Oldest Pubs in South Shields

South Shields has been a drinking town for centuries. Sailors, shipbuilders, and dockers all needed somewhere to go after work, and many of the pubs they drank in are still standing. Here are the oldest and most historic pubs in South Shields, from coaching inns to Grade II listed gems.

The Old Ship

The Old Ship on Sunderland Road in Westoe is reputed to be the oldest pub in South Shields, established around 1803. It was originally a coaching inn on the road between Westoe and Sunderland, and an old mounting stone once used by horsemen to get into the saddle remains outside the front entrance.

The Old Ship is included in the South Tyneside Council local listing of significant heritage assets. It is a proper local with a sense of history that you can feel the moment you walk in.

Best for: Reputed to be the oldest pub in South Shields, established around 1803 — a coaching inn with the original mounting stone still outside the door.

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The Stags Head

The Stags Head at 45 Fowler Street dates from 1897 and is one of the most architecturally significant pubs in the North East. It is Grade II listed and appears on CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors — a distinction held by fewer than 300 pubs in the entire country.

The building has an unusual layout: two bars, one above the other, built on a narrow, shallow site. The colourful entrance tilework, acid-etched bay windows, and original bar-backs have survived intact. William Matthews first opened the Albion Tavern on this site in 1839, and the name was changed to the Stag's Head by Richard Dockwray in 1857.

Best for: Grade II listed, on CAMRA's National Inventory, and virtually unchanged since 1897 — one of fewer than 300 pubs in Britain with this distinction.

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The Steamboat

The Steamboat at 27 Mill Dam has been a pub since the mid-nineteenth century, sitting in the historic Mill Dam conservation area beside the river. It is now a multi-award-winning real ale pub with seven handpumps of ever-changing cask ale and ciders.

The ship-themed interior, the weekly music jam on Tuesdays, and the monthly folk nights give the place a warmth that bigger pubs cannot replicate. The Steamboat is the kind of pub that makes people fall in love with South Shields.

Best for: A pub since the mid-1800s in the Mill Dam conservation area — now a multi-award-winning CAMRA Pub of the Year with seven handpumps.

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Dolly Peel

Dolly Peel on Commercial Road is named after a local fishwife and smuggler whose husband and sons were press-ganged into the navy. The building was originally called the Earl Grey when it opened in 1841, and became a dedicated real ale pub in 1989 under Ken Taylor — the first dedicated real ale pub in South Shields.

The pub has a strong connection to the town's seafaring and working-class history, and its name commemorates one of the more colourful characters in South Shields folklore.

Best for: Named after a legendary South Shields fishwife and smuggler — a real ale pub since 1989, housed in a building dating from 1841.

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Alum Ale House

Alum Ale House on Ferry Street sits on the south bank of the Tyne, next to the ferry landing and close to the Market Place. It is a straightforward real ale pub in a prime riverside location, with a rotating selection of cask ales and a view of the river.

The name references the alum trade that was once important to the area. It is a popular stop before or after taking the Shields Ferry.

Best for: Riverside real ale pub next to the Shields Ferry landing — a natural stop before or after crossing the Tyne.

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Marsden Grotto

Marsden Grotto at Marsden Bay is not the oldest pub on this list, but it is one of the most remarkable. Built partly into the cliff face, it is one of Europe's only cave bars, and there has been a drinking establishment at this spot since the eighteenth century when a quarryman named Jack Bates carved out a home in the rock.

Today the Grotto operates as a gastropub, seafood restaurant, and boutique hotel. Access is by lift or cliff steps from the car park above.

Best for: One of Europe's only cave bars — there has been a drinking spot at Marsden Bay since the eighteenth century.

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The Heritage Pubs Trail

CAMRA's Sunderland and South Tyneside branch has created a heritage pubs trail through South Shields, starting at Mill Dam and finishing at the Stags Head. If you want to see the town through its pub history, this is the way to do it.

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For a broader look at the pub scene, see our guide to the best pubs in South Shields.