Armstrong Park

In 1887 Sir William Armstrong donated a large area of land adjacent to Heaton Park, which become Armstrong Park. In 1883 Sir William Armstrong offered Jesmond Dene, the landscaped grounds to his house, to Newcastle City and this was incorporated with Armstrong Park. Heaton and Armstrong Parks have been known under different names over the years. Heaton Park was changed to Armstrong Park when Lord Armstrong donated the adjacent land and since then Armstrong Park is referred collectively as Heaton Park, Armstrong Park and Jesmond Dene.

Later the Council minutes reverted to dividing the sites properly for clarity. Now Armstrong Park is referred to as its original area of land given by Lord Armstrong and Heaton Park is known separately.

The woodland in Armstrong Park had the advantage of being already mature as the grounds were laid out during the 18th century to enhance Heaton Hall (one of those residential estates, like many round the Cities and townships, that have been planted and adorned for best part of a century.) but in contrast to Jesmond Dene the planting was mostly native.

Armstrong Park is home to the famous Heaton Shoe Tree thought to be started by students throwing their shoes up into an old Sycamore tree but nobody is exactly sure. Photos of The Shoe Tree can be seen found on this page Armstrong Park - The Shoe Tree.






15th June 2023



Armstrong Park Windmill.

The windmill was probably built in the early 18th century and may be the one recorded on a View Of Newcastle in 1743. It was used for grinding corn for flour and meal for animal feed. An advertisement in the Newcastle Courant in July 1760 gives the tenant as one Jonathon Hutchinson and advertises it to be let. In 1800 the ownership is shown as Matthew White Ridley but by 1844 is was in ruins.

The tower of the former windmill stands to a height of circa 20 feet on a prominent position in Armstrong Park. The base has been cement rendered and the entrance blocked by stone or brick under the render. The position of the entrance is identifiable from the stone lintel above the level of render. There are three small windows at a higher level. The ruins were upgraded in 1992.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.






15th February 2023



Damaged Wall on Ouseburn Road.

Looks like it was a fallen tree.




Jesmond Vale Lane.

The appearance of spring bulbs are always a heart warming sight.






27th November 2022








25th November 2021



Northern entrance on Ouseburn Road.




Southern entrance on Ouseburn Road.




Collapsed perimeter wall on Ouseburn Road.




New outdoor gym at the basketball courts




The 'Cattle Run'.

According to an interpretation panel in the park, the 'cattle run' was sunk by Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong for leading cows to pasture. After much investigation the Heaton History Group suggest it was to drain water from marshy land on which prestigious housing was to be built.

Read the full story here For People Not Cows: Armstrong Park’s ‘cattle run’.






22nd September 2021



Tennis Courts.

Great to see the tennis and basketball courts have had a revamp.




Armstrong Park Windmill.






1st December 2020



A wild Ringed-Neck Parakeet on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park


Wild Ringed-Neck Parakeets in a tree in Armstrong Park

2 Wild Ringed-Neck Parakeets on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park

Wild Ring-Necked Parakeets.

After many months of hearing them and quick glimpses I finally photographed a few of the Wild Ring-Necked Parakeets living in Armstrong Park.




The Windmill near the tennis courts in Armstrong Park

Armstrong Park Windmill.




A Blue Tit on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park

A Bullfinch on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park

Birds on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park

Birds on a bird feeder.






2nd November 2020



Large slices of trees that have been cut down Pices leftover from tree felling in Armstrong Park

Tree work in Armstrong Park.

Tree work near the southern entrance to Armstrong Park from Ouseburn Road close to the White Bridge.




The ‘cattle run’ now thought to have been a sunken footpath. An 1880 newspaper report in The ‘Newcastle Daily Chronicle' about the opening of Armstrong Park explains that it was for pedestrian use. Armstrong Park "Cattle Run"

The Cattle Run.




Birds on a bird feeder in Armstrong Park A Robin inspects the ground for food in Armstrong Park, Newcastle upon Tyne

Birds on a bird feeder.






19th October 2020



A man walks through an autumnal looking Armstrong Park

A clearing in the trees allowing autumn light into Armstrong Park

Autumn in Armstrong Park.






2nd October 2020



An elaborate stone gateway into Armstrong Park from Ouseburn Road

Southern entrance to from Ouseburn Road.




Stone Columns.

Three stone columns opposite the "shoe trees". The columns are architectural fragments from the Royal Arcade on Pilgrim Street, which was demolished in the 1960s. The pieces were stored at a council depot near Warwick Street until the 1970s then deposited in Armstrong Park.




A well in Armstrong Park

A stone trough/well in Armstrong Park.

Just down the hill from the stone columns is an old stone well/trough, which still runs with water.






Architectural fragments.

Further down the hill from the stone columns mentioned above are more architectural fragments said to be from the Royal Arcade in Pilgrim Street, which was demolished in the 1960's.




'King John's Well' in Armstrong Park

King John's Well in Armstrong Park.

The well is not marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey plan map, but is shown on the 2nd edition, some distance north of the camera of Adam of Jesmond.

It has been described as a supposedly medicinal spring, formerly piped into a modern trough, but now dry. Associated with 'King John's Palace' to the south. A photo dated 1888 in the City Library shows a recess in a rockery, and water falling from an entry in the back wall into a trough. Above, and attached by chains to the trough, is a stone lintel inscribed "YE WELL OF KING JOHN".

Source: Sitelines.




A footbridge over 'The Cattle Run' in Armstrong Park

The western footbridge over the Cattle Run.




The Cattle Run.





Northern entrance from Ouseburn Road.





Tennis courts and the windmill in the background

Armstrong Park Windmill.




