Brierdene

Brierdene or Brier Dene is a small valley^[1] through which the Brierdene Burn flows down to its mouth at Whitley Bay.^[2] The valley was partly occupied by a coal mine in the past of which very little is now visible.^[3] Part of the valley is now the Brierdene Community Green Space and the Brierdene Wildlife Site.^[4] The site is now home to more than 1000 identified organisms and includes a ecologically diverse meadow and is a designated Site of Nature Conservation Importance.^[2][4] Much of work of transforming the valley into a wildlife refuge was undertaken by a voluntary group - the Friends of Brierdene. This work earned them a Queens Award for Voluntary Service.^[5]

Brierdene
Brierdene Location within Tyne and Wear
OS grid reference	NZ3474
Metropolitan borough	North Tyneside
Metropolitan county	Tyne and Wear
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WHITLEY BAY
Postcode district	NE26
Dialling code	0191
Police	Northumbria
Fire	Tyne and Wear
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Tynemouth
List of places UK England Tyne and Wear 55.06°N 1.45°W / 55.06; -1.45

The name Brierdene was also used for a railway station built in 1914 but which was never brought into use.

In April 2016 a new housing development at Backworth was started and adopted the name of Brierdene.^[6]

References

1. "Brier Dene, North Tyneside". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
2. "Brierdene". Go-curate- University of Newcastle. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
3. "Brierdene - Coal mine". Retrieved 11 June 2023.
4. "Brierdene Wildlife Site". Retrieved 11 June 2023.
5. "Friends of Brierdene". VODA. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
6. Sharma, Sonia (27 March 2016). "Work starts on building 180 new homes in Backworth, North Tyneside". ChronicleLive. Retrieved 7 June 2023.