Scotswood

The old township of Benwell, in Northumberland until 1904, included the village of Scotswood in the south west corner where it bordered with East Denton. The name Scotswood probably dates from 1367 when Richard, son of John Scott, obtained permission to enclose the west ward in Benwell which belonged to him.

Scotswood grew during the industrial revolution and provided labour for the huge Vickers/Armstrong military engineering group. The Scotswood Road, which Vickers Armstrong used to dominate, is a main route along the Tyne and is mentioned in the song "Blaydon Races".

Benwell, Scotswood and Elswick were the sites of a number of coalmines. The Montague Colliery Disaster occurred on 30 March 1925 and was caused by an inrush of water from the nearby Paradise Pit resulting in the loss of 38 lives. A memorial to the victims stands in Elswick, St. John's Cemetery.

Scotswood, like a many of the areas along the Tyne, has suffered a terrible decline in the last 30 years or so due to the death of industries causing large scale unemployment and anti-social behaviour. The area has also been the subject of many "regeneration schemes" over the years and it seems a new scheme is about to start.

My first wander around Scotswood was in 2006 and the area was in a terrible rundown state. When I re-visited in 2010 I was suprised at how much of the area has been demolished and the few remaining streets looked very tidy and quiet, not the picture of Scotswood that the media continuously portray. Large parts of the area are now what I call ghost streets after the demolition of whole streets of houses but the roads remain and it gives quite a sad, strange effect.


Thanks to Yvonne Young for the history of Scotswood.





27th December 2018




Scotswood Bridge.









The Rise housing estate.







Rowing boats on the river Tyne.





23rd July 2015













The Rise.

Construction of a new housing estate between Whitehouse Road and Armstrong Road.













Armstrong Road.





Armstrong Road, the old Scotswood Library.







Scotswood Bridge.














Old Railway Station area.






Armstrong Road, St. Margaret's Church.







Shafto Street.




Parmontley Street.





Ouston Street.




Heighley Street.







Whitfield Road.




The old Scotswood Railway Bridge over the Tyne.




Looking down to the A1 Bridge over the Tyne.





Looking east towards The Rise, a new housing estate.





30th June 2014



Panoramic photo taken from Gateshead.





5th March 2014



Panoramic photo taken from Gateshead.




Scotswood Road.





16th August 2013










River Tyne.

Taken from Scotswood Bridge.




Whitfield Road.







River Tyne.

Taken from Scotswood Bridge.





22nd June 2012







Scotswood Montagu Pit Disaster Memorial.

The Montague Colliery Disaster occurred on 30 March 1925 and was caused by an inrush of water from the nearby Paradise Pit resulting in the loss of 38 lives.





19th November 2010





The few remaining shops on Armstrong Road.




Haig Crescent in the background.





The Pink Palace.




Looking up Woodstock Road.





Armstrong Road.




The latest regeneration scheme just north of Scotswood Bridge.




Parmontley Street, I think.




St. Margaret's Parish Church, Scotswood.




The old Scotswood Library.





Whitfield Road.




Parmontley Street with the old Scotswood railway bridge in the distance.




Back lane of Parmontley Street and Shafto Street.




Shafto Street.




Looking down Broadmead Way.




Looking up Broadmead Way with Woodstock Road to the left and right.




Abercorn Road from Broadmead Way.




Abercorn Road from Broadmead Way.




The northern end of Broadmead Way.




Ghost street, Nutley Place looking south across Langham Road.




Armstrong Road looking south with Shafto Street on the right.





25th April 2009



Vickers on Scotswood Road.





26th January 2009



Denton Road looking up towards Whitfield Road.




Denton Road, Excelsior School in the background.




Denton Road, The old Sporting Arms pub.




Denton Road looking south towards Scotswood Bridge.





26th January 2006




Armstrong Road.




Shafto Street, I think.




Possibly Roberts Street, but I'm not sure.




Whitfield Road and possibly Shafto Street.





Staying Here.

This short-documentary is the product of a close collaboration with residents of the area of Scotswood, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Over the last 10 years the area has been the subject of a series of radical regeneration schemes, which involved mass demolition and clearances of many of its neighborhoods. This film looks at the landscape and the people of Scotswood today, and their efforts to be involved in the regeneration process.





More Information:
Montagu Pit Disaster:
Historical Interest:
Past and present religious sites:
Past and present industrial sites:
Historic public houses/breweries:
Collieries:
Scotswood Station:
See my other photos around Scotswood:
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