North Shields Mural Trail – The Perfect Walking Route with Additional Sculptures

Nine large scale murals have recently popped up in North Shields, Tyne and Wear to celebrate the town’s 800^th birthday. A nice 4-mile circular trail takes you around the murals, providing a fantastic method to explore the town and see what North Shields has to offer. Created by local arts charity ‘Elevation’, commissioning mainly local artists, the North Shields Mural Trail features artwork that captures the heritage and essence of the area.

Here, I’ll detail the route I took around the trail and other points of interest I saw along the way. I was delighted to discover North Shields is home to many outdoor sculptures too, so I’ll point out where they can be seen along the route.

You can download a map from the I Love North Shields website which shows where all the murals are and where you can pick up a printed copy of the map. You’ll find my walking directions highlighted in bold italic script. I’ll also indicate where you can park nearby the murals should you have accessibility requirements.

Starting Point

The best place to start the North Shields Mural Trail is down by the river side at Fish Quay with free parking in Low Lights car park. From here you have an excellent view along the Tyne to Tynemouth with the Collingwood Monument up on the hill overlooking the breakwaters and lighthouses that flank the exit to the sea.

Fiddler’s Green Sculpture

Before you even get started on the murals, you can’t miss the Fiddler’s Green sculpture by Ray Lonsdale, which you can see on the river side if you look upstream from the carpark. Ray is responsible for many sculptures in this style across the north east and this one acts as a memorial to fishermen lost at sea.

Made from Corten steel, the same material as used in the Angel of the North, the fisherman sits looking out to sea, deep in contemplation. The name Fiddler’s Green comes from 19^th century folklore and refers to a kind of afterlife for mariners and fishermen who had served their time at sea.

Mural 1: Oceanus – KMG

Retrace your steps past the car park entrance and turn right up Tanners Bank. The Oceanus mural will be behind you on the top side of the 55° Fisheries building, so make sure you turn around to see it.

Cartoon-like in style, this mural depicts the God of the Sea, Oceanus, who holds dominion over salt water tidal areas like that at North Shields and the Mouth of the Tyne. Oceanus is usually depicted as being half fish, half human, usually male complete with bull horns. Artist KMG makes the North Shields Oceanus neither male or female leaving it more open to discussion.

The artist drew inspiration for this mural from the archaeological discovery of seven Roman altars in Newcastle which included altars dedicated to both water Gods Neptune and Oceanus by Hadrian himself. These showed how important the River Tyne and its access to the sea was to the Romans, something KMG wished to show off in her mural.

Continue walking up Tanners Bank, noting the beautiful painting of a lighthouse on the side of The Wheelhouse café on your left.

Mural 2: Angels Live in Our Town – Prefab77

At the top of Tanners Bank, after passing under the Metro lines, turn left onto Tynemouth Road and continue along until you reach King Street. Turn left down King Street to see the Angels mural on the front of the King Street Social Club building.

There is on street parking here as well as a public pay and display car park opposite.

This is the first of three murals on the North Shields Mural Trail by this artist, all of which utilise a monochromatic black and white palette which I love. Prefab77’s murals are described as beautiful allegorical portraits that ‘weave a myriad of elements such as popular culture, money, street, religious, musical and political affiliations.’

The mural’s location on the side of a social club may not seem the most obvious place to highlight on trail like this, with many such institutions in great decline nationally; but the building is actually an important and beloved North Shields landmark and this helps bring it back to the forefront.

Mural 3: I Beg That Sound – Ricky Also

Retrace your steps to Tynemouth Road and continue along until the next main junction with Linskill Terrace on the right, opposite the Magistrates Court. Follow Linskill Terrace round the corner where you’ll see the I Beg that Sound mural on the end of Arbor Seven Café.

This mural is composed of massive bold letters spelling a lyric from a Sam Fender song. Sam Fender is a singer/songwriter who was born and raised in North Shields, so this mural nicely ties the vibrant music scene and town together visually.

Our Woven Voices Sculpture

Back on Tynemouth Road, keep an eye out for the Our Woven Voices sculpture on the green space next to the Magistrates Court. It was constructed in 2024 in response to a creative project by Helix Arts that saw 1000 local residents create collages about what North Shields meant to them. The feelings that came from this showed an overwhelming focus on community, support and togetherness.

The artist chose to depict these concepts through weaving two dancers together. Their arms and legs cross, their clothing wraps around and their bodies merge. Just as dancers rely on each other’s skills to seamlessly perform, this sculpture represents the ways people depend on and support each other.

The residents’ artworks are also incorporated into the sculpture, collaged mainly onto the plinth.

Mural 4: North Shields No.4 – Anthony Downie

This is where Tynemouth Road merges into Albion Road, so continue along Albion Road to the junction with Preston Road. Cut through the grounds of the attractive Christ Church on the right and walk up Preston Road until you reach The Gunner pub.

Here you’ll see the North Shields No. 4 mural on the end of Trevor Terrace. This colourful portrait of the area’s typical back street architecture jazzes up the plain brick surface that would normally be bypassed without a second thought. I love the warmth created in this mural with its simple colour palette that matches the adjoining painted fences, which I assume were painted afterwards to gel with the mural (feel free to contact me if I’m wrong on that).

