The first recorded settlement in what is now Newcastle wasPons Aelius ("Aelian bridge"), a Roman fort and bridge across theRiver Tyne. It was given the family name of theRoman emperorHadrian, who founded it in the 2nd century AD. This rare honour suggests Hadrian may have visited the site and instituted the bridge on his tour of Britain. The population of Pons Aelius then is estimated at 2,000. Fragments ofHadrian's Wall are visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. The course of the "Roman Wall" can be traced eastwards toSegedunum, aRoman fort inWallsend – the "wall's end" – and to the separate supply fort ofArbeia inSouth Shields, across the river from Hadrian's Wall.[13]
The extent of Hadrian's Wall was 73 miles (117 km), spanning the width of Britain; the Wall incorporated theVallum, a large rearward ditch with parallel mounds,[14] and was built primarily for defence and to prevent the incursion ofPictish tribes from the north, and probably not as a fighting line for a major invasion. However, it seems that the Vallum stopped just west of Newcastle, where its role as a secondary line of defence was performed by theRiver Tyne.[15]
Newcastle CastleKeep is the oldest structure in the city, dating back to at least the 11th century.
After theRoman departure from Britain, completed in 410, Newcastle became part of the powerfulAnglo-Saxon kingdom ofNorthumbria, and was known throughout this period asMunucceaster (sometimes modernised asMonkchester).[16]
Conflicts with theDanes in 876 left the settlements along the River Tyne in ruins.[17] After the conflicts with the Danes, and following the1088 rebellion against the Normans, Monkchester was all but destroyed byOdo of Bayeux.[18]
Because of its strategic position,Robert Curthose, son ofWilliam the Conqueror, erected a woodencastle there in the year 1080.[17] The town was henceforth known asNovum Castellum orNew Castle.[17] The wooden structure was replaced by a stone castle in 1087.[17] The castle was rebuilt again in 1172 during the reign of Henry II. Much of the keep which can be seen in the city today dates from this period.[17]
Throughout theMiddle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress. In 1400 Newcastle was separated from Northumberland for administrative purposes[9][10][11][12] and made acounty of itself byHenry IV.[9][10][11][12] Newcastle was given the title of the county of the town of Newcastle upon Tyne.[19] The town had a new charter granted byElizabeth I in 1589.[20] A 25-foot-high (7.6 m) stonewall was built around the town in the 13th century,[21] to defend it from invaders during theBorder war against Scotland. The Scots kingWilliam the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, andEdward I brought theStone of Scone andWilliam Wallace south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century.[9][12]
From 1530, a royal act restricted all shipments of coal fromTyneside toNewcastle Quayside, giving a monopoly in the coal trade to a cartel of Newcastle burgesses known as theHostmen. This monopoly, which lasted for a considerable time, helped Newcastle prosper and develop into a major town. The phrasetaking coals to Newcastle was first recorded contextually in 1538.[22] The phrase itself means a pointless pursuit.[23] In the 18th century, the American entrepreneurTimothy Dexter, regarded as an eccentric, defied this idiom. He was persuaded to sail a shipment of coal to Newcastle by merchants plotting to ruin him; however, his shipment arrived on the Tyne during a strike that had crippled local production, allowing him to turn a considerable profit.[24][25]
In the Sandgate area, to the east of the city, and beside the river, resided the close-knit community ofkeelmen and their families.[27] They were so called because they worked on the keels, boats that were used to transfer coal from the river banks to the waitingcolliers, for export to London and elsewhere. In the 1630s, about 7,000 out of 20,000 inhabitants of Newcastle died ofplague, more than one-third of the population.[28] Specifically within the year 1636, it is roughly estimated with evidence held by theSociety of Antiquaries that 47% of the then population of Newcastle died from the epidemic; this may also have been the most devastating loss in any British city in this period.[29]
Newcastle was once a major industrial centre, particularly for coal and shipping.
