Westoe was originally a village near South Shields, Tyne & Wear, England, but has since become part of the town and is now used to refer to the area of the town where the village once was. It is also an electoral ward for local politics purposes. History Westoe Village The earliest recorded mention of Westoe is in 1072, which refers to a group of seven farms. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the village of Westoe was around one mile south of South Shields (which was then part of County Durham until the formation of Tyne and Wear under the Local Government Act 1972), and was gradually absorbed into the urban sprawl extending from the centre of the town. In contemporary usage, the term "Westoe Village" refers to a specific suburban road of the same name in the Westoe area of the town. It consists of Georgian and Victorian houses, many having been built by business leaders of the town, including those who owned mines and shipyards. It is considered one of the most exclusive areas of South Shields. A number of houses which were historically in the village are not considered to be part of the modern-day Westoe Village. The semi-detached early-nineteenth century houses of Westoe Terrace have been absorbed into the late Victorian terrace of Dean Road. Westoe Colliery Westoe Colliery was one of many coal mines in the area. Opened in 1909, it operated until May 1993, when it was the last pit of its kind on Tyneside to close. The site of the colliery has since been cleared and redeveloped into Westoe Crown Village, which falls into the Horsley Hill ward of South Tyneside Council. Westoe Cemetery Westoe Cemetery was opened in 1857, and is now closed to new graves (although existing family graves can still be used). Notable local-born physician Dr Thomas Winterbottom, as well as barrister and politician Robert Ingham are buried in the cemetery. The Westoe Netty Westoe became locally famous as the inspiration for a popular painting, Westoe Netty, which illustrates a local public toilet (Netty is a Geordie dialect word for toilet). The original toilet was built in 1890 near a railway bridge on Chichester Road, near its junction with Westoe Road. To allow for regeneration, it was dismantled and put into storage in 1996. In 2008, the toilet was rebuilt as a permanent exhibit at the Beamish