South Shields faces Tynemouth across the mouth of the Tyne; the Shields Ferry crosses to North Shields in a few minutes. It is a working seaside town with long sandy beaches, a promenade and some of the best-loved fish and chips in the North East.
On the Lawe Top above the harbour is Arbeia, the Roman supply fort for Hadrian's Wall, with its west gate rebuilt to full height. South of the town the coast turns to cliffs at Marsden Bay, where seabirds nest on Marsden Rock, and the red-and-white Souter Lighthouse stands a little further on.