To some it's a horrible old smelly place but to me it's one of the most invigorating, stiring and beautiful places around. Head down there for the market at 7am and see the sunrise warm your cockles and watch as the quiet piece is broken by the quiet determination of the market workers with its fishermen and fish buyers.

The Fish Quay dates back to 13th century with the growth of a small settlement around Tynemouth Monastery.

In 1672, Clifford’s Fort was built as part of a network of coastal defences and the Fish Quay grew from a place where local boats traded in crabs and salmon to become one of the most important fishing ports in England.

Due to a decline in North Sea fish stocks,however, the scale of the fishing industry is a fraction of what it was in its heyday. Moreover, much of the ancillary industry that fed off fishing like boat repair, canning and netmaking, has downsized or left the area completely.

Once a place known for its herring, it still remains a great place to buy ultra-fresh North Sea cod,haddock, monkfish, dogfish, whiting and shellfish from any one of an array of small fish shops.