NACF Banner Parade

 Northumbria Army Cadet Force

Banner Presentation

Tynemouth Army Reserve Centre

19th January 2025

NACF Banner Presentation Parade

NACF Banner Presentation Padre's Address

NACF Banner Presentation Padre's Blessing

NACF Banner Presentation

NACF Banner Presentation IJ

Saint Barbara Commemoration 2023

 Serving members of 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment RA, Royal Artillery Association  branches affiliated to 101, and Gunner cap badged cadets paraded before the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear to commemorate the Patron Saint of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, St Barbara. 

Northern Gunners St Barbara Commemoration

Northern Gunners St Barbara Commemoration

A service of remembrance was held to remember the Northern Gunners who had lost their lives in conflict. 

The wintry weather precluded the service being held in the planned location of Tynemouth Priory, and the proceedings were moved indoors to the Tynemouth Army Reserve Centre. The Commanding Officer and Regimental Sergeant Major of 101 RA laid a wreath at the Gunner Memorial in Tynemouth Priory after the service.

Wreath laying at RA Memorial Tynemouth Priory

RA Memorial Tynemouth Priory

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St Barbara's Day NVAA Contingent

Tynemouth - Sherlock's visit

 

Tynemouth Spanish Battery
Sherlock               IJ           CG

Tynemouth Castle Battery 12 pdr emplacement
  Sherlock          CG                      IJ              

Tynemouth Castle Battery

Tynemouth Castle Battery
IJ and CG in the Magazine with Sherlock

Tynemouth Priory
Sherlock

Tynemouth Priory

 A monastery on the Tynemouth headland was established in the 7th century when the late King of Northumbria, Oswine, was buried there. It flourished during the 8th and 9th centuries, however, it was the subject of four major raids during the 9th century, and in 875 it was destroyed.

The monastery was re-established in 1090, and new buildings constructed. The Priory was endowed with extensive lands, the rents and resources, notably coal, from which it  prospered. This led to further development and expansion of the priory buildings.

Tynemouth Priory 1300

Tynemouth Priory 1450

The venerability of Tynemouth from Scottish raiders and it's use as a base for military campaigns resulted in a grant by Edward I in 1296 to be properly fortified.

Tynemouth Castle c1400

In 1534 Henry VIII broke away from the authority of the Catholic Church in Rome and established himself as the head of the Church of England. In 1536 Henry began the dissolution of the monasteries, appropriated their  income and assets, removing them as a power base. Tynemouth Priory was dissolved in 1539, it's lands and possessions handed to the King, and the monastery closed.  

The Priory became a military base as a staging post for the billeting and supply if forces engaged in war with Scotland. 

Tynemouth Priory
Percy Chantry being used as a supply base

 The priory would be used as an ordnance depot during the Napoleonic Wars and barracks were built during the 19th century. Guns would be positioned on the headland, and in 1904 a purpose built battery was built as part of the defence of the Tyne from coastal attack. The priory building it's self would fall into ruin over the centuries. 

Tynemouth Priory 1789

A lighthouse was built near the priory on the headland in 1775. It was pulled down in 1898 following the building of the Tyne Piers.

Tynemouth Priory 1845

Tynemouth Priory 1880

Tynemouth Priory 1895

Tynemouth Priory 2021

Tynemouth Priory and entrance to Percy Chantry

The only remaining portion of the Priory that still has a roof is the Percy Chantry. It's ceiling bears thae arms of the Percy's.

Tynemouth Priory Percy Chantry entrance

Tynemouth Priory Percy Chantry

Tynemouth Priory Percy Chantry

Tynemouth Priory Percy Chantry
Stained glass windows

Tynemouth Priory Percy Chantry
Stained glass windows

Tynemouth - Castle Battery

Tynemouth Castle Battery is located within the confines of Tynemouth Castle and Priory. The infrastructure of the battery has been preserved and partially restored.