Covid information sign on tennis courts in Armstrong Park

A sign with information on 'Playing Tennis During Lockdown' in Armstrong Park, Newcastle

Tennis courts in Armstrong Park.




The bowling green shed in Armstrong Park

Bowling green in Armstrong Park.





The lower path in Armstrong Park.




The upper path in Armstrong Park.




A fallen tree in Armstrong Park







10th October 2018



The upper path in Armstrong Park.




A squirrel on a tree in Armstrong Park.






24th October 2015




A rare glimpse inside the Armstrong Park windmill




The windmill in Armstrong Park after a recent regeneration

Armstrong Park Windmill.






30th August 2011



Windmill undergoing renovation.






15th July 2011



Scaffolding surrounds the Armstrong Park Windmill

Windmill undergoing renovation.






2nd March 2011






Windmill undergoing renovation.




Regeneration work on the gates onto Heaton Road

Heaton Road entrance undergoing renovation.




The Bowling Green in Armstrong Park

The bowling green.






5th January 2011



A fallen tree blocks the path in Armstrong Park

Fallen tree.

A huge fallen tree blocks the path round to the shoe tree.






30th November 2010



A snowy Ouseburn Road with an entrance to Armstrong park on the left

Northern entrance from Ouseburn Road.





Lower path in Armstrong Park.





Fallen tree.

A huge fallen tree blocks the path round to the shoe tree.






18th November 2010




Northern entrance from Ouseburn Road.





Armstrong Park Windmill.






9th November 2009





Western footbridge over the cattle run.






29th October 2009




The upper path in Armstrong Park.






2nd February 2009



The upper path in Armstrong Park.




A snowy windmill and football field in Armstrong Park


Small football pitch and Windmill.




Snow covered Tennis courts.




Jesmond Vale Lane.
The lane that seperates Heaton Park from Armstrong Park.






18th November 2008




Snowfall at the tennis courts.




The lower path through Armstrong Park.






10th November 2008



King John's Well.




The small football pitch and Windmill.




Tennis courts in Armstrong Park

Tennis courts in Armstrong Park.








Bowling green in Armstrong Park.




Heaton Road entrance to Armstrong Park.






7th November 2008






Striking autumn colours in Armstrong Park


The upper path in Autumn.






3rd November 2008



The upper path through Armstrong Park.






30th October 2008




The upper path in Armstrong Park.






3rd March 2008



Mounted Police on horseback in Armstrong Park

The upper path in Armstrong Park.




Armstrong Park Windmill.





The cattle run.




King John's Well.





A fallen tree on the lower path.






26th February 2008



Jesmond Vale Lane.






9th January 2008



Footbridge over the cattle run.






16th November 2007



An autumnal Armstrong Park.






1st November 2007



An autumnal Armstrong Park.






15th October 2007



The hill up to the Shoe Tree.






2nd May 2007



The upper path in Armstrong Park.






27th April 2007



Armstrong Park Windmill.



Football pitch and tennis courts.






20th March 2007




Armstrong Park Windmill.






6th March 2007



Footbridge over the cattle run.




The hill down to the lower path in Armstrong Park.




Near the Heaton Park entrance.






22nd September 2006




Tennis courts in Armstrong Park.




The bowling green.






22nd June 2006




Armstrong Park Windmill.






9th January 2006



King John's Well.






28th December 2005







A dusting of snow in Armstrong Park.






5th December 2005



Setting sun in an autumnal Armstrong Park.






18th October 2005




The upper path in Armstrong Park.





Jesmond Vale Lane.






30th September 2005



Armstrong Park Windmill.




King John's Well in Armstrong Park.






More Information:
See my other photos around Armstrong Park:

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

BRILLIANT SITE MATE, SEEING IM NEWCASTLE THROUGH AND THROUGH, ALL KNOW I DO LIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN IN HERTFORDSHIRE LOL.. matthedger03@hotmail.com

add me asap on msn , ;-) - MATT

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed the site, I was born in newcastle but then its been 10 years i moved away to manchester. So please could you put some pictures of high heaton , newton road and benton road i would appreciate it if u could put the whole road in. thankyou very much.

Newcastle Photos said...

Thanks. High Heaton is one of the ares coming soon. I'm busy preparing 3 other posts at the momemnt and I'll start on High Heaton next. In the mean time you can see Benton Road on the Four Lane Ends and there is also the Library in High Heaton.

Anonymous said...

Should get some pictures of the white bridge and if you go to the right side of the the bridge (towards jesmond dene) into the trees there is some great messages inscribed on them great site

Newcastle Photos said...

There are some photos of the white bridge area on my Jesmond Dene page. Where one park starts another finishes is a tricky subject at times I've put the white bridge in Jesmond Dene.

I'll have a look for the messages next time I'm along there. Do you mean on the dirt track that follows the river around opposite the allotments?

Jonty said...

Being a Heaton lad I spent many an hour in the parks & Dene. I live miles away now, but still take my dog through there when up home. I showed friends some of these pictures, they visited Newcastle & said the parks & Dene were beautiful.
Some great pictures there.

Newcastle Photos said...

Thanks.
I spent at least half of my childhood in these parks.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Not sure how long ago these comments were posted.

I have seen a CD tree in Heaton park in 2013. I'm now trying to photograph it but I cannot find it and people I talk to have not seen it.

Does anybody know about it? I am sure it wasn't far from the shoe tree!

Thanks.

Basil said...

What is the history of the shoe tree ?

Anonymous said...

Don’t think anyone knows for certain,
I remember it started years ago,seemingly started by students finishing university and leaving the area tied an old pair of shoes together and flung them into the tree....