During theEnglish Civil War, the North declared for the King.[30] In a bid to gain Newcastle and the Tyne,Cromwell's allies, the Scots, captured the town ofNewburn. In 1644, the Scots then captured the reinforced fortification on the Lawe inSouth Shields following a siege and the city wasbesieged for many months. It was eventually stormed ("with roaring drummes") and sacked by Cromwell's allies. The grateful King bestowed themottoFortiter Defendit Triumphans ("Triumphing by a brave defence") upon the town. Charles I was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646–47.[31]
After theUnion in 1707, the City walls became obsolete, and gave way to an expansion of the city[32]. Despite the Jacobiterisings of 1715 and1745, fortifications gave way to industrial development.
The extraction and processing of coal and iron created a series of specialised industries, such as steel manufacture and eventually steam power.[33]
Newcastle also became a glass producer with a reputation for brilliantflint glass.[34] Glass was key in the industrial development of the Tyne and Wear region.[35]
Newcastle city centre, 1917, withSt James' Park football ground above and left of centre
Newcastle opened its firstlunatic asylum in 1767.[36] The asylum catered for people from the counties of Newcastle, Durham and Northumberland.[36]
A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion ofFenham Barracks in 1806.[42]
Thegreat fire of Newcastle and Gateshead was a tragic and spectacular series of events starting on Friday 6 October 1854, in which a substantial amount of property in the two North East of England towns was destroyed in a series of fires and an explosion which killed 53 and injured hundreds.[43]
The status of city was granted to Newcastle on 3 June 1882.[44] In the 19th century,shipbuilding andheavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of theIndustrial Revolution.[45] This revolution resulted in the urbanisation of the city.[46] In 1817 the Maling company, at one time the largest pottery company in the world, moved to the city.[47] The Victorian industrial revolution brought industrial structures that included the2+1⁄2-mile (4 km)Victoria Tunnel, built in 1842, which provided underground wagon ways to thestaithes.[48] On 3 February 1879, Mosley Street in the city, was the first public road in the world to be lit up by theincandescent lightbulb.[49][self-published source][50] Newcastle was one of the first cities in the world to be lit up by electric lighting.[51]
Newcastle's public transport system was modernised in 1901 whenNewcastle Corporation Tramways electric trams were introduced to the city's streets, though these were replaced gradually by trolley buses from 1935, with the tram service finally coming to an end in 1950.[55]
The city acquired its first art gallery, theLaing Art Gallery in 1904, so named after its founder Alexander Laing, a Scottish wine and spirit merchant[56] who wanted to give something back to the city in which he had made his fortune. Another art gallery, theHatton Gallery (now part ofNewcastle University), opened in 1925.[57]
With the advent of the motor car, Newcastle's road network was improved in the early part of the 20th century, beginning with the opening of the Redheugh road bridge in 1901[58] and theTyne Bridge in 1928.[59]
Efforts to preserve the city's historic past were evident as long ago as 1934, when the Museum of Science and Industry opened,[60] as did theJohn G Joicey Museum in the same year.[61]
Council housing began to replace inner-city slums in the 1920s, and the process continued into the 1970s, along with substantial private house building and acquisitions.[62]
Unemployment hit record heights in Newcastle during theGreat Depression of the 1930s.The city's last coal pit closed in 1956,[63] though a temporary open cast mine was opened in 2013.[64] The temporary open cast mine shifted 40,000 tonnes of coal, using modern techniques to reduce noise, on a part of the City undergoing redevelopment.[64] The slow demise of the shipyards on the banks of theRiver Tyne happened in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.[65]
View northwards from the Castle Keep, towards Berwick-on-Tweed in 1954Panorama from Newcastle castle keep across the River Tyne to Gateshead in 1954
During the Second World War, the city and surrounding area were a target for air raids as heavy industry was involved in the production of ships and armaments. The raids caused 141 deaths and 587 injuries.[66] A former French consul in Newcastle called Jacques Serre assisted the German war effort by describing important targets in the region toAdmiral Raeder who was the head of the German Navy.[67]
