Cruddas Park / Riverside Dene - Redevelopment | Newcastle | Various | U/C

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Talisker

The Cruddas Park blocks are named after species of trees and I'd always supposed the original colour scheme to be an attempt to create an autumnal woodland theme. Although I approve of the redevelopment of the buildings, the new designs come across as characterless and overly conspicuous. I'm sure they could have improved things by having different designs for each building rather than repeating the same one.

Just read that Cruddas Park is named after George Cruddas who was a director of the Armstrong Works and that his former home, Dene House, was demolished to make way for one of the blocks of flats.

[Adrian_Swall]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Just read that Cruddas Park is named after George Cruddas who was a director of the Armstrong Works and that his former home, Dene House, was demolished to make way for one of the blocks of flats.

This from www.gracesguides.co.uk

George Cruddas

1851 Living at Northumberland Place, Tynemouth (age 60 born Monington, Durham), Engine Builder. With wife Margaret (age 61) and children Jane Maria (age 21), Sophia Sq(?) (age 13) and Charles John (age 15), Engine Builder. [1]

1870 Marriage of his son Charles John Cruddas. George of Elswick Dene. [2] Charles John is listed in 1871 as a Landowner.

1871 Living at Dean House, Elswick (age 82 born Rushyford, Durham), Engine Manufacturer. With wife Margaret (age 81 born Hexham). Two servants. Note: In the next abode is William D. Cruddas [3]


1877 November 12th. Death of Margaret wife of the late George at 123 Stanhope street, the home of her son-in-law S. Glover. [4]

1879 Referred to as the late George Cruddas of Elswick Dene House. [5]

I will be posting some further photographs of the five doomed Cruddas Park blocks.

.

[Newcastle Historian]

Newcastle College students in revamp plan
by Ruth Lawson, Evening Chronicle, November 28th 2011


STUDENTS at Newcastle College will be putting their entrepreneurial skills to good use to help regenerate a deprived area of the City.

A project has been launched at Newcastle College offering students the chance to put forward proposals for community-led businesses that could be set up in the Riverside Dene area of the West End.

The enterprise challenge will see students work with the local community to develop innovative and sustainable creative start-ups with an aim of helping make Riverside Dene a place where young people would want to live, work and socialise.

“As a college we have recognised students are leaving college with the sense that there aren’t jobs available in the current economic climate. So we thought rather than just taking a job, why not create a job instead and the enterprise challenge is a key element of that,” said Mr Ghurbhurun, adding "We thought it would be a great opportunity for our students to design and come up with business ideas that the community at Riverside Dene want.”


Read More (Two Pages) - http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...#ixzz1f0LS4WV4

[Adrian_Swall]

A windy day in Cruddas Park... but when wasn't it windy round these blocks?

Fences have now been erected round the three Eastern blocks with The Willows at the bottom next to Scotswood Road.







Going...going.....

[Seamaster]

Had a nosey around one of the flats in one of the renovated Cruddas Park blocks last week. Very nice indeed.

[Ken O'Heed]

Pictures taken by myself 12/01/12 approx 1200 (hosted on Photobucket) of the tower blocks as refurbished & soon to be demolished ( with other blocks in the background), taken from the roof area above floor 29 of the soon to be demolished Derwent Tower (aka The Dunston Rocket - see elsewhere on this forum)







and also showing the recently refurbished blocks








Unfortunately never going to be any equivalent photograph showing north side of river once the 5 blocks are demolished and it is a bit late for a campaign to keep The Rocket as a great vantage point for photographs

KEN

[Adrian_Swall]

Great pictures Mr O'Heed!!

You are right. The 'Rocket' would make a great viewing/photography platform.

Could have been turned into a new NewcastleGateshead art work?

Perhaps 'The Dunston Fish Eye' doesn't have the same ring.

[Ken O'Heed]

Originally Posted by DXNewcastle

The first three of those images clearly show the spire of St Stephens church in Clumber Street. Its an interesting building as the spire is all that remains of the stone Church, the parish being served by the nearby brick-built hall which stands apart (and also visible in those images to the right of the spire).

Follow up to your message, was out and about 19/01/12 north side of river and took the following pictures (hosted on Photobucket) close up of St Stephens spire on Clumber St/Brunel Street Newcastle upon Tyne











One with Derwent Tower (aka The Dunston Rocket) - soon to be demolished in the background, south side of River Tyne





A friend who was brought up in the area states the remainder of the church was demolished following attack of wet rot, dry rot etc.

Once the adjacent multi storey blocks have been demolished by Technical Demolition Services (from The Wirrel area) a wonderful structure will become an even more imposing landmark

KEN

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Ken O'Heed

Follow up to your message, was out and about 19/01/12 north side of river and took the following pictures (hosted on Photobucket) close up of St Stephens spire on Clumber St/Brunel Street Newcastle upon Tyne

Snipped...

KEN

Goods set of shots Ken.

This is the Grade Listing Text courtesy of The British Listed Buildings web site @ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co...stle-upon-tyne

Church of St Stephen, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Description: Church of St Stephen

Grade: II
Date Listed: 14 June 1954
English Heritage Building ID: 304439

OS Grid Reference: NZ2318063227
OS Grid Coordinates: 423180, 563227
Latitude/Longitude: 54.9631, -1.6395

Location: Clumber Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 7NL

Locality: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Local Authority: Newcastle upon Tyne
County: Tyne And Wear
Country: England
Postcode: NE4 7NL

NZ 26 SW NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE BRUNEL TERRACE (east side)

11/134 Church of St. Stephen
14.6.54

G.V. II
Parish church, declared redundant lst January 1984. 1868 by Johnson.

