Interesting Facts About Hebburn

For a town of its size, Hebburn has packed a remarkable amount into its history, from world-famous warships to a scientist who changed how we understand the age of the planet. Built on coal and steel on the south bank of the Tyne, it has a story that stretches well beyond its boundaries. Here are some of the most interesting facts about Hebburn.

Shipbuilding and industry

Hebburn built ships that sailed the world. In 1853 the shipbuilder Andrew Leslie established an iron shipyard on the Tyne at Hebburn, and in 1886 his firm merged with the Newcastle engineers R and W Hawthorn to form Hawthorn Leslie, one of the great names of North East shipbuilding. Palmers also operated a yard in the town.

The town was built on coal first. Coal mining in Hebburn can be traced back to the 17th century, and Hebburn Colliery, sunk in 1792, worked for 140 years until it closed in 1932. Coal and ships shaped the town and its close-knit community.

A shipbuilder gave the town its church, now a Buddhist temple. Andrew Leslie paid for the building of St Andrew's Church in 1872 for his workers. In one of Hebburn's most surprising twists, the former church later passed out of Anglican use and reopened as a Buddhist meditation centre.

HMS Kelly and Mountbatten

One of the most famous destroyers of the Second World War was built here. HMS Kelly was launched at Hawthorn Leslie's Hebburn yard on 25 October 1938 and commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten. Her dramatic war record, and her sinking off Crete in 1941, inspired the Noël Coward film In Which We Serve. The men lost with her are remembered at Hebburn Cemetery in memorials raised by survivors and the shipyard workers who built her.

The town's shopping centre is named after her captain. Hebburn's Mountbatten Shopping Centre takes its name from Lord Mountbatten, HMS Kelly's commander, keeping the connection alive in the middle of town.

Famous people from Hebburn

A Hebburn man worked out the age of the Earth. The geologist Arthur Holmes, born in Hebburn in 1890, pioneered the use of radioactivity to date rocks and produced the first credible geological timescale, transforming our understanding of the age of the planet.

Hebburn gave the coalfields their anthem. Robert Saint, born in the town in 1905, composed "Gresford", the haunting brass band hymn written after the 1934 Gresford mining disaster that is still played at colliery band events across the country.

And plenty more besides. The distance runner and athletics figure Sir Brendan Foster, the Paralympic swimming champion Josef Craig, and the comedian and writer Jason Cook all come from Hebburn. You can read more in our guide to famous people from Hebburn.

Hebburn on television

Hebburn had its own BBC sitcom. Hebburn, written by Jason Cook, who grew up in the town, ran on BBC Two across 2012 and 2013. Following the Pearson family, it starred Vic Reeves (Jim Moir), Gina McKee and Chris Ramsey, and was filmed on location in and around the town.

Green space and getting around

A historic park sits in the grounds of an old hall. Carr-Ellison Park, the town's principal green space, occupies the former gardens of Hebburn Hall and was given to the town in 1920, complete with the historic Hebburn Hall Ponds.

The Metro puts the region on Hebburn's doorstep. The town sits on the Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line, with direct trains to Newcastle, Gateshead, Jarrow, South Shields and the coast, a real advantage for a town of its size.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hebburn famous for? Hebburn is best known for its shipbuilding heritage, especially HMS Kelly, built at the Hawthorn Leslie yard and commanded by Lord Mountbatten. It is also the birthplace of the geologist Arthur Holmes and the setting of the BBC Two sitcom "Hebburn".

Who are the most famous people from Hebburn? They include the geologist Arthur Holmes, the athlete Sir Brendan Foster, the composer Robert Saint, the Paralympic swimmer Josef Craig, and the comedian and writer Jason Cook, who created the "Hebburn" sitcom.

Why is Hebburn's shopping centre called the Mountbatten Centre? It is named after Lord Louis Mountbatten, who commanded HMS Kelly, the destroyer built at Hebburn's Hawthorn Leslie shipyard and launched in 1938.

Know an interesting Hebburn fact we should add? Get in touch.