Found out today that yesterday morning, Dunston Staiths was vandalised yet again and set on fire. There were ongoing repairs being made to it from the last fire in 2019, with lots of money being raised towards it. It is sad that this piece of local history is yet again vandalised, it is one of a kind, and an important reminder of the industrial heritage of the North East. But I am not sure if it is worth it to keep spending out on repairs if they can’t safeguard it, this isn’t the first, second or even the third arson attack, it feels like they are just chucking money up the chimney.
On a wet day in July Sophie and I went to the outdoor market held once a month on Dunston Staiths.
The History Bit
The Staiths are believed to be the largest timber structure in Europe, maybe the world, but who knows? It is also a Grade II listed scheduled monument and is owned by registered charity Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust (TWBPT). The structure is made of North American pitch pine timber, no longer available, from the once unlimited forest. Most of the timber used was 20 metres long, 14 inches deep and 14 inches wide. The total weight of timber is 3,200 tons. The Staithes are 526 metres long with 4 railway tracks, 6 loading berths (3 on each side), with two chutes to each berth.
The North East Railway Company opened the Staiths in 1893, and it’s purpose was to facilitate the loading of large quantities of coal…
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Fraggle's Otherverse 
I cecked out my previous comment, and still want a Carpathian sausage.
What a shame though. Mindless vandals who don’t respect all that hard work and renovation. Sad.
Best wishes, Pete.
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It’s so pointless Pete, I wonder if their lives are made any better by doing this, I think not.
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What is the matter with people?😔
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It’s hard to engender respect in those who have none for themselves or their ancestry, sad reflection on what we have allowed society to become, and those that made it so.
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This is terrible.
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Yes.
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So sad!
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Yes.
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Cheers Marland.
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It’s easier to destroy than to build and that seems to be the way in which some people want to leave their mark on the world. It’s senseless, but we know that not everybody has the greater good in mind when they do things.
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A sad truth April.
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I just don’t get it.
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Nope, it’s mindless.
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Either done by those that don’t value their past (as the Peruvian in my countries getting drunk in the ruins) or for non locals that think the legacy of others is not worth against their culture (foreigners pissing or even painting the remains of our ancestors are not strange, except now that the country is closed) Perhaps the past should be destroyed and just preserved in photos, as it seems people, not here and sadly not there, just cares to live in their cellphones.
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Sad that some people are so uncaring.
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