South Shields Sanddancers Forum

Hi again.I'm back to see if you can help me with another wee place.I've found my mother's cousin William Murray on the 1901 census living at 3 Bents Cottages,and was wondering if anyone knows where that is ,and if it has been demolished along with everything else I'm trying to find.I Imagine it might be near Bents park.Sorry I have no one left in South Shields to ask!Again it's because I'm visiting in the New Year and am trying to go to as many places as possible and take photos.(Talking of photos ,Curly's are AMAZING.i particularly loved the one of the green-eyed boy with the dragon masks... Are we allowed to print any of your brilliant pics Curly? ?I'd love to hang it up in my classroom.Best wishes to everyone .Joan

The Bents cottages you mention may be the "Mariners Cottages" which were built about 160 years ago and are still standing, if you Google Bents Cottages you will get to the Arbeia Society site, which has a photo of Bents Cottages but you have to contact the secretary for more information. If it turns out to be Mariners Cottages I have some old Gazette cuttings I could post.

There is a row of cottages on the coast road at Whitburn called Bents cottages.

Thank you both very much.I'm unsure if they were called the Mariner's cottages;all its says on the 1901 census is that it's in South Shields.I'll have another look to see what parish it is.Thanks again for your help.joan

Hi I've looked and it says it's St Michael's and all Angels parish is the Westoe ward,but I don't know if that's anything to do with it.I'll get onto the Arbeia site thank you

The bents cottages were off mowbray road, a few of my old friends lived there,....will find out exactly when they were pulled down.. and let you know

Thanks I'm just online now as i have had prob with eye all week.Oh pulled down!How disappointing ,but thank you very much for contacting me .Joan

Bents Cottages had three streets...East Row, Middle Row and West Row, they were colliery houses where the miners of westoe pit lived they were demolished in 1976-77. a sheltered accommodation is now built on the site.

i lived in west row, bents cottages until demolition in the late 70's. they were situated behind ecclestone road and as previously mentioned, there's now a sheltered housing scheme on the site. they were miner's cottages and i've got very happy memories of living there. because everyone's father worked at westoe colliery, there was a real sense of community with east and middle row and also the other mining streets of tadema road, ecclestone road and leighton street. would be great to hear from anyone with similar memories.

I lived in Eccleston Road the next street up from Bents cottages I think we moved there in 1965 until about 1979 and would to here from anyone who lived in that area