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The city of Newcastle upon Tyne
stands on the north bank of the Tyne Gorge, facing its smaller
neighbour Gateshead on the opposite side of the river.
The people of Newcastle are technally
'Novocastrians' but are more popularly known as 'Geordies'.
The original settlement of 'Pons Aelius' was founded by the
Roman Emperor Hadrian at the lowest point on the River Tyne
that a bridge could be built. Hadrian's Wall dating
from AD122, was built to defend the Roman Empire from the
barbarians to the north. The vast stone structure stretched
from the Solway Firth to Wallsend (just east of Newcastle)
and parts of the wall can still be seen in places in the city.
In 1080 the Normans constructed
a wooden fortress here and the town became known as 'Novum
Castellum' or Newcastle. During the Middle Ages the
town became a northern fortress in the Border wars against
the Scots. In the 13th and 14th centuries massive walls,
enclosing the castle, were built help defend the town against
Scottish raids.
Newcastle developed as a port
and from the 13th century onwards exported coal, particularly
to London. The famous phrase, 'taking coals to Newcastle'
was first recorded in 1538.
Shipbuilding, engineering, the
manufacture of woollen cloth and printing were also important
industries in the area. In the 20th century the export
of coal and shipbuilding declined dramatically and office
and retail employment took their place.
The oldest part of Newcastle
is the quayside where there are some facinating historical
buildings and visitor attractions.
The
Castle Keep, built by Henry II, is one of the major
attractions in the North-East. The fortress stands on
the site of an earth and timber castle begun in 1080 by Robert
Curthose, son of William the Conqueror. Curthose's castle
was the 'New Castle' from which the city takes its name.
A barbican was added to the castle in around 1250. In
1618 this was converted into a house which became known as
Blackgate, after Patrick Black, a 17th century tennant of
the building. In Victorian times the Castle was cut
off from Blackgate when a railway (now the East Coast Main
Line) was constructed between the two ancient buildings.
From the battlements of the keep there are spectacular views
over the River Tyne, Cathedral and Newcastle Central Station.
Nearby stands Newcastle Cathedral.
Some of the oldest houses of Newcastle Quayside can be seen
in Sandhill. Dating from the 16th - 18th centuries,
this street was once occupied by wealthy merchants.
Bessie Surtees House in Sandhill comprises two 16th and 17th
century merchants houses. A rare example of domestic
Jacobean architecture, the building is famous as the scene
of the elopment of Bessie Surtees and John Scott, who later
became Lord Chancellor.
Blackfriars, located in
the heart of the city, is the remains of a 13th century priory.
Restored in the 1980s, the ancient building now houses an
exhibition detailing the history of Newcastle witha range
of craft workshops and a café. Blackfriars is situated
beside the largest intact section of the old town walls, erected
to protect the town from attacks by the Scots. The Castle
and Blackgate did not form part of the walls but were enclosed
within them. Four surviving towers can be seen
in the vicinity of Stowell Street.
Newcastle's city centre has extensive
neo-classical architecture, largely redeveloped in the 1830's
by architect John Dobson and developer Richard Grainger.
Grey Street, named after Earl
Grey (whose monument stands are the head of the road) has
elegant Georgian and Victorian buildings and is one of the
finest streets in England. In the 1960's and 1970's
part of Grainger Town was demolished to make way for modernist
redevelopments. One these housing developments, the
'Byker Wall' (designed by Ralph Erskine in the 1960s) is now
on UNESCO's list of outstanding 20th century buildings.
Today most of Newcastle's classical
buildings have been restored. Close to Grainger Town
is Newcastle's thriving Chinatown, entered via a huge Chinese
Arch.
Newcastle and Gateshead are joined
by six bridges.
The famous Tyne Bridge (1928)
is a symbol of the city. Originally named the George
V Bridge, this impressive steel structure was based on the
Sydney Harbour Bridge (which in turn was inspired by the Hell
Gate Bridge in New York). Robert Stevenson's High-Level
Bridge (1849) was the world's first road and rail crossing;
with the railway carried above and the roadway below.
One of the best views of Newcastle
can be had from a train as it crosses the High Level Bridge
on the London to Edinburgh Main Line. The Swing Bridge
(1876), designed by the famous Tyneside engineer William Armstrong,
stands on the line of the original Roman and medieval bridge.