The public sector in Newcastle began to expand in the 1960s. The federal structure of theUniversity of Durham was dissolved. That university's college in Newcastle, which had been known as King's College, became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (now known asNewcastle University), which was founded in 1963,[68] followed by Newcastle Polytechnic in 1969; the latter received university status in 1992 and became the University of Northumbria at Newcastle (now known asNorthumbria University).[69]
Further efforts to preserve the city's historic past continued in the later 20th century, with the opening of Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum in 1983 andStephenson Railway Museum in 1986. The Military Vehicle museum closed in 2006.[70] New developments at the turn of the 21st century included theLife Science Centre in 2000 andMillennium Bridge in 2001.[71]
In 2017, Newcastle was the venue for the 2017 Freedom City festival. The 2017 Freedom City festival commemorated the 50 years sinceMartin Luther King's visit to Newcastle, where King received his honorary degree fromNewcastle University.[75][76][77] In 2018 Newcastle hosted the Great Exhibition of the North, the largest event in England in 2018. The exhibition began on 22 June with an opening ceremony on the River Tyne, and ended on 9 September with theGreat North Run weekend. The exhibition describes the story of the north of England through its innovators, artists, designers and businesses.[78][79]
In 2019, various travel sites named Newcastle to be the friendliest city in the UK.[80]
The ground beneath the city is formed fromCarboniferousstrata of the Middle Pennine Coal Measures Group — a suite ofsandstones,mudstones andcoal seams which generally dip moderately eastwards. To the west of the city are the Upper Pennine Coal Measures and further west again the sandstones and mudstones of the Stainmore Formation, the local equivalent of theMillstone Grit.[81]
In large parts, Newcastle still retains amedieval street layout. Narrow alleys or 'chares', most of which can only be traversed by foot, still exist in abundance, particularly around theriverside. Stairs from the riverside to higher parts of the city centre and the extantCastle Keep, originally recorded in the 14th century, remain intact in places. Close, Sandhill andQuayside contain modern buildings as well as structures dating from the 15th–18th centuries, includingBessie Surtees House, the Cooperage and Lloyds Quayside Bars, Derwentwater House and House of Tides, a restaurant situated at a Grade I-listed 16th century merchant's house at 28–30 Close.
The city has an extensiveneoclassical centre referred to as Tyneside Classical,[82] largely developed in the 1830s byRichard Grainger andJohn Dobson. More recently, Newcastle architecture considered to be Tyneside classical has been extensively restored. Broadcaster and writerStuart Maconie described Newcastle as England's best-looking city[83][84] and the German-born British scholar of architecture,Nikolaus Pevsner,[85] describesGrey Street as one of the finest streets in England. In 1948 the poetJohn Betjeman said of Grey Street, "As for the curve of Grey Street, I shall never forget seeing it to perfection, traffic-less on a misty Sunday morning."[86] The street curves down fromGrey's Monument towards the valley of theRiver Tyne and was voted England's finest street in 2005 in a survey ofBBC Radio 4 listeners.[87][88] In the Google Street View awards of 2010, Grey Street came 3rd in the British picturesque category.[89] A portion ofGrainger Town was demolished in the 1960s to make way for theEldon Square Shopping Centre, including all but one side of the originalEldon Square itself.
360° panoramic shot taken from the top of the Keep
Immediately to the north-west of the city centre isLeazes Park, first opened to the public in 1873[90] after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this isSt James' Park, the stadium home ofNewcastle United FC which dominates the view of the city from all directions.
View ofSt James' Park on the skyline and surrounding buildings, as seen from Gateshead
In the south-eastern corner of the Town Moor isExhibition Park, which contains the only remaining pavilion from theNorth East Coast Exhibition of 1929. From the 1970s until 2006 this housed the Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum; which closed in 2006. The pavilion is now being used as amicrobrewery and concert venue forWylam Brewery.[100]
The wooded gorge of theOuseburn in the east of the city is known asJesmond Dene and forms another recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to theOuseburn Valley, where the river finally reaches theRiver Tyne.
