Newcastle-upon-Tyne is, in both an economic as well as a cultural sense, the capital of the northeast of England. This industrial city stands on the River Tyne, its center possessing many noteworthy Victorian buildings and streets, three large shopping centers as well as numerous interesting museums and entertainment facilities, including the prestigious Theatre Royal. Previously an important exporting port, in particular for coal, the harbor area is now a busy passenger terminus for ferries and cruise ships to Europe, as well as for boat trips within the city itself.In Roman times, the city - then called Pons Aelius - was a fort on Hadrian's Wall, and during the Saxon period it was known as Monk Chester on account of its many religious houses. The city owes its present name to William the Conqueror who, like Hadrian before him, recognized its strategic importance. In 1080 he gave his son the order to erect a "New Castle" on the site of the old Roman fort, in addition to the building of St Nicholas' Cathedral. Many of the pioneering inventions of the Industrial Revolution, especially in railroad engineering, the development of electricity and turbine driven machines, are closely associated with Newcastle. The foundation of its famous locomotive manufacturing industry was laid by George Stephenson in 1823, and designs for the city's development led to the creation of the Victorian streets which still dominate the inner city landscape.