With a population of eighty thousand people, Gateshead is most definitely a big, modern city in every sense of the word. Despite this, the town is indelibly linked to its rich and fascinating past and it is in this sphere that we truly get a sense of the grandeur and beauty of this unique burg. Gateshead is home to some of the most interesting architecture in England and a trip through the town is akin to walking through a living, breathing history book. It is with the utmost regret, however, that it must be noted that Gateshead only has a fraction of the many impressive buildings that have been erected in the city throughout the years. This is due to several different events but all the same it is truly noteworthy that a town that has lost so much of its architecture is still known around the world for having such impressive architecture!
Gateshead's civilization dates all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire. From then on the town was the site of many struggles for dominance and the land changed hands from Normans to Saxons and more as battles involving such luminaries as William the Conqueror and Malcom King of Scots (and of Shakespearean fame) took place all around the famed "Goat's Head". At any rate, it was the Bishop of Durham that oversaw the real growth of Gateshead and this didn't occur until the Middle Ages. Coal was discovered in the land and in no time Gateshead became a full fledged mining town within the first decades of the 1300s. Iron mining also became popular and Gateshead was considered the most profitable iron mining town in the north by a far margin. Not surprisingly, Gateshead was the perfect fit for what was about to shape the entire world: The Industrial Revolution.
Gateshead has few peers in terms of growth during the Industrial Revolution and aside from heavy hitters like Birmingham there are few locations in the United Kingdom that exploded in population the way Gateshead did. In the 19th century alone the town added one hundred thousand people to its population. Gateshead of course had the ubiquitous factories and mills that make up industry towns and these stood in stark contrast to the Saxon, Roman, and Norman relics that had been built up through centuries of conflict. All this industry was too much for the city to handle, though, and in 1854 a massive explosion in one of the factories caused an enormous fire that ravaged the town. While many of the foundries and warehouses survived, nearly every medieval piece of architecture burned to the ground, never to see the sky again. Though there are some other relics from different days, it is truly harrowing to know that so much history was lost forever. All the same, this makes it even more impressive that Gateshead is well known for the many fascinating buildings that survived the dreadful blaze. It is this Gateshead, then, that we must cherish and hold dear.
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