial estates in Dunston and Swalwell. At the Metro Centre, various supermarkets, hotels and food outlets became the main employers. Sadly much of the work is part-time and or shift work.