Lemington, Bell’s Close and Sugley were adjacent villages which developed in the nineteenth century around the new industries which took advantage of the coal and clay deposits as well as the nearby water transport.
They were all part of the parish of Sugley. In the sixteenth century there was a Lamedon Mill and a Lamedon House and in 1638 the staithes at Lemendon are recorded. There was also a brickyard, tileshed, blacking factory and boatyard at Bell’s Close at this time.
In 1787 the Northumberland Glass Company obtained a lease on some land at Lemington from the Duke of Northumberland and set up four glasshouses. Glass manufacture continued on the site until 1882 when it stopped and the land was leased to Spencer’s Iron Works. Glass making moved to a different site in Lemington.
In 1797 the Tyne Iron Works was established in Lemington 'for the cast iron extracting by the action of fire in large furnaces from ironstone…… to produce everything from an anchor to a needle' but in 1869 it was taken over by John Spencer & Sons and restarted as the Tyne Haematite Iron Company in 1871 using Spanish ore. The furnaces finally closed in 1886 and in 1903 the Newcastle & district Lighting Company erected a power station on the site.
Lemington Staithes and Lemington Point were the termination of many coal wagonways including the Wylam and Wallbottle wagonways. The coal was delivered to the staithes and then dropped into the many waiting Keel boats to take it out to the collier ships anchored in the River Tyne.
In 1876 with the coming of the railways a 'new' Lemington developed 'up the bank' north of the railway line. In the same year the Tyne Commissioners cut a new channel in the river near Blaydon and the entrance to Lemington Loop was cut off and silted up. This area is now called 'The Gut'. Continuous dredging was needed to keep the staithes clear.
By mid nineteenth century Lemington Point was the finishing line for skiff races starting at either the Tyne or Scotswood Bridges. The famous oarsman, Harry Clasper, frequently entered these races.
There was an island at Lemington Point which was locally known as 'Canary Island' during World War I because of the effect cordite had on the skins of the munitions workers. The land was reclaimed after World War II and in 1958 the Anglo Great Lakes Corporation Ltd. Built a plant for the conversion of carbon into graphite for use in the nuclear industry. This was the beginning of the Lemington Industrial Estate.
Holy Saviour Church was originally called Sugley Parish Church when it was built in 1837. It was designed by Benjamin Green and is unusual because it is oriented north-south, rather than east-west, to avoid an unused pit shaft underneath it. The Parish Day School was attached until 1937 when it closed. There were three churches in the area. 1838 a Weslyan Chapel was built by the Keelmen who ferried the stone form Heworth in Gateshead and in 1868 St. George’s Roman Catholic Church was built with an attached school, which is still in use.
On 12 July 1875 Lemington Station opened on the Scotswood, Newburn & Wylam Railway. On 15 September 1958 the station closed to passengers and on 4 January 1960 the station was closed to goods, but the lines weren't lifted until 1992, when the Ever Ready battery factory in Newburn closed.
Description courtesy of the now defunct Lemington Heritage Website.
7th April 2015
Lemington Power Station.
A typical example of an early 20th century power station, built for a private local lighting company, operating between 1903 and 1919. It was adapted as a substation after WW2 to supply the tram system. The imposing brick building forms part of an important industrial group in a historic industrial landscape and retains a number of original features.
The building survives as intact shell adjacent to river. It is a brick shed with tall, round headed openings often picked out in darker or lighter bricks, circular openings high on the gables, and a full length ridge ventilator to the west bay. Interior features included elevated control rooms, toilets and walkways, an overhead crane to the west bay, and a below ground reservoir. The perimeter wall is also of interest – it survives in the southern half of the site, incorporating opposed entrance gateways.
Source: Sitelines.
16th August 2013
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Lemington from across the Tyne in Blaydon.
14th May 2010
Lemington Middle School Demolition.
11th October 2009
Lemington Gut.
