[Steve Ellwood]

Right I have a question!

I have to take "Newcastle upon Tyne a modern history" edited by Collis and Lancaster back to the library this morning (yes I know it's shocking that I don't own the greatest book that has been written about Newcastle) but I am intrigued by a reference on page 234 about "Gibson Town a coherently planned, almost self contained area of terraced streets and commercial buildings laid out between New Bridge Street and City Road between 1836 and 1848."
The footnote states that the architect was Thomas Oliver (!) and it was demolished in 1962-8.

I hope that the forum can shine light on this lost and I think probably important development.

Its been discussed before under the heading of Victoria Market as:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=82040454&postcount=1399

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=57719833&postcount=12

 

[Newcastle Historian]

Its been discussed before under the heading of Victoria Market as:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=82040454&postcount=1399

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=57719833&postcount=12

The "Gibson Town" area (as mentioned on page 234 of Newcastle upon Tyne - A Modern History, by Colls & Lancaster)

The street layout can still be clearly seen in the below extract from a 1946 "Reid's Newcastle Street Map" . . .

 

[growly grace]

The houses remind me of Sallyport Crescent.

 

[Newcastle Historian]

For ease of future reference, I have indexed the above info under "Gibson Town" in the INDEX. Much of it is also indexed under "Victoria Market".

 

[Dene]

When you think about it there are many websites, such as this one, and many separate Facebook pages, such as the Categorised West End site, who are essentially ploughing their own furrows and using what they have to provide all their fantastic information and pictures.

If all of this could somehow come together under one umbrella wiki-based site then it would be superb.

However to get people to co-operate and to pool all the info would be a massive task, but not impossible with some dedication and patience. The results would be well worth it.

My thoughts exactly.

What do you think the scope should be? I think a Tyneside History wiki would be sufficient, but would a Tyne and Wear one be more appropriate?

 

[WilfBurnsFan]

Does anyone have any information on the 'Green Estate' in Gosforth fronting the Great North Road just up from Asda (Strathmore Road/Linthorpe Road/Granville Road)? Its a odd place where just about all the buildings (maisonettes) have green painted woodwork and uniform gates. Who built it and when, who owns it now, etc.

 

[Dene]

The way to get at ALL of that info, is by starting your research by going FROM the Index Thread, on (I would suggest) an 'alphabetical' basis from A to Z.

No matter which thread a fact on this forum is stored, I have tried to record it (preserve it / keep it 'accessible') by posting an alphabetical-based link to it on the Index Thread.

Obviously most posts on this wide-ranging 'discussion forum' of ours, do not contain permanent factual information, but where they do I have tried ("tried") to always list them in (and link them from) the Alphabetical Subject Index, so I feel that should be (as said) your logical starting point.

This is just the sort of idea and project that I would LOVE to do myself, and/or become involved in one, being done by others.

However, my 'on-line' time is more than fully occupied by my moderation work of the various SSC Forums, so I would not really be able to get hugely involved, personally.

However, I would imagine that this forum contains many people who would be happy to become involved - and I would certainly be more than happy to advise and/or help with queries (if requested) in relation to usage of info from this forum, as I am trying to do in this post!

Thanks NH. I wouldn't have even considered creating a wiki if it wasn't for all the work you (and the other contributors here) have done on this site. I feel a bit guilty that my main contribution (at first) would just be re-organizing your information rather than doing my own original research, so I very much appreciate your encouragement.

 

[battlefieldjohn]

Does anyone have any information on the 'Green Estate' in Gosforth fronting the Great North Road just up from Asda (Strathmore Road/Linthorpe Road/Granville Road)? Its a odd place where just about all the buildings (maisonettes) have green painted woodwork and uniform gates. Who built it and when, who owns it now, etc.

If I remember correctly its called halls estate, privately owned by a family from London.rents are high and they are fussy about who they rent to. Nice area and very handy for schools, gosforth and public transport.

 

[Dene]

Right I have a question!

I have to take "Newcastle upon Tyne a modern history" edited by Collis and Lancaster back to the library this morning (yes I know it's shocking that I don't own the greatest book that has been written about Newcastle) but I am intrigued by a reference on page 234 about "Gibson Town a coherently planned, almost self contained area of terraced streets and commercial buildings laid out between New Bridge Street and City Road between 1836 and 1848."
The footnote states that the architect was Thomas Oliver (!) and it was demolished in 1962-8.

I hope that the forum can shine light on this lost and I think probably important development.

Here's the 1989 OS map of the area:

It looks like the only building that remains is "Buxton House" on the corner of Buxton and Gibson streets:

 

[Newcastle Historian]

Thanks NH. I wouldn't have even considered creating a wiki if it wasn't for all the work you (and the other contributors here) have done on this site. I feel a bit guilty that my main contribution (at first) would just be re-organizing your information rather than doing my own original research, so I very much appreciate your encouragement.

Don't forget, also, the WEBSITES Listing Thread.

Huge amounts of information there . . .

