The city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the towns and villages of North Tyneside, including Wallsend, North Shields, Killingworth, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay, were important settlements in the medieval era but the shipping trade and growing industrialisation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the population in the area increase rapidly. Alongside its ancient churches, many more churches were built to support those communities, and today the churches of both boroughs act as significant historic records of the architecture, cycle of life, and the growth of Christian faith in the region. They have become recognised as a part of the landscape. In addition, many visitors today are also drawn to the pilgrimage routes that pass through this area, some centred on Newcastle Cathedral.

This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Newcastle and North Tyneside over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this part of the country.