West Allotment

West Allotment is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside. Prior to 1974 it was part of Northumberland. It is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) inland of Whitley Bay and approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of The Tyne Tunnel. A mile or so north of West Allotment, the extensive built-up areas of North Tyneside change abruptly into green belt stretching north into south east Northumberland. West Allotment was originally a mining community. There is a World War One memorial situated on Benton Road. Silverlink Biodiversity Park is a local nature reserve adjacent to the village, which at the top of the hill has an ornate giant sundial at its summit. West Allotment is the nearest village to the Cobalt Business Park in North Tyneside. The Cobalt is the UK's largest office park, and is the largest conglomeration of purpose-built office space in the Northern Hemisphere. Companies housed on the business park include Procter & Gamble, Orange, Santander UK, G4S; North Tyneside Council is also based there.