South Shields

South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear in north east England at the mouth of the River Tyne. The town has a population of about 90,000 and is part of the metropolitan borough of South Tyneside, which includes the riverside towns of Jarrow and Hebburn and the villages of Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn. The earliest inhabitants of the area were the Brigantes, a strong and fiercely independent Ancient British tribe. However, there is no evidence to suggest they built a settlement where the present day town now stands. It was John Leland in the 16th century who first suggested the town had been known as 'Caer Urfa.' The Brythonic word 'Caer' meaning a fortified place or seat of royal power, 'Urfa' is suggested to be a simple corruption of 'Vide Infra', the Aramaic name for the Roman stronghold. A large Roman fort, Arbeia, has been excavated in South Shields on the Lawe Top overlooking the River Tyne. In 2005, it was the setting for an investigation by the Channel 4 Time Team... full article at wikipedia