.
Another potentially very useful source of information on this forum (about where to get information from for the proposed wiki) in addition to the previously mentioned INTERNAL INDEX Listing Thread, is the EXTERNAL WEBSITES Listing Thread.

Section 09 of that thread is particularly useful, as it contains links to (probably by now many more than) a hundred or so "Local Interest / Photos / Newcastle Area" External Websites (including Westgate P.A.S.T. which was 'under construction' a while ago, when I exchanged messages with them) many of which cover discrete areas or aspects in detail (unlike OUR wider remit on this forum) and so they could be immensly useful in this project.

Section 09 - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=59482683&postcount=10
.

ALSO, I have just sent you a 'PM' (Private Message at top right of forum).

 

[skida]

I grew up in High Howdon, Wallsend and remember three similar hills around Wallsend:

Blackberry Hill, across the stream from High Howdon
Battle Hill, between Battle Hill House and the Rising Sun Pit
Powder Monkey, across the railway line and slightly north of the Wills Factory

Does anyone remember them or know what they were? I am guessing they were small spoil heaps, though much smaller than your normal pit heap.

 

[Steve Ellwood]

Here's the 1989 OS map of the area:

It looks like the only building that remains is "Buxton House" on the corner of Buxton and Gibson streets:

Often wondered about the original purpose of this building and from what I can see it was in the late 1800's a Beer House, although looking at the architecture this seems to be rather grand.

In 1879 John Kelly is shown as being at 1 Buxton Street as a Beer Retailer.
In 1894 William Veitch is the resident Beer Retailer and he and his wife and two children are shown on the 1891 Census as being at 1 Buxton Street.

In 1947 Jas. Woodhouse & Son Ltd were using the premises as a Warehouse.

Addendum:

Just been reading Brian Bennison's "Heavy Nights - A History of Newcastle's Public Houses - Volume Two - The North and East".

Brian indicates the beer house mentioned above as The Stag's Head, a beer house with a small bar and snug a hundred years ago but altered in 1912 and then extended in 1937 by taking in the shop next door. At the turn of the century the Stag's Head landlord was a well known sculler, William Veitch. When he died in 1908 his wife Ellen took over and ran it until the age of 75 in 1939. The Stag's Head changed hands for £8,000 in 1948 and was acquired by Nimmo's in 1958 and closed in 1965.

1959/1965/1968 sees Blackwood, Morton and Sons Ltd - Carpet Manufacturers in residence with the building renamed to B.M.K. House

 

[Dene]

Often wondered about the original purpose of this building and from what I can see it was in the late 1800's a Beer House, although looking at the architecture this seems to be rather grand.

It's remarkably grand, isn't it. Is is possible that 1 Buxton Street was the other side of the road, and was one of the buildings demolished in 1968?

Also, I want to thank you Steve for contributing so much information to this site. I'm in awe of the encyclopaedic knowledge you and the other main contributors have of the region.

 

[Dene]

Huge amounts of information there . . .

An intimidating amount!

 

[growly grace]

I've stomped back form the library and the first thing I wanted to ask is origins of Buxton House! But have been beaten to it!
B.M.K. is interesting, it was a major factory in Kilmarnock and a big employer, I think they did the carpets on the Titanic. They might be here because of shipbuilding more probably domestic trade.
But it is such an interesting building I assumed it was 1920's
I take it the "Gibson Town" was to the right of Buxton House? where that uninspired street of think it must be student accommodation now? Behind the "bash"?
Also in Get Carter "he" follows the bad woman to her flat all very Victorian and melodramatic I again assumed it was Sallyport Cresent but could it have been Gibson Town? the dates say no but the heart says yes...

 

[growly grace]

google is my friend and I am wrong (as usual) http://www.getcartertour.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/getcarter/sallyport2.htm

 

[Steve Ellwood]

It's remarkably grand, isn't it. Is is possible that 1 Buxton Street was the other side of the road, and was one of the buildings demolished in 1968?

Pretty sure we are talking about the right spot as the 1894 Kellys Directory for one describes it as running from Gibson Street and being on the south side.

 

[Newcastle Historian]

An intimidating amount!

Agreed!!

 

[Dene]

Pretty sure we are talking about the right spot as the 1894 Kellys Directory for one describes it as running from Gibson Street and being on the south side.

Fair enough. However, if Gibson town was built "between 1836 and 1848", and it was a beer house in the late 1800's, I wonder if the reason that it's so grand is due to an agreement between the developers of Gibson town and the owners of the beer house.

The site would have been right in the middle of the development, so perhaps a replacement building was designed to fit in with the rest of the area. Both Gibson town and the beer house owner would have benefited from that arrangement.

 

[WilfBurnsFan]

If I remember correctly its called halls estate, privately owned by a family from London.rents are high and they are fussy about who they rent to. Nice area and very handy for schools, gosforth and public transport.

Thanks John - presumably a few of the flats may have been acquired by long term tenants under right to buy (if that exists for rentals) as the uniformity is showing small cracks.

A pure guess but Buxton House looks very much like a Methodist chapel to me.