ABSTRACT
The river Tyne is the major river of the Northumberland and Durham coalfield. The coalbearing strata, the carboniferous series, dip eastwards to the sea—and under it—but the coal seams, shallow in the west, are overlain by Permian limestone in the eastern area of County Durham. The rivers flow generally from west to east and the Tyne, its catchment embracing the greatest area, has developed meander haughs above Newcastle whereas below the town it runs between steep banks which, although impeding development, proved advantageous for the trans-shipment of coal.