Snecked sandstone with ashlar dressings; Welsh slate roof with stone gable copings.

Aisled nave with north-west tower and low west porch; north transept; chancel with north aisle.

Decorated style. 3-stage tower over aisle has triple belfry openings, corbel table, and battlements with corner flying buttresses to tall octagonal stone spire with lucarnes. West porch has shafts and label strings to square-headed central window and flanking doors; high aisle windows, boarded up in north and west and with bar tracery on south; larger east window also boarded up. Steeply-pitched roofs to nave and aisles.
Interior: stripped except for alabaster memorials in memory of members of
the Cruddas family and mosaic after Holman Hunt "Light of the World" in memory of Rev. Joseph Duncan, vicar 1901-11. Glass removed.


Listing NGR: NZ2318063227

This from Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Step...h,_Low_Elswick

The foundation stone of the church was laid by Sir William Armstrong on 19 November 1866. Building was completed in 1868 and it was dedicated by Charles Baring, Bishop of Durham, during that year.

It was declared redundant on 1 January 1984 and was vested in the Trust on 18 March 1987.

Only the base of the tower is available for public access.[2]

Does anyone know if, how and when the spire is open to the public?

This is a photograph from the Newcastle City Libraries Archive Collection of the interior of the Church, circa 1912 @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/newcast...es/4076489852/

image hosted on flickr

[Ken O'Heed]

The following Text from Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) website http://www.yhn.org.uk/contact_us/com...park_area.aspx

"YHN properties in the Cruddas Park area are managed by the team at the Cruddas Park Community Housing Office in the shopping centre at Cruddas Park on Westmorland Road.

All properties within the area are popular with good demand and little turnover.

Nearly all of the flats and houses in the area now benefit from internal and external improvements carried out as part of the Modern Homes Programme and the Riverside Dene Regeneration Scheme.

Cruddas Park House: A 20 storey block above the shopping centre has been completely refurbished internally including lifts, lighting and floor coverings. These flats offer great views of the city and the Tyne Valley and are let to people over 45 years old. There is Tenants’ Group which meets with YHN every 2 months. Benefits from 24 hr Concierge Service based in the block."



Some pictures taken by me of the block 19/01/12 approx 1215 ( hosted on Photobucket)










Once the 5 adjacent blocks are demolished this structure will become a more prominent feature on the skyline




Wonder if the outside of the block is to be refurbished to match the other blocks recently worked upon - possibly not due to lack of funding.

Would look lot better if carried out

This picture by me taken from top of soon to be demolished 29 storey Derwent Tower ( aka Dunston Rocket) on 12/01/12



KEN

[Adrian_Swall]

The Beeches
Some tangible activity with a platform and outside lift access in place.

[Ken O'Heed]

Some photographs ( hosted on Photobucket) taken by myself 05/03/12 approx 1330 showing state of progress of demolition works at that time.

Working on all 5 blocks to be demolished

Looks as if all panels below windows etc are being removed - probably due to being asbestos material or having asbestos panel behind facing, along with internal removal of doors , timber linings etc ( soft stripping)






















KEN

[Ken O'Heed]

Below is scanned copy of Article from page 18 of Newcastle Evening Chronicle dated 17/03/12

It relates to "Glasgow Nibbler" crane arrival to work on 2 blocks (The Beeches & The Poplars) at this site

Work with the machine is to start Monday 19 March at Noon




Adrian get your camera out !

KEN

[Adrian_Swall]

Will do!



Think the 'Glasgow Nibbler' should be renamed the 'Jimmy Forsyth Nibbler' as he was convinced the whole estate should be knocked down!

[Adrian_Swall]

The demolition has stated with the Nibbler doing it's stuff.

Fair few number of people to witness the first block to come down - The Poplars.





The Willows looking forlorn waiting its turn to be brought down to earth.

[Ken O'Heed]

Originally Posted by Adrian_Swall

The demolition has stated with the Nibbler doing it's stuff.

Fair few number of people to witness the first block to come down - The Poplars.





The Willows looking forlorn waiting its turn to be brought down to earth.

Nice one - now follow it all the way down!

KEN

[Ken O'Heed]

Some pictures taken by myself 22/03/12 in period approx 1530 until 1620 (hosted on Photobucket) showing ongoing work























All material being "pulled" to west of the block

Reported that this large machine is to work on the "Upper half" of the block then be moved onto 2nd block and allow a smaller machine to complete the work


And this photograph from approx 1245 on 20/03/12 from Gateshead side River Tyne next to the Staiths



This is a decent vantage point for all the 5 blocks and I will photograph from here during course of work so as to give "a different view"

KEN

[Adrian_Swall]

More demolition ...Pictured 22nd March 2012.

The first three to come down as signpost says...



The reach of the nibbler is amazing



The 'Rocket' is in the background...a race to the bottom!

[Ken O'Heed]

ADRIAN

Got one like that but did not post it above




Think the winner will be north of the river

Going to leave it up to you ( or anyone else) to cover this contract - I will infill with a few pictures from south of river

KEN

[merleb]

^

Get in there sausage!!!

What a shame those who lived in the original houses on Park Road etc did not live to see this.