The springtimedawn chorus at 55 degrees latitude has been described as one of the best in the world.[101] The dawn chorus of theJesmond Dene green space has been professionally recorded and has been used in various workplace and hospital rehabilitation facilities.[101]
Large-scaleregeneration efforts have led to the replacement of former shipping premises with modern new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge - theGateshead Millennium Bridge - integrated the Quayside more closely with the Gateshead Quayside, home to theBALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (the venue for theTurner Prize 2011)[103] and theNorman Foster-designedSage Gateshead music centre. The Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides are now a thriving, cosmopolitan area with bars, restaurants, hotels and public spaces.
Seen here in 2008 on the Quayside is a Tyne Salmon Cube at right, an art exhibit celebratingRiver Tyne salmon, which has since been removed[104]
The historic heart of Newcastle is the Grainger Town area. Established on classical streets built byRichard Grainger, a builder and developer, between 1835 and 1842, some of Newcastle upon Tyne's finest buildings and streets lie within this area of the city centre includingGrainger Market,Theatre Royal,Grey Street, Grainger Street andClayton Street.[105] These buildings are predominantly four stories high, with vertical dormers, domes, turrets and spikes. Richard Grainger was said to 'have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone'.[106] Of Grainger Town's 450 buildings, 244 arelisted, of which 29 are grade I and 49 are grade II*.
The Grainger Market replaced an earlier market originally built in 1808 called the Butcher Market.[109] The Grainger Market itself, was opened in 1835 and was Newcastle's first indoor market.[110] At the time of its opening in 1835 it was said to be one of the largest and most beautiful markets in Europe.[110] The opening was celebrated with a grand dinner attended by 2000 guests, and the Laing Art Gallery has a painting of this event.[110] With the exception of the timber roof which was destroyed by a fire in 1901 and replaced by latticed-steel arches the Market is largely in its original condition.[110] The Grainger Market architecture, like most in Grainger Town, which are either grade I or II listed, was listed grade I in 1954 by English Heritage.[109]
Newcastle's thrivingChinatown lies in the north-west ofGrainger Town, centred on Stowell Street. A new Chinese arch, orpaifang, providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the city with a ceremony in 2005.[112]
TheTyneside flat was the dominant housing form constructed at the time when the industrial centres on Tyneside were growing most rapidly. They can still be found in areas such as South Heaton in Newcastle but once dominated the streetscape on both sides of the Tyne.[113] Tyneside flats were built as terraces, one of each pair of doors led to an upstairs flat while the other led into the ground-floor flat, each of two or three rooms. A new development in the Ouseburn valley has recreated them; Architects Cany Ash and Robert Sakula were attracted by the possibilities of high density without building high and getting rid of common areas.[114]
In terms of housing stock, the authority is one of few authorities to see the proportion of detached homes rise in the 2010 Census (to 7.8%), in this instance this was coupled with a similar rise in flats and waterside apartments to 25.6%, and the proportion of converted or shared houses in 2011 renders this dwelling type within the highest of the five colour-coded brackets at 5.9%, and on a par withOxford andReading, greater thanManchester andLiverpool and below a handful of historic densely occupied, arguably overinflated markets in the local authorities:Harrogate,Cheltenham,Bath, inner London,Hastings,Brighton andRoyal Tunbridge Wells.[115]
Newcastle has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb). Data in Newcastle was first collected in 1802 by the solicitorJames Losh.[118] Situated in therain shadow of theNorth Pennines, Newcastle is amongst the driest cities in the UK. Temperature extremes recorded at Newcastle Weather Centre include 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) set in July 2022[119] down to −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) on 29 December 1995.[120] Newcastle can have cool to cold winters, though usually warmer than the rural areas around it, and the winters are often compensated for by warm summers, with very long daylight hours in the summer months, longer than all other major English cities. Newcastle upon Tyne shares the same latitude asCopenhagen, southern Sweden andMoscow.
The nearest weather station to provide sunshine statistics is at Durham, about 14 miles (23 km) south ofNewcastle City Centre. Durham's inland, less urbanised setting results in night-time temperature data about 1 degree cooler than Newcastle proper throughout the year.
