Photographs Of Newcastle: Dunston

Dunston was originally an independent village on the south bank of the River Tyne. It has now been absorbed into the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead.

Dunston is now split into two distinct areas separated by the A1 dual carriageway. Much of the area south of the A1 is known as Dunston Hill.

To the west of Dunston is the site of Dunston Power Station, now demolished. The site is now home to Costco, with the MetroCentre (which is the second largest shopping and leisure centre in Britain) occupying the former site of the station's ash ponds.

Footballers Paul Gascoigne and Ray Hudson and lead singer of AC/DC Brian Johnson grew up in Dunston, and champion rower and boat-builder Harry Clasper was born in Dunston.

Description courtesy of Wikipedia.

20th July 2018

Staiths Road, Dunston Excelsior Social Club.

Architect T. R. White and S. J. Stephenson (Grey St, Newcastle) Dates 1909 (plans, moved into 1910). This building speaks of the aspirations of the Social Club trustees when it was erected, as it is in a grand style that sets it apart from its surroundings. The rainwater goods are cast in a faintly whimsical style, with the date flanked by hearts and scrolled brackets. The design was altered slightly from the original plans, but the fundamentals were adhered to: red brick with substantial and elaborate stone dressings.

Of especial note is the stone banding to the base of the building, and the grand stone entrance with heavy bracketed canopy sailing beneath a broad canted oriel, with a date plaque nestling between. The ample fenestration provides abundant internal light, with large arched windows to the ground floor beneath triple lights divided by stone mullions. Chunky brackets elevate the eaves of the slate roof, the planes of which are connected with terracotta ridge and hip tiles. Slim, comparatively subtle chimneys create a fine finish to the end gables.

The current windows and doors, whilst still being of timber are not original: leaded lights were part of the initial design as illustrated on the plans. Another interesting feature are the geometric design elements, seen in relief plaques to the corners of the building and some details in the decorative gables, which seem to foreshadow the art deco developments that would emerge a decade or 2 later.

The building is a strong composition, accommodating the same use since it was built, and admirably holding its own in a changing street scene. Dunston Excelsior Social Club was formed in a house in Athol Street in 1907. They committee undertook fundraising for local people in need, including for starving people within Dunston itself, and the West Stanley pit disaster. Over the years the Club has supported a number of interests including the Pigeon Club, the Whippet Club, two Darts' Teams and two Snooker Teams. This provision has now been reduced to dart-boards and snooker tables.

There was a Rifle Range in the club during the First World War and Dunston Lads became the English Rifle Champions. Felling police and the Home Guard used the rifle range before its eventual closure in 1946. In 1940 the British Expeditionary Force were billeted in the Club concert room after their successful evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk.

More recently the club became known nationally, due to the famous antics of local lad and regular Paul Gascoigne, on and off the football pitch.

Source: Sitelines.

Railway Street, The Royal Hotel.

25th February 2015

Staiths Road, Dunston Excelsior Social Club.

Staiths Road.

Ravensworth Road, Metz Public House.

The aftermath of a huge blaze which destroyed the pub.

28th March 2012

The River Tyne at Dunston.

Dunston Park.

Ellison Road, The Dun Cow Hotel.

1st February 2012

Ravensworth Road, Metz Public House.

This public house originated as the Cross Keys Hotel, rebuilt for John Rowell and son in the year of Queen Victoria’s death – the time of a great sea change in the political and cultural life of the country. It is fascinating that when first opened, provision was made for ‘a room entirely devoted to temperance requirements’; rather an ironic undertaking for an establishment generally intended for the opposite purpose!

The building is of significant size, and uses a slightly exuberant, satisfyingly varied palette in terms of design and materials. It is bold and well detailed, and retains almost all of its original features. The frontage is extensive, constructed primarily in brick, with mock timber framing animating the 1st floor of the principal section and gables to either side.

A subsidiary block set back to the south utilises proportionally more brick and is rather domestic in appearance, retaining the lead work to the 1st floor bay windows which was part of the original design for the whole upper floor. The sandstone dressings offer a pleasing visual contrast with the brick, expressed in cill and lintel bands and nicely moulded architraves. One of the key features are the tall, slender chimneys with cornice detail and narrow pots, which grace the various planes of the slate roof, as well as the rows of thick section timber framed glazing with multiple vertical lights.

The attractive, quality detailing also includes cast iron rainwater goods, with some decorative curly brackets, and delightful terracotta finials. Simple cast iron grilles provide ventilation but unfortunately additional extraction vents have been introduced through the wall. This is virtually the only alteration to the original building, and, whilst flat-roofed, the rear extension has been constructed with great sensitivity, employing matching design elements and materials.

It is a significant building in the area, with a strong visual presence on the street, and represents a good example of the explosion in pub rebuilding around the turn of the 20th century.

Architect James W Frazer (49 Grey Street, Newcastle) Dates 1901 (rebuilding).

Source: Sitelines.