Dunston, Tyne and Wear
area of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead

Dunston is a western area of the town of Gateshead on the south bank of the River Tyne, in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, North East England (into which it was absorbed in 1974). Dunston had a population of 18,326 at the 2011 Census.
History
It has been speculated that Dunston started its existence as a farm or estate of a man named Dunn. Historically part of County Durham, Dunston was first mentioned in 1328. Salmon fishing and farming were important industries in Dunston from at least the 14th century. Coal mining on a small-scale was also important but by the 17th century, the proximity of the river aided the development of large-scale coal mining in the village. During the Great Tyne Flood of 1771 villagers had to be rescued by boat from the roofs and upper stories of their houses.
On 6 June 1993 the IRA attacked a gas holder in the nearby area of Low Team. The damage was limited, and no one was injured.
Geography
Dunston is split into two areas separated by the A1 dual carriageway.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Dunston, Tyne and Wear” is area of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Dunston, Tyne and Wear, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “area of the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2389953. VIAF identifies the subject as 138560970. The Library of Congress control number is n99260104. Authority coordinates are 54.952, -1.639. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1974, 2011, 1328 and 1771.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dunston, Tyne and Wear”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dunston, Tyne and Wear primary sources, Dunston, Tyne and Wear archive and Dunston research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dunston, Tyne and Wear”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dunston, Tyne and Wear” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.