This notorious reef known as the Black Middens, has been claiming ships and the lives of mariners since the time of the Vikings. Being almost fully submerged at high tide and thereby all the more dangerous, they are the reason the High Light and the Low Lights exist: to keep ships away from them. And thus the Black Middens have shaped the face of North Shields since the first navigation lights were erected in 1539.
Invasions and Innovations
The Black Middens have hindered navigation for centuries and made entering the river a hazardous endeavour. They have necessistated the invention of both the first purpose built lifeboat at South Shields and the first ship-to-shore life brigade, the TVLB.
The oldest reference to these rocks is found in the writings of the chronicler, Symeon of Durham, in the early 12th century. In this video I tell the story of the Vikings losing a battle in the Tyne at Jarrow and becoming wrecked and subsequently slaughtered there by the local people.
The Middens have their own mythology too, and this seems to have its roots in the ancient Celtic folklore of the region and the Tyne Valley. The story sets out an idyllic scene where people were free to prosper from the river’s bounty. In these halcyon times the Tyne god, Cor, lived in harmony with his counterpart, Neptune, who occupied the seaward end of the river and would wanton with his dolphins in the river mouth. That was until things soured between the two marine gods and they came to blows, with Neptune’s parting shot being to hurl a handful of stones at Cor. Where they landed formed the Black Middens, which would forever thence obstruct shipping and claim the lives of sailors — a curse and a blight on the trade and smooth sailing of the waterway.
Famous Wrecks
The Betsy Cairns
The Betsy Cairns began her career as a royal yacht for William III and Queen Mary, later becoming a merchant ship. In the winter of 1827, she was wrecked on the Middens during an easterly gale.
With poor visibility and only limited navigation aids, the crew were unable to hold her clear of the shore. Her wooden hull broke up under repeated impacts, masts and rigging collapsing as waves swept the deck.
By morning the ship was a total loss, her wreckage scattered along the shore. Lives were lost, though the exact number is uncertain.
