Photographs Of Newcastle: Newgate Street

The Newgate Street area was known initially by the names of the various medieval markets held here. The Horse Market, Nolt (cattle) Market and White Cross Market were all part of a long-vanished Newcastle way of life.

The city - or town as it was then - was once protected by an ancient wall, parts of which remain to this day. The name Newgate Street came into use in the 18th century, commemorating the strongest of the Town Wall gates. It was also home to the infamous Newgate Prison for 400 years until around 1823.

For murderers and those found guilty of capital offences, they faced being carted to the execution site at the appropriately named Gallowgate, near where St James’ Park stands today. The New Gate stood where Gallowgate, Blackett Street and Percy Street now meet.

Predating this New Gate was the so-called Berwick Gate. This was close to the spot where the hot-headed Harry Hotspur engaged in combat with the Earl of Douglas, the day before the Battle of Otterburn of 1388.

Newgate Street has changed much, even in recent times, with the recent demolition of the 1960s-built indoor shopping centre, which had in turn taken the place of the once-popular Empire Theatre. If much has been swept away, there remains, of course, an echo of Newcastle’s history in the name of the giant leisure complex which arrived in the early 2000s - The Gate.

Description courtesy of Chronicle Live.

31st March 2024

Former Debenhams Store.

17th July 2023

Newgate Street, Nos. 2 to 20.

Shops and houses, now shops. Circa 1837 probably by John Wardle for Richard Grainger. Sandstone ashlar; roof not visible. 4 storeys, 17 bays. Ground floor altered. Sash windows, some with glazing bars, in plain reveals; bracketed sills to second floor. 15 bays between projecting end bays have first floor band. Second-floor entablature with prominent cornice. Eaves band and top cornice.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines

Newgate Street, No. 54.

Street Zero Poster.

11th October 2022

Newgate Street, No. 22.

House, now shop. Pre-1827 for Major Anderson; c.1900 shop with later alterations. Ripple-dressed sandstone ashlar with tooled margins; Welsh slate roof, brick chimney. Gothic style. 3 storeys, 3 bays.

Pedimented shop fascia. Wide central bay has 3 pointed-arched cusped lights to square-headed window with label string; plainer window above with 3 lower pointed lights and dripmould. Narrow projecting side bays have cusped lancets with dripmoulds under blind cross slits and shields, that at left eroded and that at right the Anderson arms. First floor central sill string. Roll-moulded parapet coping. Hipped roof with central chimney.

Historical note: this was the west boundary of the estate of the Anderson mansion in Pilgrim Street; John Dobson prepared a scheme for the development of the estate for Major Anderson. This house was described in 1827 as 'in an antique fashion'.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

1st August 2022

Wilko.

Newgate Street, Nos. 42-44.

Newgate Street, Nos. 16-18 and 20.

Debenhams.

Clayton Street, No.55.

10th July 2022

Newgate Street, No. 5, Rose and Crown Public House.

Simpson and Lawson for Duncan and Daglish, c.1914. Source: Sitelines.

Newgate Street, No. 65.

Newgate Street, No. 61.

26th November 2017

Former Co-operative Stores.

Department stores and offices, now Premier Inn, gym and restaurants. 1931-2 by L G Ekins, C W S Architect, for Newcastle Co-operative Society Ltd.

Steel frame; Springwell sandstone ashlar; green mosaic top tower storeys; green pantiled roof. Curved site round corner of Darn Crook (now St. Andrew's Street). Art deco style. 4 storeys and attics with 2 towers; 6:1:15:1:7 bays, 30 bays in all. The 3 left bays are an addition of 1959 in replica.

Entrances in tall square towers which have 3 full-height windows, with vertical and diagonal glazing bars and tall opening lights; stepped tops under set-back fluted band; set- back top storey has horizontal windows with decorative glazing bars; wrought iron crestings. 15, bays between towers have altered ground floor windows; giant pilasters above support deep fascia and wrought-iron wave-patterned balcony.

On top floor columns with lotus capitals in front of all tall casements with fish-scale glazing bars in overlights; other windows casements with glazing bars. Left bays in plainer style have 2 square-headed dormers.

Right curved corner bays have central panel on first and second floors containing shallow canted bay; dormer above has fluted stone pilasters; plainer dormers over end bays. Left tower has barometer; right has clock with the letters C O O P E R A T I V E in places of figures.

Interior has marble staircases with marble balustrades: steel handrail carried on small figures in flowing style: marble-clad walls to stair wells with shaped door surrounds. Corner display cases have decorative glazing bars.

Grade 2 Listed. Source: Sitelines.

The Gate.

A 2.5 acre glass-fronted development of 1999-2002 by Geoffrey Reid Architects, crossing Low Friar Street by a glazed bridge. The developer claimed that the frontage was the highest glass-walled construction in the UK. Behind are a multiplex cinema, bars, clubs, casino, restaurants, shops and a car park.

Source: Sitelines.