It’s worth noting that over time the paint will weather and settle into the brick so it blends into the street, a reminder that the essence of North Shields resides more in the ordinary and day-to-day than in its main landmarks.

You can park at The Gunner pub to view this mural.

Mural 5: The Siren – Prefab77

Retrace your steps back to Albion Road and turn right. You can see the next mural almost immediately if you look down Albion Terrace on your left. (NB: turn around to see it)

The Siren is the second of Prefab77’s eye-catching black and white murals, painted on the gable end facing onto Albion Terrace. The design celebrates North Shields fishing heritage, with a particular focus on the women of the industry.

Around the main central female figure are easily identifiable maritime images including a ship, anchor, lighthouse and maritime uniform features as well as seabird wings, flowers and a mermaid. These are all brought together into a pleasing circular design by a pattern of swirling waves.

Thomas Brown Square Sculptures

I took a little detour at this point down the next road on the left, Bedford Street, to see the sculptures I was made aware of in Thomas Brown Square.

Sadly, the Knot sculpture that I had seen photos of (and is detailed on the trail map was no longer there). I don’t know if it has been removed temporarily due to damage or if this is a permanent situation, so please let me know if you see this back in place.

However, inside the North Shields Transport Hub building is a rather spectacular hanging fish sculpture by Colin Davies. Over 2000 fish are suspended on wire which look like they are cut out of multi-coloured anodised aluminium.

Mural 6: The Spirit of Shields – Mark One87

The North Shields Mural Trail continues with a bit of a hike out to the next sculpture situated at North Shields Football club.

This is where you could cut the 4 mile walk almost in half and continue on to Mural 7 instead and take your car out to the club afterwards.

If you are on foot and following my route, then either retrace your steps up Bedford Street as far as West Percy Street, or take Nile Street which runs parallel from Thomas Brown Square. Turn left and continue until you reach the football club, at the far end of the sports fields on your left.

You can’t miss the mural on the side of the changing rooms building and it’s a stunner.

Access is via Silkey’s Lane and there is parking here. If the gate to the car park is closed, you can park on Silkey’s Lane itself.

The Spirit of Shields is a superb homage to the fishing industry in North Shields. The mural sets a fishing trawler battling the rough North Sea alongside the calm, welcoming frontage of North Shields ‘Fish Quay’, the sight that all fishermen long to see when safely returning home.

The football club may seem an awkward to location to site one of the murals as part of a walking trail, however it’s a great location when you consider how many people from out of town will see it while visiting the club and hopefully investigate the North Shields Mural Trail further.

The colours, vibrancy and sense of movement and energy in the piece are what makes The Spirit of Shields possibly my favourite mural on the trail.

Upper Elsdon Street Artwork

Leave the football club by turning left on Silkey’s Lane and walk back towards the centre of North Shields via Waterville Road.

Look out for the artwork on the end of Upper Elsdon Street as you pass by. It’s not meant to be part of this trail, but I found it intriguing, so wanted to point it out. I couldn’t find out anything online about this artwork and it looks rather weathered so it has clearly been there a while.

I did come across an image from 2017 which showed it with vibrant colours. It’s a shame these aren’t repainted as the artwork shape itself has clearly stood the test of time.

Mural 7: The Chase – Nina Valkhoff

At the roundabout, take the second left onto Prudhoe Street which then turns into Saville Street. Continue along until you reach Norfolk Street and turn left.

The Chase mural can be found at the bottom of Norfolk Street on the back of the building that fronts onto Saville Street.

The Chase is an absolutely stunning mural that immerses us in an underwater world where two gannets and a cormorant dive for herring, a perfect subject matter for a North Shields location where the River Tyne meets the sea and these creatures all flourish in the area.

The bright swirling sinuous shapes in the water and seaweed give this mural energy and vitality, and injects a motion into it that draws us in and almost makes us feel like we’re swimming with them.

The artist hails from Rotterdam and paints murals that highlight flora and fauna and local wildlife species with the aim to get viewers to appreciate and treat animals with greater care.

Parking nearby can be found at Norfolk Street car park.

Tyne River View

Cross back over Saville Street and walk to the end where several things will hit you all at once.

First of all, check out the fabulous view both up and down the Tyne. I hadn’t realised how far up we had initially walked at the beginning of the trail, to now be met with this view.

Marvel at the impressive new walkway that offers step-free access from your elevated position in the town centre down to the Fish Quay below.

Mural 8: Glory – Marcus Reed

From here, you are provided with a fantastic vantage point to view the Glory mural on the side of the Salt Market Social building.

The striking design of this mural has been adapted from a single cover for the song ‘All Hail, All Glory’ by North Shields based band Hector Gannet. To me, the figure in the image looks to be in the throes of celebration, of ‘glory’, much like that after winning a sports match, and towers over the images of North Shields and Tyneside as a representation of how as a community, North Shields can rise up and achieve anything.

