town, North Tyneside metropolitan borough, metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, historic county of Northumberland, England. The Romans built Segedunum there to defend the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, a defensive structure protecting England from raids from the north. Modern Wallsend is an industrial town. Engineering has long been an important activity; the 19th-century engineer George Stephenson, principal inventor of the railway locomotive, and his son Robert lived there for some time. Shipbuilding, mining, and the manufacture of glass all once played a major part in the town's economy. While the production of marine supplies remains significant, coal mining has ceased, and traditional industries have given way to light manufactures and service activities. Pop. (2001) 42,842.