UK Walking-Catherine Cookson Trail
Explore the Places Made Famous by this Prolific English Writer
Catherine Cookson country is a region of beautiful beaches and ancient sites, as well as being the setting for scores of books, television programmes and movies.
2008 marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Catherine Cookson but people still come from around the world to South Tyneside, a small region in the North East of England, to follow in the footsteps of the characters in her books, films and television programmes.She wrote close to 100 books which were translated into at least twenty languages.
South Tyneside for Catherine Cookson Fans
South Tyneside attracts hundreds of Catherine Cookson fans who come to see the places so vividly described in her books. 'The Mallen Trilogy' and 'Fifteen Streets' were made into popular television serials and, like most of her books, are set in this corner of north-east England where she was born and lived for a good part of her life. She published her first novel at the age of 42 and went on to become one of the world's top-selling authors. .she died in 1998 at the age of 92,
Follow the Catherine Cookson Trail
You can follow in her footsteps by exploring the Catherine Cookson Trail. It is well marked and you can collect a leaflet from any tourist office in the area. Many places will be familiar to you if you are a Cookson fan and even if you are not South Tyneside still has a lot to offer. The beautiful coastline is steeped in smuggling stories and legends and with its clean beaches, historic sites, and bird sancturies, there is something for all the family.
South Shields is a good place to start your tour. The Tourist Office in the Town Hall has maps and information. Catherine Cookson was born in South Shields and set many of her novels here. The Museum has reconstructions of the street where was born, as well as Cisssie Affleck's sweetshop, described in 'Our Kate', where children can sample toffees and peppermint humbugs like those Catherine ate as a girl.
Catherine Cookson Country - other places to explore
The Roman Fort of Arbeia at South Shields was occupied as early as AD80 and is one of the most important sites in Britain. There is a life-size replica of the West Gate of the fort which was built from remains found on the site and is the only one of its kind to be rebuilt on its original site.
Marsden Rock is one of the main tourist attractions in the area. The l00-foot high rock is home to dozens of sea birds - second only to the Farne Islands . It overlooks Marsden Bay where the author's 'Mrs Flannigan's Trumpet' was set. The nearby Marsden Grotto which nestles at the foot of the cliffs opposite the rock is worth a visit. Its first occupant was 'Jack the Blaster', a homeless miner who set up house in a cave in l782 and made a a living providing food and drink for smugglers. His old home is now a pub, The Grotto, which has a reasonably priced restaurant and a lift to whisk you back up to the cliff top.
Jarrow, where Catherine Cookson lived from the age of five, was also home to the Venerable Bede who wrote the first history of England in 731, St. Paul's Church, where he lived, is visited by people from around the world and is one of the great landmarks in the history of Christianity. In 1985 Diana, Princess of Wales, unveiled a stained glass window in commemoration of the l,300th anniversary of its dedication.
Catherine Cookson Country - Nearby Attractions
Don't forget nearby attractions. Visit Washington Old Hall, in Washington Village, which was home to the ancestors of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Westhoe Village is on the Cookson Trail. It was the birthplace of the actress Flora Robson, and of Sir William Fox, three times the Prime Minister of New Zealand and don't forget Hadrian's Wall, built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to keep out the troublesome northern tribes. About a forty minute drive from South Tyneside.
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