Remembering HISTORIC NEWCASTLE - Old Photos, Maps, even Stories . . .

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by SCNewcastle

A small townscape thing rather than big buildings - the City Council have just resurfaced one of the last remaining cobbled lanes in the city centre with tarmac. (The short one by the side of St James' Park opposite the Strawberry.) Which seems a shame. Anyone know if there's some inevitable reason why they have to go (cost? disability access?), or whether it's just that nobody values that kind of quirky remnant of the past?

That's a shame -anyone know what the Lane is called - is it just a continuation of Strawberry Lane?

If my memory is correct wasn't an old woman murdered in that lane, and remains unsolved?

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by SCNewcastle

A small townscape thing rather than big buildings - the City Council have just resurfaced one of the last remaining cobbled lanes in the city centre with tarmac. (The short one by the side of St James' Park opposite the Strawberry.) Which seems a shame. Anyone know if there's some inevitable reason why they have to go (cost? disability access?), or whether it's just that nobody values that kind of quirky remnant of the past?

Just been reading through the Leazes Conservation Area Character Statement
http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfiler...azes_CA_CS.pdf which makes the comment:

The rear lane retains the original cobbled surface but it is in poor condition.It has intermittent peak pedestrian flow associated with sports fixtures at the stadium

[Deebex]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Some information on the Dukes Moor Aerodrome @ http://www.neaviationresearch.org.uk.../DukesMoor.htm

Excellent reference Steve. I was aware of the airship hangar and aerodrome in Cramlington, but the fact that Town Moor (Dukes Moor) was used as an aircraft factory and aerodrome (preceded by a race course grandstand and then an ice rink) is amazing!

There's a building to the west of there which contains a Kwik Fit garage and car sales place which always strikes me as incongruous. But it looks like it's from the 1920/30's rather than before that.

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Deebex

Excellent reference Steve. I was aware of the airship hangar and aerodrome in Cramlington, but the fact that Town Moor (Dukes Moor) was used as an aircraft factory and aerodrome (preceded by a race course grandstand and then an ice rink) is amazing!

There's a building to the west of there which contains a Kwik Fit garage and car sales place which always strikes me as incongruous. But it looks like it's from the 1920/30's rather than before that.

Just another snippet about the Dukes Moor "airfield" - a unit of the Royal Naval Air Service also operated from there until 1915. Armstrong Whitworth cars were also made at the factory.

[SCNewcastle]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Just been reading through the Leazes Conservation Area Character Statement
http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfiler...azes_CA_CS.pdf which makes the comment:

The rear lane retains the original cobbled surface but it is in poor condition.It has intermittent peak pedestrian flow associated with sports fixtures at the stadium

Oddly, the page after that actually has a photo of it, captioned "Back lane separating St James Park and St James Street - good retention of original floorscape." I wonder if this was someone getting over-enthusiastic about repairing potholes, and not checking the conservation area angle. (They're relaying a substantial part of Leazes Park Road, so this may just have seemed like a little job to fit in while the equipment was there...)

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by SCNewcastle

Oddly, the page after that actually has a photo of it, captioned "Back lane separating St James Park and St James Street - good retention of original floorscape." I wonder if this was someone getting over-enthusiastic about repairing potholes, and not checking the conservation area angle. (They're relaying a substantial part of Leazes Park Road, so this may just have seemed like a little job to fit in while the equipment was there...)

There is a short section of cobbled back lane at the rear of The Ship in the Lower Ouseburn Valley which a while ago had a section dug up for utility repairs. Promises made that the original cobles in the section would be made good. Guess what?, it wasn't and a piece of tarmac was shovelled in instead. Perhaps no one has the skills to repair cobbles these days?

[Deebex]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Just another snippet about the Dukes Moor "airfield" - a unit of the Royal Naval Air Service also operated from there until 1915. Armstrong Whitworth cars were also made at the factory.

The RNAS unit may have been deployed to take out the Zeppelin threat (a massive issue in WW1)

The reference to 'cars' can be a bit misleading. Does that mean vehicles, or the various appendages that can be added to airships?

[WilfBurnsFan]

Originally Posted by Deebex

Excellent reference Steve. I was aware of the airship hangar and aerodrome in Cramlington, but the fact that Town Moor (Dukes Moor) was used as an aircraft factory and aerodrome (preceded by a race course grandstand and then an ice rink) is amazing!

There's a building to the west of there which contains a Kwik Fit garage and car sales place which always strikes me as incongruous. But it looks like it's from the 1920/30's rather than before that.

