North Shields Textile Map Finds a Home at Linskill

North Shields Textile Map Finds a Home at Linskill

A stunning new artwork celebrating North Shields has arrived at the Linskill Centre — and it’s already capturing the attention of visitors.

The North Shields Textile Map, created as part of the town’s 800th anniversary, is a remarkable community piece brought to life by around 60 local people between July and November 2025. Led by artist Gaynor Devaney and made possible through funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project invited people to come together, share ideas, and quite literally stitch their stories into the fabric of the town.

Through 12 free community events — including workshops at the Old Low Light Heritage Centre and a North Shields 800 Community Day here at Linskill — participants contributed drawings, paintings and textile work. The result is a richly detailed and imaginative map that reflects not just geography, but the spirit of North Shields.

Rather than a traditional map, this is a capriccio — an artistic interpretation of place. From the river and Fish Quay, through the town’s shops, historic and civic buildings, to landmarks such as the library, Christ Church and Linskill itself, the piece captures a sense of identity, memory and belonging.

The map builds on earlier work by Gaynor, originally developed as a paper capriccio map in 2023 with local community groups, and has evolved into a vibrant textile artwork representing hundreds of hours of collective creativity.

Reflecting on the project, Gaynor said:
“This has been such a lovely project to work on, with much enthusiasm and dedication by so many people to create a legacy of the town’s 800th anniversary. The artwork reflects people’s memories, their hopes for the town’s future and their interest in and love for our local area. I hope the map will now attract much interest and be enjoyed by local people in the years to come.”

Now proudly on display at Linskill, the textile map continues its journey — offering everyone who visits the chance to pause, look closely, and connect with the shared stories that make North Shields what it is today.