Before work by the Tyne Improvement Commission, the River Tyne at Lemington bent like a horseshoe around Lemington Point. The river was widened and deepened, the banks strengthened with stone and earth, and its route changed to remove the horseshoe bend which would have been difficult for large ships to navigate.
Lemington Point then became part of Newburn Haugh, no longer cut off from Lemington proper. What once was the bend in the River Tyne around the Point, became Lemington Gut, a narrow water channel which ended at the old Lemington Staiths.
Source: Sitelines.
Lemington Power Station.
Rydal Street.
8th October 2009
Newcastle Infirmary Mass Grave.
THE INFIRMARY
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
Here lie the remains of those
previously buried in the grounds of
the Newcastle Infirmary, Forth Banks
now the site of the
International Centre for Life.
Originally buried between 1753 & 1854
and re-interred here November 1998
Lemington Cemetery.
Lemington Cemetery World War II Memorial.
Riverside Way area.
Lemington Glassworks Cone.
Glassworks, now factory. Circa 1787 for the Northumberland Glass Company. English bond brick; renewed uppermost courses. Tall cone with 5 large segmental arches visible on west and south sides, 2 smaller on north, bricked up and with inserted door in north-west. Historical note: the only surviving glasshouse on the Tyne, famous since the early C17 for the manufacture of glass.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.
Lemington Methodist Church.
1891. Primitive Methodist. Replaced an 1861 chapel. Brick with ashlar dressings. A large town chapel with galleries, gabled front to street on east, with projecting porch block.
Source: Sitelines.
Lemington Labour Club.
Waverley Park Doorstep Green.
Valley View Play Area.
Waverley Lodge Care Home.
Lemington Gut.
Route of the now dismantled railway.
Valley View.
Union Hall Road.
1st October 2009
Lemington Methodist Church.
St Georges Primary School RC.
R.C. parish church. l868-69 by A.M. Dunn; at the expense of Richard Lamb of West Denton. Flemish bond white brick with polychrome dressings; rear (north) red brick; Welsh slate roof. Western 3-sided apse to chancel; south tower; 5-bay nave with south porch.
Shouldered lintel to blocked ritual west door in porch: Shouldered lintel to inserted west door with broach-stopped rebate to surround. Nook shafts to paired west lancets; cinquefoil above has drip mould with ball-flower stops. Carved gables to 2 west buttresses. 2-centred-arched windows in buttressed nave with sill string and continuous impost band: Lombard frieze above and around apse; 2-stage tower, blind below, has upper wide 2-centred-arched belfry openings under Lombard frieze with corner gargoyles, and steeply-pitched hipped roof with iron ridge finial.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.
The Lemington Centre.
Looking north up Northumberland Road.
Newburn Sea Cadets.
The old Lemington Hotel.
This old public house named Lemington Hotel is an important part of the appearance of the village of Lemington. It is a handsome stone built structure prominently located in the centre of the village. Built in 1897, it also consists of a cellar and a stable block. Replaced earlier Lemington Hotel at Newburn Hall. Became the property of Scottish Brewers in 1959. Licence was revoked in 1996. The building has been derelict since the pub closed in the late 1990s.
Source: Sitelines.
Lemington Middle Club.
Looking east on Quarry Road.
Kielder Road at its junction with Henlow Road.
Blyth Court.
The shops on Tyne View.
Rokeby Avenue.
Union Hall Road and Eva Street.
Union Hall Road.
7th August 2006
Lemington Glassworks Cone.
The Parish of the Holy Saviour, Sugley.
Parish church. 1836-37; by Benjamin Green. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar plinth, quoins and dressings; Welsh slate roof with stone gable copings.
Aligned north-south; nave with ritual north porch and south vestry and lower, set-back sanctuary. Early English style. High pointed arch to boarded door in steeply- gabled porch; 3-light east window, lancets in sanctuary and east nave, 2-light windows in nave; wide chamfered buttress, dividing west lancets, beneath bellcote. Low-pitched roof. Interior: plaster, sloping sills to windows; queen-post roof with pendants. Blind high pointed west arch; high pointed moulded arches to doors; moulded arch to sanctuary, one step above chancel, which is paved with Caithness flags as Second World War memorial.