Dukes Moor Garage... wasn't that to do with the race course granstand, the associated pub or something? It's a lot older than the thirties.

Plus there is a gap in the avenue of trees near there which I seem to recall being told was to allow aircraft to be pushed through safely to the airfield. Possibly a myth which developed to explain the gap, but possibly true.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Deebex

There's a building to the west of there which contains a Kwik Fit garage and car sales place which always strikes me as incongruous. But it looks like it's from the 1920/30's rather than before that.

Yes, Moor Court. We discussed that when we were covering the various "1930s style" blocks of flats dotted around Newcastle, on the Residential thread, back in December 2009 . . .

Originally Posted by steve_ncl; December 3rd 2009

I love the called Moor Court, it's exclusive apartments in Gosforth with amazing views over the town moor. It is a truly impressive art deco building. It stands seven storeys tall with two symmetrical wings which project from a central stone tower. It is constructed mostly from brick, with stone and glass.

Attached to Moor Court is Gosforth Squash Club, which has garages on the ground floor, varies in height between two and four storeys. Another great 1930’s building is Granville Court in Jesmond. I still haven’t worked out how to upload pictures yet otherwise I would put one up!

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian; December 3rd 2009

Yes, I like these "1930s style" blocks of flats too, and there are a few good examples in Newcastle.

Moor Court, the one originally mentioned.


Granville Court.


and the others from this era that come to mind are 'Osborne Court' (on Osborne Avenue next to Northumberland Cricket Ground) and there is another one next to the Jewish Cynagogue on Eskdale Terrace. I do not have any photos of the latter two.

[Deebex]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

Yes, Moor Court. We discussed that when we were covering the various "1930s style" blocks of flats dotted around Newcastle, on the Residential thread, back in December 2009 . . .

Great photo's, but that's not the building I was referring to.

I meant a separate block to the west. It includes some of the 1930's (?) stuff added on to it (especially a flat on the back which I'd love to live in) but it does look very 'lightweight industrial':

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...04495&t=h&z=19

Though just checked it on Street View and it's not so 'lightweight' as it's built out of stone...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...24.71,,0,-0.35

[GBDT]

Originally Posted by WilfBurnsFan

Dukes Moor Garage... wasn't that to do with the race course granstand, the associated pub or something? It's a lot older than the thirties.

Yes that's correct Wilf. That building is one of the original grandstand buildings. The City Cuides do a tour of Gosforth which normally includes this building. Next Gosforth one is on Sunday 10th July.

Cheers
GBDT

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by GBDT

Yes that's correct Wilf. That building is one of the original grandstand buildings. The City Cuides do a tour of Gosforth which normally includes this building. Next Gosforth one is on Sunday 10th July.

Cheers
GBDT

I too was under the impression that at least parts of the building in question as WESTFIELD were part of the original Grandstand for the Town Moor Race Course.

Looking at the OS maps for 1898 and 1919 I believe that is the case - The North East Aviation Research web site mentions the fact that Although Duke’s Moor remains an open space today, there is no evidence of the former factory. http://www.neaviationresearch.org.uk.../DukesMoor.htm , HOWEVER whilst that may well be the case it is a little misleading. Certainly what was the Skating Rink which was later used as a hangar has gone but I'm sure what remains of the building housing Kwik Fit was part and parcel of that complex.

The Town Moor had been used for Horse Racing from 1721 and was used up until 1882 when racing was transferred to Gosforth Park. The use of the Moor was restricted to one week in every year - RACE WEEK.

The Grandstand was built as a dual purpose building, being a skating rink as well as a viewing point for the races. Obviously there would have been insufficient income from the Grandstand if it was only in use for one week in the year. This is a photograph of the Grandstand courtesy of the Newcastle Libraries Archive @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/newcast...n/photostream/

image hosted on flickr


You will see from the 1898 map below that CHADWICK MEMORIAL INDUSTRIAL RC SCHOOL (Boys) was occupying the building. They occupied the abandoned Grandstand between 1882 and 1906 before relocating to Stanwix. The school closed down at Stawix in 192 and accommodated 200 boys.They must have taken over the building very quickly after the Races moved to Gosforth Park. The School had previously been based in Darlington.



This is a photograph of the boys whilst housed at Stanwix - courtesy of the Newcastle City Libraries Archive @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/newcast...n/photostream/

image hosted on flickr


This is a a scan of the London Gazette of 5 June 1906 which indicates the closure of the Dukes Moor School.