I made the mistake of not venturing down to view the mural at ground level as apparently the word ‘glory’ in the bottom right corner incorporates the names of community friends and colleagues who are no longer with us. You cannot see this from the top of the walkway, so make sure you go and view it up close to see all the tributes.

Mary Ann Machan Sculpture

At the top of the zig zag walkway there is an imposing sculpture of a women reaching towards the mouth of the River Tyne.

From the information board next to the sculpture, I gleaned that this was an enslaved woman called Mary Ann Machan, who escaped from captivity in Virginia, USA and stowed away on board a ship to Europe. She arrived in North Shields in 1831, where she was taken in by a local well-known Quaker family who campaigned for the abolition of slavery.

Her story is a powerful reminder of North Shields connections to the wider world, in particular the transatlantic slave trade, and the resilience of those who sought freedom and survived against the odds.

Mary Ann is depicted with no shoes on, the standard symbol of slavery at the time and she is posed to look like a figurehead on the prow of a ship, hinting both at the method by which she reached freedom and of North Shields place in history as a port town shaped by migration, global trade and diverse communities.

The Herring Girl Sculpture

After making your way down the hill, turn left back towards Fish Quay, spotting the Herring Girl sculpture after the last high corrugated blue building on the right.

Created by Ray Lonsdale, the same artist who did the Fiddlers Green fisherman sculpture, The Herring Girl depicts a life-size woman sitting on a barrel holding a fish in each hand. The Herring Girls as they were known, were the backbone of the Herring industry and once a regular sight in North Shields. They were responsible for gutting, salting and packing the herring that came ashore and without this service, the fishermen would not have been able to operate.

This sculpture is a fitting tribute to these ladies and commemorates their important role in the bustling Fish Quay industry.

Other Fish Quay Artworks

As you are walking back along Fish Quay / Union Quay, look at the bollards that line the road. I just love them. They have been cast to look like they have rope wrapped round them, like when tying a boat up.

Just after the car park entrance, check out the windows of the Waterfront apartments opposite, which have local river front scenes with maritime activity carved out of sheets of what looks like the same Corten steel as used in Ray Lonsdale’s sculptures.

Much further along, opposite Sambuca 1 and Seaview Fisheries you will find the old gateways into the fish market have been filled in but overlaid with ironwork gates in the shape of three Herring Girls. Next to one of them there is a mini sea mural adorned with metal fish displayed in the shape of a boat.

There is also a series of large photographs depicting modern day fishing scenes displayed along the brick wall which serve to brighten up the area too.

It’s really lovely to see all this creativity along the river front celebrating the industry.

Mural 9: Net Worth – Prefab77

The last mural Net Worth can be found on the gable end of Lin’s Seafoods, by the circle of picnic tables. It is the third of Prefab77’s black and white murals and in my opinion the most detailed, intricate and impressive.

It really packs a punch as an homage to the steely characters who brave the harshest of conditions to keep the North Shields fishing industry alive. The stern and rather grim looking fisherman stands front and central, almost like he’s proudly guarding or defending his boats which are positioned behind him.

Note the wily seagull at the top who is ready and waiting to divebomb your chips as you sit on the one of the benches in front.

Look out for a similarly posed seabird in sculpture form, (which I think is actually a cormorant), sitting atop a sculpture just round the corner in the Fishnet Tavern’s beer garden, a great place to end the North Shields mural trail with a lovely pint of ale!

North Shields Mural Trail Visitor Information

Recommended Parking is at Low Lights Car Park which is free. If you find this full on arrival, there is an additional car park past Union Quay on Bell Street – Western Quay Car park. This is pay and display.

The North Shields Mural Trail will take you about 3 hours to complete, allowing for plenty of photo opportunities and detours to additional sculptures. This can be reduced to well under 2 hours if you cut out walking to the mural at the football club.

All murals can be accessed at all times of day.

Refreshment Recommendations

Tried and tested:

• Dodgin’s Yard (along Union Quay) which I had brunch at ahead of starting the trail. This is dog friendly.
• Fishnet Tavern for drinks to celebrate the 4-mile trail completion. Also dog friendly throughout.
• Great ice-cream can be obtained from the place opposite the picnic bench area detailed above.

Get in Touch!

Have you been out and about following the North Shields mural trail yet? If so, do you have a favourite mural? And did you spot all the sculptures along the way? Please drop me a line in the comments box below and share your thoughts – I’d love to hear from you.

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Further Reading…

If you’re a fan of outdoor public sculpture then you may like to check out these posts:

• Check out when Wild Uplands took over Penistone Hill Country Park, Haworth
• Walk to the monumental Dream Sculpture at Sutton Manor Woodlands
• Follow the Knife Angel story
• Walk amongst the Iron Men at Crosby Beach
• Walk to the Halo Sculpture, Lancashire

Travelling around the North East? Then you may like to check out these other posts…

• Penshaw Monument – the Greek Temple of North East England
• Exploring Hartlepool and County Durham
• Afternoon Tea at Wynyard Hall in County Durham
• Visiting WWT Washington during their Lego Safari

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