Historical note: said to be aligned north-south to avoid disused pit shaft on east.
Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.
More Information:
- Wikipedia - Lemington
- Co-Curate - Lemington
- Timmonet - Lemington
- Sitelines - Lemington Gut, brick and stone buildings and quay walls
- Sitelines - Lemington Cemetery, Lemington, cemetery, ridge and furrow.
- Historic England - Lemington War Memorial
- Imperial War Museum - Lemington Cross
Historical interest in Lemington:
- Sitelines - Lemington, Lemington Hall
- Heddon History - Lemington Staiths and Lemington Gut
- Disused Stations - Lemington Station
- Sitelines - Lemington, Railway Station
- Sitelines - Lemington, boat hulks
- Sitelines - Lemington, Lemington Staiths, Lemington, Staith House and Lemington Staiths, water course
- Sitelines - Lemington, Hospital Lane
- Sitelines - Lemington, Lemington Brewery
- Flickr - Lemington Middle School Demolition Photos
Historic cinemas and theatres in Lemington:
- Sitelines - Lemington, Tyne View, Picture Theatre
- Sitelines - Lemington, Rokeby Street, Prince of Wales Cinema
Historic industrial sites in Lemington:
- Wikipedia - Lemington Glass Works
- Co-Curate - Lemington Glass Works (1787-1997)
- Historic England - Lemington Cone
- Sitelines - Lemington, Bells Close Chemical Works
- Sitelines - Lemington Glass Works
- Sitelines - Lemington, WW1 Munitions Factory
- Sitelines - Lemington, Chimney
- Sitelines - Throckley Colliery to Lemington Waggonway
- Sitelines - Lemington, West Denton Colliery
Past and present religious sites in Lemington:
- Sitelines - Lemington, Scotswood Road, Church of St. George presbytery
- Sitelines - Lemington, Scotswood Road, Church of Holy Saviour parish hall
- Sitelines - Lemington, Union Hall Road, Methodist New Connexion Church
- Sitelines - Lemington, Bell's Close Centenary Chapel
See my other photos around Lemington:
Another great set, Steve.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Lawrence
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea Lemington was so big so it took me 3 visits to capture it all!
Great information. I lived in Lemington for 23 years.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to find information on the Lemington Mission where my grandmother and mother used to attend.
Lemington Mission was the building next to the Comrades Club which is now/was the Sea Cadets building
DeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I don't know the area too well as I am an east end lad but I do have a good friend who lived most of his life in Lemington. I should see him some time in the next week or so so if you hav'nt heard from me here in a week or so then get in touch by email. My address is in the sidebar.
Hi. Great pictures of Lemington! My Dad was brought up on Lucker Street which seems to have been pulled down and my Grandad had some kind of shop in the vicinity but I'm going back to the 1950's now! I'd have loved to have gone back to see where he was brought up and unfortunately can't ask him for any info as he died in 1986. I'm wondering if anyone tell me where Lucker Street used to be (off Union Hall Road?), when it was pulled down and what's on the site now? Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Loraine, if you look at the photos listed above, youll see a photo with the caption, "looking east on quarry road" the grassed area is where lucker street once stood, just off Eva street. My mother also lived on that road growing up. Hope that helps. Regards Wil
DeleteThanks.
ReplyDeleteHopefully one of our readers can help you out. If not I have a friend who was brought up in Lemington I see occasionally and I will ask him for you.
I had a word with my friend who lived in Lemington about a couple of questions posed in these comments.
ReplyDelete@ Alan Watson: He does'nt remember a Lemington Mission but at a guess he would said it maybe what is now called the Alan Shearer Activity Centre. Video here The Alan Shearer Centre.
