Phase 1 at Pilgrim Place will deliver Bank House, a 120,000 sq.ft 14 storey office building with 360-degree views across the city.
The development also includes a new HM Revenue and Customs buildings, The Old Fire Station and Carliol House which will create a hotel/leisure development.
This page will chart the construction of all the new buildings and the demolition of many properties around the Pilgrim Street area which form part of the project.
Demolitions include the Dex car park, Watson House and Norham House on New Bridge Street West, Bamburgh House on Market Street and The Odeon Cinema, Commercial Union House and The Bank Of England on Pilgrim Street and parts of Carliol Square.
Demolition of The Odeon Cinema and The Bank of England previously had their own page on this site but I moved them over to this post.
15th March 2023



New HMRC Building.
Bank House construction.

Disused Fire Station.
Having lain empty since 2005 plans have now been approved for a 60 bed hotel, restaurant and bar.


Cuthbert House.
Undergoing conversion to flats. I can't believe anyone would want to live above one of the busiest roads in Newcastle with the constant noise and pollution it brings. Then again, Swan House is now also residential.
23rd February 2023
New HMRC Building.
Bank House construction.
12th February 2023
New HMRC Building.
First sight of the new tax office that will fill the area bounded by Pilgim St, Market St, New Bridge St West and John Dobson St. The new building will retain the old frontage of Carliol House.
Bank House construction.
Cuthbert House redevelopment.
21st January 2023
Bank House construction.
29th December 2022
Bank House construction.
Cuthbert House redevelopment.
7th December 2022
Bamborough House demolition.
Bank House construction.
Carliol House redevelopment.
8th November 2022
Bank House construction.
Taken from Gateshead.
6th November 2022
Bamborough House demolition.
Bank House construction.
Carliol House redevelopment.
10th October 2022
Bank House construction.
Carliol House redevelopment.
5th September 2022
Bank House construction.
Carliol House redevelopment.
Bamborough House demolition.
28th August 2022
Bank House construction.
Cale Cross House.
Carliol House redevelopment.
8th August 2022
Bank House construction.
23rd July 2022
Bank House construction.
Carliol House redevelopment.
3rd July 2022
Bank House construction.
Commercial Union House demolition.
16th June 2022
Carliol House demolition.
As part of the development the interior of the Art Deco Carliol House will soon be demolished with the facade being incorporated into the new HMRC complex.
Commercial Union House demolition.
The demolition of Commercial Union House reveals a new view of the Pearl Assurance building on New Bridge Street West.
Bank House construction.
11th June 2022
Commercial Union House demolition.
Bank House construction.
28th May 2022
Commercial Union House.
The northern part of Pilgrim Street has been closed to traffic while the demolition of the rest of Commercial Union House takes place.
Bank House construction.
19th May 2022
Commercial Union House.
Bank House construction.
8th May 2022
Carliol House.
Commercial Union House.
The Brutalist Commercial Union House was completed in 1971, built on a site formerly occupied by offices of the Commercial Union Assurance Co. Ltd in the late 19th century, and in more recent years has been rented out by artists' collective Orbis.
Bank House construction.
The Stack.
Removal of the container village on the corner of Pilgrim Street and New Bridge Street West started today
24th April 2022
Bank House construction.
Commercial Union House demolition.
The rear of Carliol House.
Bamburgh House.
The next up for demolition.
1st April 2022
Bank House construction.
'City in the Sky' Remnants.
In the 1960's and 1970's the 'city in the sky' vision was to separate traffic from pedestrians. With increasing car ownership, towns and cities were becoming dominated by traffic and there was growing awareness of the associated pollution. The idea was that people would be able move around the city on an 'upper deck' level, with traffic moving below on a 'lower deck'. This footpath was from Manors car park over to Swan House.
The old Dex Car Park site.
Commercial Union House demolition.
17th February 2022
Carliol Square.
Swan House roundabout.
