Photographs Of Newcastle: Saltwell Park

Saltwell Park is a Victorian park situated in the city of Gateshead. Also known as the "People's Park" and part of Gateshead's heritage since it opened to the public in 1876, the park is steeped in history. Thanks to a £10 million restoration project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Gateshead Council, the park has been restored to its former glory.

Saltwell Park has been given numerous prestigious awards, such as "Britain's Best Park" 2005 and "The Green Flag Award" 2006 amongst others.

At the centre lies William Wailes's former home, the Grade II listed Saltwell Towers, also restored, with the addition of a cafe and visitor information points located in the building.

The park also contains a boating lake, children's play areas including animal stables and huge bird cage, a stream, bandstand, basketball and tennis courts. The Park's bandstand was at one time situated in the middle of the lake and bands had to travel across the lake by boat to perform.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia.

10th June 2013

Saltwell Towers.

A large house standing in Saltwell Park (formerly the estate of the house), built in 1871 for William Wailes, the stained-glass manufacturer. The style of the building is largely a mixture of Gothic and Elizabethan with some French influence. The general external appearance is dominated by asymmetrical towers, steeply pitched roofs, plain and crenellated parapets and tall chimney-stacks. Dark brick with yellow brick dressings and some yellow brick decorative patterns.

The south front is of 2 storeys. Square projecting corner-turrets with crenellated parapets, and a taller turret projecting towards the right end. This turret rises through the ground floor and first floor as a 3-sided bow with 3 single lights per storey. It continues upwards through the main parapet to form a third-storey room in the roof. The turret has its own parapet with stone string-courses, sloping stone capping and fish-scale tiled roof of very steep pitch.

This roof has 3 triangular sides, corresponding to the sides of the bow-front below, and is continued back to cover the turret. Along the roof-ridge runs a decorative wrought-iron railing with open work decorative finials at each end. The main south front has a continuous parapet with sloping stone capping and a stone string course. A second stone string course divides the storeys. Large plate-glass windows of 4 lights with mullions and single transom, and one opening casement each. In recessed bay towards the middle, a square-headed doorway with rectangular fanlight over and 12-panel door.

Large 2-storey bow front on west side of similar character, but with heraldic devices set into parapet. On north side, a 3-storey projecting entrance tower with crenellated parapet and polygonal stair-turret rising above parapet level to a circular pyramidal roof with decorative weather-vane. Projecting wooden porch with curved roof. Some of the original panelling commissioned from Gerrard Robinson is preserved in the Shipley Art Gallery.

William Wailes, Newcastle stained-glass artist, bought part of Saltwellside, and in 1856 designed the spectacular Gothic Saltwell Towers, built 1860-71. Of red brick with black and yellow decoration, it was Elizabethan in style, with dramatic towers, turrets and pinnacles.The interior, originally sumptuous with fittings and furniture by Gerard Robinson. In 1876 Wailes (d.1881) sold Saltwell Towers to Gateshead, but leased it back. A later occupant was J.A.D. Shipley (d.1909), whose picture collection became the Shipley Art Gallery. In 1914-18 Saltwell Towers was a hospital during WWI, but afterwards stood empty until used as the Local and Industrial Museum, 1933-68.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

Avenue Green Bowls Pavilion.

This pavilion was the Christian Science Monitor Pavillion, moved from Newcastle’s Exhibition Park in 1929, but now occupies a strong anchor position in the park in relation to the bowling green.

Source: Sitelines.

Stable Block.

Circa 1871. Red brick with white brick quoins and dressings, polychrome frieze. Hipped slate roof with 2 gabled dormers, central spire, western bell shelter. 1 1/2 storeys, 5 bays. Central segmental arch, carriage doors at right.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

Saltwell Park Aviaries.

Circa 1800. Two octagonal buildings. Stone and wrought iron. Coursed squared stone bases, framed upper parts rising to pointed roofs. Grade 2 Listed.

Source: Sitelines.

Belvedere walls, turrets, stairs.

Early 1870's built as part of the landscaping to Saltwell Park Mansion for William Wailes, the stained glass manufacturer. Two levels of rusticated stone walls with plinths and copings and octagonal corner towers with battlements U- and L-shaped on plan and enclosing a small upper and larger lower belvedere. Associated flights of stairs. These buildings form appropriate southern and western approaches to the mansion.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

Saltwell Park, South African War Memorial.

Dated 1905. Unsigned. Stepped, tapered granite plinth. Bayleaf pattern torus at step and draped cartouches below cornice. Inscribed with names of fallen on sides. Scrolled step above, with carved bay wreath, on which stands bronze angel holding aloft a laurel crown.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

Saltwell Park Bandstand.

This good quality bandstand was not the original one designed for the park, but was supplied by Beamish Museum after they had installed the original on their site. It has an Art Nouveau quality and a pleasing and distinctive roof profile which distinguish it for special care and attention.

Source: Sitelines.

Primosole Footbridge War Memorial.

Wooden footbridge 12 feet wide and 22 feet long with a dedication carved into the parapet and the name "PRIMOSOLE BRIDGE" on the coping on a low stone wall alongside. "DEDICATED TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE 2ND BATTALION DLI BURMA APRIL 1944 KOHIMA EPITAPH WHEN YOU GO HOME TELL THEM OF US AND SAY YOUR TOMORROW WE GAVE OUR TODAY 6TH, 8TH AND 9TH BATTALIONS DLI PRIMOSOLE BRIDGE SICILY JULY 1943 THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM". This is a copy of an Edwardian bridge which once crossed the ha-ha. It was erected as part of the Lottery-funded Millennium restoration.

Source: Sitelines.

Saltwell Park Boating Lake.

5th October 2007

Saltwell Towers.

12th August 2007

Belvedere walls, turrets, stairs.

Saltwell Park Boating Lake.

Statue of Alderman John Lucas.

1903 by G W Stevenson. Lively and naturalistic life size bronze figure in aldermanic robes on rusticated sandstone pedestal inscribed: ALDERMAN JOHN LUCAS 1837-1900 ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION 1903, standing on moulded granite plinth.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.