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Lemington was about the highest point upstream on the north side of the River Tyne suitable for coal staiths. Coal, transported in waggons along railed waggonways, initially horse-drawn on wooden rails, but later pulled by steam locomotives on iron rails, was loaded here onto shallow-bottomed keel boats for transport down river, where the cargo was then transferred to sea-going colliers. Staiths were recorded here by 1640, and in the C18th several waggonways terminated near this point, notably the Holywell Reins Way (1767), the Walbottle Moors Way (1781), the Wylam Waggonway (1748) and the Throckley Way (1751). The last of the staiths to remain in use, of which this structure is probably a remnant, were the Walbottle Staith of the Walbottle Coal Co. Ltd., and the Throckley Staith of the Throckley Coal Co. Ltd. Lemington coal staiths were marked as disused by 1952, superseded by transport by main line train.

There is another photo here NZ1864 : Remains of Lemington Staiths

River improvements by the Tyne Improvement Commissioners in the 1880s cut a new channel across a large meander, closing upstream river access to this channel (known as NZ1964 : Lemington Gut). Dredging of the former river bed continued to provide access for boats down river near to Lemington Point NZ1964 : Lemington Point while the staiths remained in use, but it has now largely silted up.
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The brick building behind is the Lemington Electric Power Station which was constructed in 1903/4 on part of the site of a former ironworks. The station ceased generating in 1919, but continued in use until 1946 as a substation, supplying power for the local tramway route to Throckley (which ceased in 1946).
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The low building on the left is described here NZ1864 : Tyne Iron Works, Manager's House and Offices, Lemington

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