CITY 

Introduction: 

Newcastle is an important industrial city in the Metropolitan County of Tyne and Wear. It lies 8 miles from the North Sea on the north bank of the Tyne with a city population of 279,100. 

Brief History: 

The beginning of Newcastle began with the Normans when they built a wooden fort and bridge in the late eleventh century. A “new castle” was built in stone in the 13th century and the town took its name from this. Medieval Newcastle prospered in the middle ages partly due to the battles between England and Scotland which ensured many travellers passed through. Also, at this time, the export of wool, hides, lead and coal with spices and wine being luxury imports. 

Eventually a wall was built around the town which contained seven gates and nineteen towers.

After Henry VIII closed the friaries and nunneries he did open a grammar school. The seventeenth century saw boom times. Coal exports reached 400,000 tons, the population rose. The town chose the King over Parliament in the civil war but was eventually taken by the roundheads. The eighteenth century saw new industries in the form of glass, iron, steel and clay pipes. Although there was poverty and slums the town gained a newspaper, hospital, street lighting, an assembly hall and theatre. 

In 1801, the population was 28,000 and the rapid growth saw the formation of suburbia, together with the inner city being reconstructed with fine streets, such as Grey Street, Eldon Square and Leazes Terrace. By the end of the century the population had reached 215,000. The railways arrived from 1838 culminating in the High Bridge being built in 1849 so that the railway could run to London. Shipbuilding became a major industry. 

In 1882 the town became a city and St. Nicholas Church became a Cathedral.

The twentieth century brought buses, museums, cinemas and the Tyne Bridge in 1928.

Post WW2 the traditional industries went into decline and new modern industries plus retail, university and tourism expanded. 

The 21st Century has seen continuous prosperity with the population growing to nearly 279,100. 

Things to Do: 

For all public travel info phone Nexus traveline on 0871 200 2233 or visit the traveline web site. 

Laing Art Gallery:

Located on New Bridge Street, NE1 8AG, this gallery houses paintings, sculpture, glass and silver. Artists include Gauguin, Turner and Henry Moore. A good selection of local art is on display. Open until 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, the gallery has a café and shop. The venue is a 5 minute walk from the Monument metro station which lies in the heart of the city. Parking is available at the nearby NCP car park. For further info visit the website or phone 0191 232 7734. 

Newcastle Castle:

The castle is located in the centre of the city in St. Nicholas Street, just a 400 metre walk from the central station. The Black Gate and Castle have seen recent renovations and are some of the best medieval examples in Britain. Open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Sunday the admission prices are £6.50 for adults and £3.90 for children. Further information can be found on web site. 

Great North Museum:

This museum is a specialist in natural history, local history and archaeology. There is also a planetarium and an extensive library. Situated at Barras Bridge, NE2 4PT, entrance is free. Haymarket metro and bus station is just a five minute walk away. Car travel not advised. Phone 0191 208 6765 or visit web site for further details. 

Newcastle Cathedral:

Is the most northerly of England’s cathedrals and the site has been a place of worship for over 900 years. The cathedral of St. Nicholas is at the heart of the city. Some of the best ledger stones in Europe are found here together with some excellent stained glass windows. Open every day, there is a café for refreshments. 

Hatton Gallery:

This interesting gallery houses some interesting pieces by Frances Bacon and Robert Jobling, and also features the Merz Barn Wall created by German artist Kurt Schwitters. This collage was originally created on the wall of a Lake District barn in 1947/48 and was transported to the Hatton and put in place in 1966.

The gallery is situated in Kings Road. NE1 7RU and is a five minute walk from the Haymarket metro station. Entrance is free. 

Discovery Museum:

Based in Blandford Square, NE1 4JA, this free entry museum holds a good collection of maritime and social history, regimental militaria and costume items. There is also the best collection of scientific and technical material outside of London. A five minute walk from Central metro station and Central Station, the museum also has a shop and café. 

Hadrian’s Wall:

Built from Carlisle to Wallsend, to the east of Newcastle, the wall was built by the Romans to keep the Scots out of England. At Wallsend there is the Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum. This World Heritage Site can be found at Buddle Street, Wallsend, NE28 6HR. Opening times are varied so the web site should be checked. Admission is £4.90 for adults and free for children.

The museum is a three minute walk from Wallsend metro and bus stations. There is a free car park. For further information phone 0191 278 4217 or by email to:-  info@segedunumromanfort.org.uk .

Much of the rest of Hadrian’s Wall between Newcastle to Carlisle is accessible. 

