Photographs Of Newcastle: Walker Park

Walker (Wall-Carr – marshy place by the (Hadrian's’s) wall) is situated on an elevated plateau at about (30 metres) above a broad bent in the river Tyne about 3km east of Newcastle City Centre.

Agricultural until the early nineteenth century, the only feature that provoked comment in early topographical descriptions – for its picturesque qualities – was Walker Dene. Rising from small burns which had their confluence within the site of the present park.

Walker Park was laid out in 1888 on about twenty acres of farmland. Thomas Crawford described it in 1904. " At the entrance (to the park) from Somerset Terrace (off Church Street) is the gardeners residence and on the left is a lake, which is utilised for sailing yachts. Most of the borders are studded with trees, shrubs and flowers; a large proportion of the land is used for games of cricket, football etc. There are two large bowling greens, also two excellent tennis courts" Subsequently, a number of pavilions, statues and a bandstand were added.

It was only during the 1930’s that Walker became submerged in the urban spread of Newcastle. The City Council made continued improvement in domestic facilities but this was at the expense particularly of children’s play possibilities and by 1939 the only significant public open space remaining in Walker was Walker Park.

No new parks were laid out in Newcastle after 1914 and at Walker Park facilities were progressively withdrawn. It was not until the 1960’s that local authority once again undertook investments in recreation on any scale. Walker park along with Walker Parish Churchyard is the only significant mature tree planting in the ward Species include elm, sycamore, lime, willow, poplar and whitebeam, which grows alongside mature shrubbery and hedges with spring and summer bedding.

The current layout of Walker Park was designed and opened in 1988.

Description courtesy of Newcastle City Council.

12th May 2023

Walker Park Festival.

The trucks have begun to arrive for this weekends festival.

14th February 2023

Walker Park Bowling Green.

Looking a little run down.

22nd March 2021

Wild Ring-Necked Parakeets.

A Crow and a Squirrel squabbling.

12th February 2021

War Memorial to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

Simple rectangular sandstone pillar with a plinth of three stone steps surrounded by a single band of stone flags set level with the grass. There is a simple inscription cut directly into the stonework. Memorial to World War One casualties from the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

'Rabbie Burns' Statue.

The original statue stood nearly 2 metres high, atop a 2 metre plinth and featured a water fountain at the base of the plinth with hexagonal steps and flower beds leading up to the fountain.

Unfortunately by the 70’s the statue had lost its former glory due to ageing so the North East Federation of Burns Clubs raised funds for the statue to be refurbished and relocated to Heaton Park but once again due to vandalism the statue was in a sorry state, in fact all that was left atop the plinth was Burns’ torso and legs.

The statue, and dislocated head and arms, were put in storage and left to collect dust. In 2016 it was announced that the original home of the statue, Walker Park, would be restored and that the statue would once again be making an appearance.

An exact replica of the statue, plinth and hexagonal steps were commissioned and once again stand in the heart of Walker Park. The original statue was once again delicately repaired and is now safely on display in the YMCA Walker Park Cafe and Centre right next door to the replica statue.

Source: YMCA Newcastle.

The south west entrance.

The western entrance.

YMCA Walker Park Cafe and Centre.

Eastern entrance.

The Walker Centre and Titan House in the background.

19th July 2018

'Rabbie Burns' Statue.

The Bowling Green.

War Memorial to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

YMCA Walker Park Cafe and Centre.

22nd September 2016

The south west entrance.

War Memorial to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

'Rabbie Burns' Statue.

YMCA Walker Park Cafe and Centre.

The Bowling Green.

1st August 2016

'Rabbie Burns' Statue.

The south west entrance.

9th February 2016

Regeneration of the park is well underway.

1st July 2015

The south west entrance.

War Memorial to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers.

Airey Terrace entrance.

Upcoming regenration plans.

West Gateway.

Large rusticated dressed sandstone gate pillars with lower ashlar pilasters to the three faces, the same height and design as the flanking pillars at the ends of the quadrant walls between them.

The roadside west faces of the pillars, pilasters and walling have reeded decorative friezes. The east faces have the same friezes but are blind. At ground level there is a single course of projecting plinth. The entrance probably had iron gates originally, matching the railings to each side. It is also likely that lanterns originally sat on the tops of the larger pillars.

There is a modern circular bronze plaque attached to the west face of the pilaster on the north gate pillar which reads 'WALKER PARK' and has a worn coat of arms, probably of Newcastle Corporation. Carved into the plinth stone of the west face of the SW lower pillar is an Ordnance Survey benchmark (107,10) which fiirst appears on the 1941 OS map. The pathway into the park used to be much wider than it is now. It was a boulevard formed of two paths either side of a central line of trees.

Source: Sitelines.