Tynemouth Castle Battery

The battery was commissioned in August 1904, part of the Tyne Defences, which consisted of Tynemouth Castle Battery, Spanish Battery (Tynemouth) and Frenchmans Point Battery (South Shields)

Tynemouth Castle was constructed with  1 x 9.2 inch gun, 2 x 6 inch guns and 2 x 12 pounder quick firing guns. The 12 pounder QF guns were removed in 1910.

The battery operated through the First and Second World Wars, but never engaged the enemy, its guns achieving the aim of deterring enemy ships attacking the Tyne. The advent of the Cold War saw the threat of jet aircraft and missiles reducing the requirement for coastal artillery. In 1956 coastal artillery units in the UK were disbanded and coastal batteries decommissioned. 

The restored element of the battery consists of  a 6inch gun with it's magazine.

The gun emplacement is built atop of the magazine and it would have been  fed with shells and cartridges via hoists. 

6 inch gun emplacement

 Shell Storage

Cartridge Storage

Shell Hoist

Shell Hoist
Ammunition awaiting hoisting to gun emplacement

Shell Hoist

Cartridges ready to be passed through to the cartridge hoist

 Cartridge hoist

6 inch gun

6 inch gun breach

Tynemouth - Cliffords Fort

 Cliffords Fort is located on the River Tyne at North Shields Fish Quay Low Light and was the mainstay of the defence of the over for two hundred years.

Gun emplacements at Tynemouth Castle and the Spanish Battery defended the entrance to the Tyne from 1545. During the English Civil War a temporary fort was was built at the Fish Quay location  from gabions, sand filled baskets, and was destroyed during the conflict.

During the Second Anglo Dutch War (1665-1667) the Dutch fleet attacked the British fleet at anchor at Gillingham and Chatham, bombarding and capturing Sheerness before withdrawing. Concerned that the Dutch could affect the strategic coal trade between Newcastle and London, Charles II commissioned a new fort at the narrowest part of the entrance to the River Tyne. It was completed in 1672 and named after Thomas Clifford who became Lord Treasurer. 

Cliffords Fort 1750

Cliffords Fort 1788

During the Napoleonic Wars from 1793 to 1815 the guns at Cliffords Fort were augmented by guns at the Castle Battery, Spanish Battery, and the Lawe in South Shields.

The armaments during the Napoleonic Wars consisted of 32 x 18 pounder / 8 x 12 pounder and 11 x 9 pounder cannons. 

Cliffords Fort 1828

Cliffords Fort Gun Battery

Cliffords Fort Gun Port

Cliffords Fort Cannon

Cliffords Fort Cannon

As the Tyne developed economically during the 19th century, the need arose to provide better protection for shipping entering the river. In 1854 building began on two piers to enclose the Tyne estuary.

As the building of the piers progressed, the mouth of the Tyne moved seaward rendering the defences at Cliffords Fort obselete. In 1881 it ceased operation as a gun battery. The Tyne Piers were completed in 1895.

Cliffords Fort and Tyne Piers

In 1888 Cliffords Fort was assigned to the Royal Engineers as Headquarters Tyne Division RE (Volunteers) who were responsible for the maintenance of a submarine minefield across the Tyne. The mines were stored ashore and moved to the river on a narrow gauge rail track, and laid. They could be fired electrically allowing safe passage of shipping. Two searchlights to illuminate the minefield were installed in 1895, with two more being added in 1902.

The track from the mine storage was made by breaching the forts rampart, and traces of the track can still be seen.

Cliffords Fort rampart breach and track

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Cliffords Fort rampart breach and track bed

The submarine minefield was scrapped in 1907. The unit became  searchlight operators and designated the Tyne Electrical Engineers. During World War One two Quick Firing 12 pounders were installed to protect against fast torpedo boats.

Cliffords Fort was decommissioned in 1928 and the Tyne Electrical Engineers moved to New Cliffords Fort next to Tynemouth Station.