SHIELDS, So•ru, a market town of England, in the county of Durham, is situated near the mouth of the Tyne, almost opposite to North Shields. Most of the streets of this town, with the exception of those on the Bank top, and in the market place, are narrow and the houses indifferently built; and its appearance is greatly disfigured by a number of artificial hills, stretch ing to the east and south sides, and formed by the accumulated cinders of the salt-works, the refuse of the glass houses, and the ballast and gravel thrown out by the light colliers. Some of these hills have been built up, and have a very singular appearance when seen from the south. The church of St. Kilda, which is a chapel of ease to Jarrow, was, with the ex ception of its plain and square tower, rebuilt in 1811 at an expense of £5000. Though rather heavy ex ternally, it is neat and commodious within. On the chain above the chandelier is a very elegant model of the life boat. It stands on the south side of the mar ket place, which is a spacious square, having in its centre the town house, with a colonnade beneath it, erected at the expense of the dean and chapter of Dur ham. There are here several dissenting meeting houses, the chief of which is that belonging to the Methodists, finished in 1809 at an expense of £3800, and capable of holding 1700 persons. There is like wise in this town a new theatre, several public schools and thirty benefit societies. Subscription assembly
rooms are opened every winter. The whole town, with the exception of three houses and a meeting house, is held by lease under the dean and chapter of Durham.
The principal establishments for manufactures of South Shields are yards for shipbuilding, glass works for flint and crown glass, soap works, salt works, sal ammoniac works, extensive roperies:.nd breweries. Salt was formerly manufactured here to a very great extent. About sixty years ago, no fewer than 200 large pans were fully occupied. There are however only four or five pans at present employed. The ground formerly occupied by the salt works has been converted into docks and yards for building and re pairing ships. There are no fewer than eleven of them which are capable of holding sixteen vessels. The number of ships belonging to this town is about 500. Among the machines for taking ballast from ships, is one erected by Messrs. Newmarch and Com patty, which carries it through a tunnel several hun dred yards long. The life boat was invented here, as already described in our article BOAT. The town of South Shields is built almost exactly on the site of the Roman station ad Tinam, which occupied the emi nence on the south point of the harbour.
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