@Loraine: I'm told Lucker St is now demolished and it is now a field which is shown in the second photo down under the heading "Lemington Streets".
I was born and grew up in Lemington and still visit myrelatives there.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see photos of the place.
Brought back many great memories -- thankyou!
I'm glad you enjoyed your visit :)
ReplyDeleteEbay currently has a postcard of the Lemington MIssion football team c.1925 taken outside a building. I am Publiciity officer for the Leamington Spa (Warwickshire) History Group and it came up when I ran a search for items that might be connected with my neck of the woods. Hope this is of some interest - I have enjoyed learning about Lemington from the website, best wishes to you all. Alan Griffin
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info on Lucker Street ILuvNUFC. It's good to know for certain what happened.
ReplyDeleteLove the website by the way and looking at all our history. Your hard work is certainly appreciated by me.
You are most welcome and thanks for your kind words.
ReplyDeleteCheck back here occasionally in case any readers add any more answers to your question. This often happens months or years after a question is posed.
Hi
ReplyDeleteExcellent web-site. I was born in Lemington in 1957 and moved away in 1981 and this brings back many fond memories.
Just one thing I noticed in your pics of 'Lemington Streets' you have two which are captioned "Blyth Court, I think". The lower of the two is definitely Blyth Court but the upper one is Kielder Road at its junction with Henlow Road.
Cheers.
Thanks for your kind words about the site and I'm glad it brought back some memories, all good I hope!
ReplyDeleteThank you also for the correction, I'll fix it now. :)
seeking information about the last house on Northumberland Road 'Northumberland House'....confirmation of whether this was an undertakers in the 1900s.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Paul
info@pillarboxmedia.co.uk
I lived in maude street in lemington and im trying to trace any information about the little baptist church that was on union hall rd , it is now a care home i believe can anyone help me plz as im trying to find where the christening records would have been held for that church
ReplyDeleteHi I lived at number 1 Front Street from 1957-1967. Our home was flooded in and around 1966-67 and I wondered if you had any pictures or information about this. I know it was due to lorries dumping their loads onto the old water main which ran behind the old railway line. The pipe burst and our homes along front street cottages were all flooded. I remember the Chronicle footage as my father at the time was on night shift with the GPO and had to be piggy backed by firemen to the house and then had to climb up the firemans ladders to gain access to the bedroom where my mum myself and younger sister were trapped. We lost everything in the flood except for our budgie who was found floating in his cage in the living room which was filled with 12' of water. We had to be rehoused to Clark's Hill Walk in Newburn and mum and dad were left penniless as had no insurance at that time except for fire and theft. I would be very grateful if you could find anything from my past as both parents have died and I have no photographs of my past or childhood. Thank you so much x
ReplyDeleteI lived in lucker street from 1943-1962 the back str was an extension of algernon rd above the middle club with ingoe str behind it Albert heron
ReplyDeleteAlbert, I remember you and your brother Brian very well. Our whole family lived in Lucker Street. My grand parents and uncle George lived in No.3, we lived in No.5, my uncle Sid & his family lived in 21, I think. This was back in the 50's. Joe Nesbit
Deletehi all my twin brother and i lived in linnel drive from 1957 -1965 anyone know the area?
ReplyDeleteHi I lived in Lucker Street and moved to Meadow Road about 1965, It was pulled down in slum clearance a few years after that.The square when I lived there always had lots of lorries on it and it looks much better now. Have enjoyed looking at the photos- thank you. Dorothy Hartnell (nee Anderson) I think it was a Methodist church on Union Hall Road, there used to be two in Lemington. The records are probably held at Morpeth I think the N
ReplyDeleteorthumberland records office is there
With regards to the church on Union Hall Road it was a Methodist Chapel. It was a choice between Algernon Road Methodist Chapel or Union Hall Road Chapel closing at the time and Algernon Road won. My father was Sunday School Superintentent at Union Hall Road. Unsure where all the records were kept. A Registrar was required for weddings at Union Hall Road but not at Algernon Road as they had a safe to keep their records safe.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to Linnel Drive my Aunt and Uncle lived there, and we ended up living just around the corner in Broadway.