Life Science Centre:

This is a great day out for both adults and children. The zones within the venue include Computer Games exhibition, Experiment, 4D Motion Ride, Planetarium, Curiosity, Anatomy and Science Theatre. It is very hands on. The entrance fee is £12.95 for adults and £7.50 for children and is open seven days a week. Located in Times Square, NE1 4EP, it is just a two minute walk from Newcastle Central Train and Metro stations. There is parking at Times Square Car Park. To contact the centre phone 0191 243 8210 or email to  info@life.org.uk. 

Alnwick:

If a trip out of the city is sought then you could do worse than visiting beautiful Alnwick and its fantastic castle. It lies 40 minutes north on the A1. Alternatively take the train to Alnmouth (twenty eight minutes) and then on by bus (which takes eighteen minutes). The castle has been used as a location for many films and TV programmes including Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. 

Gateshead:

Across the Tyne, Gateshead is a vibrant neighbour. Worth checking out are Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art,  Shipley Art Gallery and Sage Gateshead. The town is also home to Gateshead International Stadium, a leading athletics venue. 

Night Life:

With a large student population a good night out is guaranteed in Newcastle. There is a big club scene with the current favourites including Floritas/House of Smith, Riverside and O2 Academy. Pubs and bars abound in the city centre and Quayside plus a good selection in Jesmond.

If theatre is preferred then there is a good choice of drama, musicals, ballet and opera to be found at the Theatre Royal, in Grey Street, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, in Westgate Road, Northern Stage, at Barras Bridge and Live Theatre, at Broad Chare in Quayside. Information on all can be found by Googling:-  Newcastle Theatres. 

Cinemas are provided, in various locations, by Vue, Empire, Tyneside and Odeon groups.

The city has its own Gay Village centred on Scotswold Road. 

Eating Out:

With a good range of cafes, restaurants, and pub food, all selling food from around the world, then eating out in Newcastle and Gateshead is a pleasure. 

Shopping:

Newcastle/Gateshead is the shopping mecca for  North East England. In the city centre is Eldon Square, a major mall, plus John Lewis and Fenwick department stores. Alongside these are a large range of national chain stores and small local shops and boutiques.

Across the river in Gateshead is the Metro Centre which is one of Europe’s largest malls. With 330 shops, which include favourite department stores, there are also cinemas, bowling, dodgems and 60 restaurants, cafes, bars and coffee shops.

Within the Newcastle local area can also be found Team Valley Retail Park, Dalton Park Outlet, Grainger Market and High Bridge Quarter. 

Accommodation:-

International hotel groups, local hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast establishments, pubs and hostels cater for all visitors to the city. Various web sites can be checked out for availability. 

Transport: 

Buses:

Nearly forty bus routes serve the centre of Newcastle and suburbs.

North of the city the major residential towns and villages have connections to the city. These include Blyth, Morpeth, Alnwick, Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and Newcastle Airport.

Similarly, to the south of the city, into County Durham, routes serve Durham, Chester-le-Street, Washington, Sunderland and Beamish.

There are also night buses serving Gateshead, Sunderland, Washington and Durham.

For full route and timetable information check out the nexus traveline web site. 

Metro:

Newcastle is one of the few British cities that operate an underground/overground rail system. The routes were basically formed from original railway tracks which have been adapted and extended.

There are two lines. One (Green) runs from Newcastle Airport to South Hylton via Haymarket, Monument, Central Station, Gateshead and Sunderland.

The other (Yellow) runs from St. James (city centre) to South Shields via Monument, Wallsend, North Shields, Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, South Gosforth, Jesmond, Gateshead and Jarrow. 

Road:

Travelling to Newcastle by road basically means using just two main roads. The A1 from Edinburgh passes through Berwick-on-Tweed and Alnwick, on its way to Newcastle. South of the Tyne the A1 travels on to Darlington, then east of Leeds and Sheffield. At this point the road splits to also form the M1. Both the A1 and M1 end up at London.

The other route is the A69 to Carlisle. At Carlisle the A69 joins the M6 which goes north to Glasgow and south to Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and by changing to the M5, also Bristol, South West England and South Wales. 

Railway:

Newcastle Central Station is one of the iconic railway buildings in Britain. To pass over the Tyne on the railway bridge leading into the city is a great experience. Newcastle Central Station lies on the Great Eastern route from London to Edinburgh/Glasgow/Aberdeen/Inverness via Peterborough, York, Darlington and Durham. Trains from all over the UK go to Newcastle and there are further local routes to Carlisle and Sunderland. 

Air:

Newcastle Airport lying to the north west of the city has planes flying to 74 domestic and European destinations, plus to Dubai and New York. The airport is accessed by bus, metro and taxi from the city centre. 

Taxis:

Seven companies run taxis in the city.