Pilgrim Street.
Worswick Street.
Footpath over the Central Motorway.
Bank House construction.
Bamburgh House.
Demolition of Bamburgh House and the neighbouring Tux 2 nightclub is underway.
The old Dex Car Park site.
Worswick Chambers.
After many years the scaffolding finally came down and revealed a beautifully restored Worswick Chambers. A page full of my photos can be seen at the following link Photographs of Newcastle - Worswick Chambers.
2nd January 2022
Bank House construction.
Demolition Continues.
All traces of the Dex Car Park have now gone.
10th November 2021
Demolition of the Dex Car Park.
1st November 2021
Demolition of the Dex Car Park and the nightclub below.
4th October 2021
Bank House construction.
Carliol Square.
12th December 2020
Carliol Square, Duke of Wellington Public House.
The Duke of Wellington public house is a three storey building constructed on the west side Carliol Square in the early 19th century in red brick with sash windows, and remodelled in the 1930s with the addition of an Art Deco stone and moulded ceramic tile cladding frontage. It underwent several name changes in the late 20th century including Astros in the mid 1980s, Wilders in the 1990s, Enigma in the 2000s, and finally Wilders Bar. A cart way is still open on the ground floor. Historic building recording was undertaken in 2020 prior to proposed demolition. Source: Sitelines.
Swan House roundabout.
Carliol Square.
Clearance begins for the construction of Bank House
26th May 2018
Pilgrim Street and New Bridge Street West.
Demolition of Norham House and Watson House on the corner of Pilgrim Street and New Bridge Street West is now complete.
The Odeon Cinema site.
Demolition of The Odeon Cinema is now complete.
24th February 2018
The Odeon Cinema site.
7th January 2018
The derelict Police & Fire Station.
2nd November 2017
Demolition of Watson House nears completion.
The Odeon Cinema site.
12th October 2017
Demolition of Watson House.
19th September 2017
Demolition of Watson House.
Dex Car Park.
The Odeon Cinema site.
30th August 2017
Demolition of Watson House.
3rd August 2017
Demolition of The Odeon Cinema and Watson House.
2nd July 2017
Demolition of Watson House.
The Odeon Cinema demolition.
17th April 2017
The Odeon Cinema demolition.
4th April 2017
The Odeon Cinema demolition.
A partial collapse of the scaffolding happened during the night before.
Scaffolding Collapse caught on film.
Shocking aftermath of Odeon cinema collapse.
3rd February 2017
The Odeon Cinema demolition.
6th February 2017
The Odeon Cinema demolition.
6th September 2012
Bank Of England.
Demolition is now complete.
10th August 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
3rd August 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
18th July 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
12th July 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
2nd July 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
4th June 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
27th May 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
16th May 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
25th April 2012
Bank Of England Demolition.
8th December 2011
Bank Of England Demolition.
6th December 2011
Bank Of England Demolition.
11th August 2011
Bank Of England Demolition.
16th June 2010
Bank Of England.
Designed by Sir Basil Urwin Spence, the former Bank of England building was located at the bottom of Pilgrim Street next to the Swan House roundabout, formed an easily recognisable part of Newcastle city centre’s heritage for many years.
16th May 2010
Pilgrim Street, Nos. 93 to 101 rear.
Two of the alleys that led from Pilgrim Street to Carliol Square. One of them, Bells Close, became the Newcastle Flickr Wall for a while.
22nd June 2008
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Pilgrim Street, Nos. 93 to 101.
19th April 2007
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Rear of Swan House.
18th May 2006
The 'Newcastle FlickrWall' mentioned above.
More Information:
- Pilgrim Place Newcastle
- Sky Scraper City - Bank of England, Pilgrim Street - Demolition
- Co-Curate - Former Bank of England
- Sitelines - Pilgrim Street, Bank of England
- Wikipedia - Sir Basil Urwin Spence
See my other photos around Pilgrim Street:
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