Alan, was your Dad's name Frank and his wife ,Lillian
Deletehi I also have lived and went to the schools in lemington. was your mam a dress maker Dorothy as I think she made my wedding dress in 1968.i lived at 23 ingoe street from 1958 until I got married in 1968.i think I remember alan Watson and the heron family.my name is Valerie Armstrong nee peart .my dad George peart and others rang the lemington globetrotters jazz band does any one else remember them valerie
ReplyDeleteI lived in Wellington Street ,born 1950 till 1971, My sister still lives on Valley View. I remember the Prince of Wales when it was a cinema. Great pictures that, though the place has changed, still evokes fond memories. Especially spending most of my childhood in the 'Dene' and latterly at Riverside Boys club
ReplyDeleteHello Dorothy
ReplyDeleteI remember going to your house in Lucker Street with my Mam when I was about five years old,as your Mam was making clothes for her. My dad was Raymond Summerbell who had worked at the Glass Works,then later at Stella North Power Station. We lived in Medburn Road then,and my auntie Peggy (Wigham) lived down the street from you in West View. We attended Algernon Road Primitive Methodist Church. The United Methodist church was near you on Union Hall Road.
Just wondered if you remembered us?
Alan Summerbell
Hello Alan
ReplyDeleteAre you the Alan Watson who lived next door to my Auntie Peggy in West View?
Alan Summerbell
Hi Alan, I remember your Auntie Peggy because I used to go to her house when my mother did sewing for her. Later Elsie Short used to come to my mother's house a lot, not sure if the Shorts were related to you but I think Peggy was somehow related to Mrs Short. Dorothy
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any old phot of the Pit Rows -Lloyd St, Stanley St or Union St ?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any pictures of the Pit Rows? My mother - Watson -lived in lloyd St fro 1930 to about 1944.
ReplyDeleteMy gt.grandfather, my grandfather and my father were all tenants of Th Lexington Hotel and I lived there with my parents Joe and Betty Sparkes until war broke out in 1939 and my father joined his TA unit at Newbury . R.N.F. My Gt.Grandfather was the first tenant of the hotel.
ReplyDeleteAs a child in the fifties I lived around the corner from the pub in Hulne Terrace. I remember the pub always being known as Sparky’s and how it was the designated name for the bus stop nearby when you caught the bus from Newcastle.
DeleteMy Dad told me it was the landlord’s name and that was how the pub was always known.
I also remember the street party for the Coronation in 1953 being held in the upstairs room. It had been planned to take place in the pub yard, my Mum told me but the weather was dreadful.
Hi all
ReplyDeleteI've recently seen an old photo of a pub called "The Battery" which was dated 1890 and supposedly in Lemington. Does anyone have any information on this and other old pubs in Lemington ?
Thanks
I think l remember the bars named 'Scotties' and 'The Hairymans' and one more but l forget the name
DeleteOf course the was the Lemington Comrades where my father was club secretary.
I have a copy of the Pit Rows being demolished in 1968.
ReplyDeleteWow fabulous photos , i have so many fond memories of Lemington , i was born and lived on Lucker street from 1967 till they were knocked down (sadly no Photos ) im formally Hardcastle (dad was Derek) , we moved to Meadow Road (number 39) ad lived there till i left in 1992 , i recall my first school being at Waverly first school then onto Claremnont Middle school and finally Walbottle high , if anyone as any photos at all from the 70's i would love to see them
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got photos of union hall farm and dumpling Hall farm
ReplyDeleteNewcastle Photo Archive have photos of both farms
DeleteThere are hundreds of photos on the Lemington & Newburn Pit Village Past website.
ReplyDelete