Can anyone hazard a guess as to the date of this photograph please.

This version is a bit clearer.

The fact that all the vessels seem to be straight-stemmed suggests to me we are looking at a scene from the 1920s.

Ron M

Pity that none are clearly identifiable. The Ellerman does look rather like one of the WW1 standard types. The freighter at the top has distinctive funnel marks but whose?

Top vessel Brocklebank possibly? Before WW2 the RAF took photographs of Port installations mind you so did the Luftwaffe using aircraft with civilian markings.

Is that not a Bucknall funnel, centre ship of three next to the hammerhead crane.

Well spotted Dave, the well-known 'Bucknall teeth'. The top ship isn't a Brock, looks like a red star on white over blue, or some similar combination.
The outer tier vessel, possibly United Africa.

the name stamp on the reverse of this 12x10 photo reads PHILIPSON & SON LTD 20 OXFORD STREET Newcastle NE Coast exhibition Official Photographer.

The funnel markings of the top ship look like those of Lawther, Latta.

Of course, the Nitrate Producers fleet.