The Rattler: a small (but noisy) piece of history

Sitting where The Rattler is now, around 130 years ago, you would have heard a very distinctive local sound...

It was made by a steam train, christened affectionately by the people here in the late 19th century for its noisy rattling. Hauled by an old steam engine, the train was a collection of second-hand carriages which ran along a two-mile rail line built to connect Whitburn Colliery and South Shields.

It opened in 1874 and carried coal, miners and, eventually, paying passengers ... but sadly, was around for just under 100 years, before it was overtaken by progress.

But such was the affection for the noisy, rickety little train that its name lives on, in The Rattler venue of today. You can read more on the history of the Rattler on the menus in the venue.