South Shields Marine Parks Shortlisted for National Seaside Heritage List

Two of South Shields' best-loved green spaces have been recognised on a national stage. The North and South Marine Parks have been shortlisted for the Seaside Heritage Network's 2026 Bucket and Spade List, a public celebration of Britain's historic seaside places, and residents can now vote to help them make the final selection.

For anyone who has walked the terraces above the seafront, watched the pedalos on the boating lake, or ridden the miniature railway on a summer afternoon, the shortlisting will come as welcome, if unsurprising, news. It is a chance to put a familiar local landmark forward for wider recognition, and it costs nothing but a click.

Victorian parks by the sea

The two parks are among the finest examples of Victorian seaside landscaping in the North East. South Marine Park was officially opened in June 1890, laid out on former ballast hills and a brickyard site above the coast, complete with a promenading terrace, waterfall, ornamental beds and a boating lake. The neighbouring North Marine Park, developed a little earlier, shares the same origins in the town's late-Victorian ambition to give its residents proper public parks by the sea.

Both were designed under the town's own borough surveyor, and both survive today with much of their historic character intact, a legacy maintained through restoration work and the efforts of local volunteers. The South Marine Park remains a fixture of family days out, with its lake, play areas and the little steam railway that runs in season.

Best for:

The Bucket and Spade List is run by the Seaside Heritage Network, a charity dedicated to connecting and celebrating Britain's seaside heritage. The list highlights historic coastal places and experiences chosen with the help of a public vote. Voting for the 2026 list is open until 1 September 2026.

How to vote

The public vote is open now and runs until Monday 1 September 2026. Residents and visitors can cast their vote for the North and South Marine Parks through the Seaside Heritage Network website, where the shortlist for the 2026 Bucket and Spade List is set out in full.

The shortlisting was reported by the Shields Gazette, which noted the parks are competing alongside historic seaside landmarks from across the country. A strong local turnout in the vote would be a fitting tribute to two parks that have been part of life in South Shields for well over a century.

---

Have a story? Get in touch.