Played in Tyne and Wear: Charting the heritage of people at play

• Informative, intimate and entertaining history of the Tyne and Wear's sporting heritage
• Part of the Played in Britain series, English Heritage's unique series on sporting and recreational heritage
• Lavishly illustrated with archive and contemporary illustrations

In Played in Tyne and Wear architectural historian Lynn Pearson guides the reader on a  tour of the area's sporting treasures; from the site of the celebrated Blaydon Races in Newcastle to a cockfighting pit in Tynemouth, and from the cantilevered heights of Sunderland's Stadium of Light to the homespun delights of Britain's only listed pigeon cree in Ryhope.

On Newcastle's Town Moor - one of the great open spaces of urban Britain - Pearson traces the path of the Toon's old racecourse and the haunts of strong-armed pot-share bowlers (whose matches drew tens of thousands of gamblers in the 19th century). The River Tyne itself has witnessed many an epic rowing battle, and more recently the likes of Brendan Foster and Steve Cram have continued the North East's reputation for great athletes.