Climate data for Newcastle, 1991–2020, (Met Office Durham) Extremes Newcastle 1974–2005
The city has been recognised for its commitment to environmental issues, with a programme planned for Newcastle to become "the firstcarbon neutral city"[126] however, those plans have been revised and they now hope to be carbon neutral by 2050.[127]
The Gate complex on Newgate Street is a nightlife destination.
TheRough Guide to Britain placed Newcastle upon Tyne's nightlife as Great Britain's number onetourist attraction.[128] In theTripadvisor Travellers' Choice Destination Awards for Nightlife destinations, Newcastle was awarded third place in Europe (behindLondon andBerlin)[129] and seventh place in the world.[130] In July 2023 Newcastle was voted the best city in the UK for food, fashion and nightlife.[131]
There are many bars on theBigg Market and its adjoining streets. Other areas popular for nightlife include Collingwood Street (commonly referred to as the 'Diamond Strip' due to its concentration of high-end bars). Neville Street, theCentral Station area, Osborne Road inJesmond and the widerOuseburn area are home to a variety of younger metropolitan bars. "The Gate", located on Newgate Street, has become a popular venue for late-night entertainment in the past decade and a half.[132] Newcastle's'pink triangle' is concentrated on Times Square, surrounded by theCentre for Life.[133][134]
Bakery chainGreggs was founded, and is headquartered, in Newcastle and has the greatest number of Greggs storesper capita in the world.[135] Local delicacies includepease pudding andstottie cake.
In 1967, London basedSmith's Crisps created Salt & Vinegar flavour crisps which were first produced by their Newcastle based subsidiaryTudor Crisps and tested in Tudor's home market of north-east England before being launched nationally.[136]
In 2010, Osborne Road inJesmond was awarded fourth place in the UK Google Street View awards for the "foodie" category.[89] Newcastle has its ownChinatown.
The city has a proud history of theatre.Stephen Kemble of the well-knownKemble family managed the original Theatre Royal, Newcastle for fifteen years (1791–1806). He brought members of his famous acting family such asSarah Siddons andJohn Kemble out of London to Newcastle. Stephen Kemble guided the theatre through many celebrated seasons. The original Theatre Royal in Newcastle was opened on 21 January 1788 and was located on Mosley Street.[140] It was demolished to make way for Grey Street, where its replacement was built.
The city still contains many theatres. The largest, theTheatre Royal on Grey Street, first opened in 1837, designed byJohn and Benjamin Green.[141] It has hosted a season of performances from theRoyal Shakespeare Company for over 25 years, as well as touring productions of West End musicals.[142] TheTyne Theatre and Opera House hosts smaller touring productions, whilst other venues feature local talent.Northern Stage, formally known as the Newcastle Playhouse and Gulbenkian Studio, hosts various local, national and international productions in addition to those produced by the Northern Stage company.[143] Other theatres in the city include theLive Theatre, thePeople's Theatre, Alphabetti Theatre, Gosforth Civic Theatre, and theJubilee Theatre.NewcastleGateshead was voted in 2006 as the arts capital of the UK in a survey conducted by theArtsworld TV channel.[144]
Newcastle has a strong reputation as a poetry centre. TheMorden Tower, run by poetTom Pickard, is a major venue for poetry readings in the North East, being the place whereBasil Bunting gave the first reading ofBriggflatts in 1965.[145]
TheLiterary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne (popularly known as the 'Lit & Phil') is the largest independent library outside London, housing more than 150,000 books. Its music library contains 8,000 CDs and 10,000 LPs.[146][147] The current Lit and Phil premises were built in 1825 and the building was designed by John and Benjamin Green.[141] Operating since 1793 and founded as a 'conversation club,' its lecture theatre was the first public building to be lit by electric light, during a lecture byJoseph Swan on 20 October 1880.[146]
The old City library designed byBasil Spence,[148] was demolished in 2006[148] and replaced. The new building opened on 21 June 2009[149] and was named after the 18th-century local composerCharles Avison; the building was first opened byDr Herbert Loebl.[149] In November 2009, it was officially opened by QueenElizabeth II.[150]
