'It's very disappointing for everyone involved'

DUNSTON Staiths will not reopen to the public this weekend as planned after an inspection found damage and decay to the wooden structure.

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The Staiths reopened to the public for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic in April last year, coinciding with the launch of the Tyne Derwent Way, a £1.5m redevelopment of a trail which connects Gateshead Quays with Gibside in the Derwent Valley.

There had been plans to reopen the Grade-II listed structure for the summer starting from this weekend, but that has now been postponed, with no opening date as yet.

A joint statement from Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust and the Tyne Derwent Way said: “We're sorry and disappointed to say that we won't be able to open Dunston Staiths to the public this Saturday after all.