Royal Quays Marina
Situated in the historic Albert Edward Dock, close to the entrance of the River Tyne, the marina is conveniently placed for access to the open sea or for cruising on the shelters waters of the River Tyne and benefits from all tide access. The Marina is maintained to a high standard and is operated 24 hrs throughout the year by a friendly and knowledgeable team.
We are proud that following the opening of our new luxury washrooms and on site café/bar/restaurant, we were awarded 5 gold anchors, making us the only Coastal Marina in the north of England to hold this accreditation.
History of our home
Royal Quays Marina lies in the former Albert Edward Dock which was constructed by the Tyne improvement commissioners at the entrance to the coble dene in the 1870’s, principally to serve the local coal trade but also for the import of timber from the Baltic.
A network of wagon ways and the rail tracks led from coalfields to the dock where coal was loaded onto ships from the Dene Staithe. The staithe was situated in the North West corner of the dock and its location is now indicated by the yellow shallow water marks. The dock was officially opened and named by Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales in 1884 sometime after it began operating.
The dock had two lock entrances, a smaller tidal lock in which the current lock is built and a larger ship lock which operated at the top of the tide when the impound level and the river were equal for the passage of larger and deeper vessels.
The ship lock has now been sealed off with a barrage. The hydraulically operated lock gates were designed and built by the renowned William Armstrong of Newcastle. The old lock gates which can still be seen along with the associated hydraulic accumulator tower are now listed structures.