1 The Pier
The Pier Hotel was opened in 1875, it was built by the R S & D Crosthwaite Brewery, it was then owned by W. B. Reid and later Scottish and Newcastle Brewery. The Pier is the 9th oldest continuously serving pub in the town.
In the 1960s the bar was on the right and the lounge was on the left. It was later changed to just be one room. Unfortunately there are few original features left.
There is no real ale available.
Address: 140 Ocean Road, South Shields’ NE33 2JJ
7 minutes walk from the South Shields Interchange.
2 The Marine
Built as the Marine Hotel in 1868 with 20 rooms it is located near the North and South Marine Parks and The Marine stands on the corner of Ocean Road and Seafield Terrace.
It was CAMRA branch pub of the year in 2023.
Address: 230 Ocean Road, South Shields, NE33 2JQ
9 minutes walk from the South Shields Interchange.
3 The Look Out
The Look Out opened in 1853 it was owned by the Crosthwaite Breweries of South Shields in the 1870s then WB Reid of Newcastle and then Scottish and Newcastle Breweries.
In the 1970s Olive Beattie was a famous and much admired Landlady of the Look Out.
The Look Out was refurbished in 2020 and is tastefully decorated, there is live music at weekends.
There is no real ale available.
Address: 178 Fort Street, South Shields, NE33 2AR
14 minutes walk from the South Shields Interchange. Bus number 516 hourly during the day.
4 Harbour Lights
The Crown Inn opened in 1834 making it the second oldest pub in South Shields after The Ship at Harton. In 1839 the landlady Mary Hart touchingly gave the address as “The Sea Side”.
In 1884 it was advertised to let stating
“This free and old fashioned public house having an uninterrupted view of the German Ocean and entrance to the Tyne.”
The name Crown Inn is still visible on the roof of the building. It changed its name to the Harbour Lights in the mid 1960s. It was a Bass pub until the 1990s.
Address: 101 Lawe Road, South Shields, NE33 2AJ
There is no real ale available.
16 minutes walk from the South Shields Interchange. Bus number 516 hourly during the day.
Sources:
British Newspaper Archives
Terry Ford
Photos
South Tyneside Libraries
Ron Lawson Sunderland Antiquarian Society
Terry Ford