Just as an aside - there was also a CHADWICK MEMORIAL INDUSTRIAL RC SCHOOL (Girls) at Ashburton Road, this was known as St Elizabeths and opened in January 1884 and could house 100 girls, it closed in 1906 and is described as former private house plus farm cottages with additions set in 12 acres.

Moving on to 1919, the set of buildings that had been used by Armstrong Whitworth to manufacture its aircraft. It was of course October of 1919 that the factory ceased production and closed. It is appears from the map that a very large building was erected to the East of the buildings featured on the earlier map, although the range of buildings to the West appears to be intact. It is this range of buildings or at least in part that I suspect survive today as Kwik Fit. It may well be that this part of the building was the stable block that had been built with the Grandstand.



This is a photograph of the building that is now occupied by Kwik Fiit - courtesy of the City Library Archive @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/newcast...n/photostream/

image hosted on flickr


One thing that does somewhat mystify me is the absence of the existence of this/these buildings within the GOSFORTH CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER ASSESSMENT @ http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfiler...orth_CA_CS.pdf

[Steve Ellwood]

Just to let folk know that the Newcastle City Guides Walks brochure is now available from Tourist Information Centre, Market Street.

There is also a list @ http://newcastlecityguides.org.uk/guide/?page_id=858

[GBDT]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

One thing that does somewhat mystify me is the absence of the existence of this/these buildings within the GOSFORTH CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER ASSESSMENT @ http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfiler...orth_CA_CS.pdf

It could well be that because it has changed that much that it was not worth mentioning? Only some of the original walls - hidden by years of paint, etc, still exist.

Cheers
GBDT

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Just to let folk know that the Newcastle City Guides Walks brochure is now available from Tourist Information Centre, Market Street.

There is also a list @ http://newcastlecityguides.org.uk/guide/?page_id=858

Newcastle City Guides Website added to the WEBSITES Listing Thread, at Section . . .

07 - TOURISM: Publicity & Visitors Guides, Newcastle and N E Region

[WilfBurnsFan]

Seeing the Chillingham Arms mentioned on the pubs thread prompts:

What was it originally called?

[Deebex]

Great maps and photos Steve, they really show things in context. I'm impressed with the grandstand which looks a bit 'New Orleans' like with the iron-arched verandah.

Your comment about the stable block seems accurate to me. But the 'Kwik Fit' garage has a massive basement.

I'm now curious about the actual course of the 'race course' was. Was it a straight run 'point to point' or a circular track?

At what time did the road running west to east through the track bisect it?

Edit: just seen the track on the maps, but it's strange that the racetrack was separated from the grandstand by a road, and the photo doesn't seem to represent this accurately.

[GBDT]

Originally Posted by Deebex

Great maps and photos Steve, they really show things in context. I'm impressed with the grandstand which looks a bit 'New Orleans' like with the iron-arched verandah.

Your comment about the stable block seems accurate to me. But the 'Kwik Fit' garage has a massive basement.

I'm now curious about the actual course of the 'race course' was. Was it a straight run 'point to point' or a circular track?

At what time did the road running west to east through the track bisect it?

Edit: just seen the track on the maps, but it's strange that the racetrack was separated from the grandstand by a road, and the photo doesn't seem to represent this accurately.

The first edition OS map of 1857 and second edition of 1898 shows the racecourse in relation to the grandstand. What is now Grandstand Road was not there at the time.

The photo was probably taken at this earlier date. The third edition OS map has the racecourse and Grandstand Road shown but no grandstand - was an aircraft factory by then.

image hosted on flickr

First Edition OS


Cheers
GBDT

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by SCNewcastle

A small townscape thing rather than big buildings - the City Council have just resurfaced one of the last remaining cobbled lanes in the city centre with tarmac. (The short one by the side of St James' Park opposite the Strawberry.) Which seems a shame. Anyone know if there's some inevitable reason why they have to go (cost? disability access?), or whether it's just that nobody values that kind of quirky remnant of the past?

Just realised I had this shot taken in 2001

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by Deebex

I'm now curious about the actual course of the 'race course' was. Was it a straight run 'point to point' or a circular track?

At what time did the road running west to east through the track bisect it?

. . . and the narrative under the below photo appears to confirm much of what has been said about the Grandsatnd/Dukes Moor Garage building . . .




TOP photo from the book "Historic Newcastle", by Frank Graham (1970)
BOTTOM photo from the book "What's In a Name", by Newcastle City Libraries (1992)
.