The lowest of the bridges, the
Swing Bridge leads directly into the Newcastle Quayside below
the castle keep. The award-winning Gateshead Millennium
Bridge (2001) is the newest bridge. With its unique
'blinking eye' opening system, this pedestrian/cycle bridge
connects the older Newcastle riverside with the cultural developments
along the regenerated Gateshead quayside. At night the
bridge has breath-taking coloured lighting.
Parks and open spaces.
To the north-west of the city
centre lies Leazes Park, created in 1873 to provide
an open area for health and recreation for the citizens of
Newcastle.
St James' Park, located in a
corner of Leazes Park, is the home of Newcastle United Football
Club. The club's modern stadium dominates city view
from the south.
North of the city centre is Newcastle
Town Moor, an extensive open green space. The annual
Hoppings funfair, said to be the largest travelling fair in
Europe, is held here. Jesmond Dene, a Victorian park
in the leafy suburb of Jesmond, has a narrow wooded valley,
deep ravine and waterfall.
Roman Sites and Museums
Segedunum Roman Fort, standing
on the banks of the River Tyne, was the last outpost of Hadrian's
Wall. For 300 years Segedunum (meaning 'strong fort')
housed 600 Roman soldiers. Today Segedunum
Roman Fort, Baths and Museum is the gateway to Hadrian's
Wall, a World Heritage site.
The
Hancock Museum (the North-East's premier natural history
museum) is currently closed whilst preparations are made for
the creation of the new Great North Museum. Set to open
in 2009, this museum will house the natural history and archaeological
collections of the Hancock Museum, together with the collections
of the Museum of Antiquities and the Shefton (Greek) Museum
at Newcastle University.
The
Discovery Museum in Blandford Square, charts the chequered
history of Newcastle using maritime collections, scientific
exhibitions and interactive displays. One of the city's
latest musuems is located at the 'Centre for Life' in Time
Square (near the Central Station). Founded in 1998,
the complex is a 'science village', designed to promote
international research into genetics and help people understand
the role of genes in their health and disease. The
centre also aims to share and interpret new discoveries in
life sciences. Within the complex is the 'Life Science
Centre', an interactive museum that concentrates on the origins
of life, DNA and the human body.
Another new attraction in the
city is
Seven Stories, the Centre for Children's Books.
Situated near the quayside, this is the only centre for children's
literature in the UK. The centre's collection of original
artwork and manuscripts help record the processes involved
in creating a children's book and give an insight into the
working lives of writers and illustrators.
Art Galleries
The city has notable art galleries
including the
Hatton Gallery and the Laing
Art Gallery. Located at the University of Newcastle,
the Hatton Gallery's permanent collection includes superb
African Art and work by the renowned German artist Kurt Schwitters
Merzbarn. There is also a changing programme of historical
and contemporary exhibitions. The Laing Art Gallery
has an impressive collection of fine and decorative arts and
also present temporary shows. Its 19th century paintings
include work by Gaugin, Landseer, Burne-Jones and Holman Hunt.
Other galleries include the Newcastle Arts Centre, the University
Gallery, Northumbria University and the Waygood Gallery. The
Biscuit Factory, Britain's largest original art store,
is located in the heart of the city.
Entertainment
Newcastle offers outstanding
nightlife including a huge range of clubs and comedy venues.
There are also many theatres including the Theatre
Royal, which presents a season of productions by the
Royal Shakespeare Company each year, the Journal
Tyne Theatre, the Newcastle Playhouse ( called The
Northern Stage now ) and the Live
Theatre.
The largest music venue is the
Metro
Radio Area, which lies in south of the city centre
near the Centre for Life. The city's pubs and bars all
sell Newcastle Brown Ale, the famous local brew.
Newcastle's growing gay scene
is centred around the Centre for Life area near the Central
Station.
Shopping
Newcastle is a major retail centre,
rivalling any area of the UK for the sheer variety and quality
of its shops. The city boasts several shopping centres
of which Eldon Square is the largest. Over the river
in Gateshead is the MetroCentre, the UK's largest shopping
and leisure complex (see www.metrocentre-gateshead.co.uk
) Newcastle's main shopping street is Northumberland
Street.
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Newcastle-upon-Tyne