The NewcastleBeer Festival, organised byCAMRA takes place in April each year.[154]Evolution Festival, a music festival that attracted tens of thousands of attendees, took place in May from 2002 until 2013 and was described as "the biggest festival Tyneside has ever staged".[155][156] The This Is Tomorrow festival now takes place over the spring bank holiday and is in the same location. The biennialAV Festival of international electronic art, featuring exhibitions, concerts, conferences and film screenings, is held in March. The North East Art Expo, a festival of art and design from the regions professional artists, is held in late May.[157][158]
The Hoppings, the largest annual collection of travelling fairs in Europe, comes together onNewcastle Town Moor every June. The event has its origins in theTemperance Movement during the early 1880s, and coincides with the annualrace week at High Gosforth Park.[159] Newcastle Community Green Festival, which claims to be the UK's biggest free communityenvironmental festival, also takes place every June, inLeazes Park.[160] The Cyclone Festival of Cycling takes place within, or starting from, Newcastle in June.[161][162] The Northern Pride Festival and Parade is held inLeazes Park and in the city's Gay Community in mid July. The Ouseburn Festival, a family oriented weekend festival near the city centre, incorporating a "Family Fun Day" and "Carnival Day", is held in late July.[163]
NewcastleMela, held on the lateAugust Bank Holiday weekend, is an annual two-day multicultural event that blends drama, music and food fromPunjabi,Pakistani,Bengali andHindu cultures.[164] NewcastleGateshead also holds an annual International Arts Fair. The 2009 event was held inThe Glasshouse Music and Arts Centre (then called Sage Gateshead), designed byNorman Foster.[165] In October, there is the Design Event festival—an annual festival providing the public with an opportunity to see work by regional, national and international designers.[166]The SAMA Festival, an East Asian cultural festival is also held in early October.[167]
Sting, principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist for English rock bandThe Police
Newcastle's vernacular music was a mixture ofNorthumbrian folk music and nineteenth-century songs with dialect lyrics, by writers such asGeorge "Geordie" Ridley, whose songs include one which became an unofficial Tyneside national anthem, "Blaydon Races".
Newcastle's leading classical music ensemble is theRoyal Northern Sinfonia, which was founded in 1958 and performed regularly at Newcastle City Hall until 2004. Nowadays it is based atThe Sage, Gateshead.
ICMuS,Newcastle University's music department, has been a driving force for music in the region, producing innovative work, organising concerts and festivals, instigating the first degree programme in folk music in the British Isles, and engaging creatively with communities in the region.
The largest venue used for music concerts is St James Park, home of Newcastle United, which has also previously been used for Rugby League games and the Olympic Games. The second largestmusic venue in Newcastle is the 11,000-seatUtilita Arena Newcastle, which opened in 1995 and hosts major pop and rock concerts.[178][179]Newcastle City Hall is one of the oldest venues in the region and "attracts big names who are often legends of the past".[178] Both of the city's universities have venues that mainly hostindie andalternative bands.[178]
On 14 October 2005, the 2,000 capacityNX Newcastle opened. It had previously been a music venue in the 1960s, hosting concerts byThe Beatles andThe Who.[180] The new venue was headlined byThe Futureheads on the opening night and known as the Carling Academy for a number of years, then as the O2 Academy. Since opening the venue has hosted performances by major bands and solo musicians includingAdele,Arctic Monkeys,Katy Perry,The Libertines,Blondie andAmy Winehouse.[181]
NX Newcastle, then called O2 Academy Newcastle
TheRiverside music venue on Melbourne Street, open from 1985 until 1999, notably hostedNirvana's first European show in 1989.[182] The venue also welcomedOasis,Red Hot Chili Peppers,David Bowie andThe Stone Roses and was named Best Regional Venue byNME in 1993.[183] Riverside has also been the subject of a book,Riverside: Newcastle's Legendary Alternative Music Venue.[184]
The small music venue Think Tank? was a nominee for Best Small Venue in NME in 2015.[188]The Cluny inOuseburn Valley is "one of the most important venues for breaking bands in the region".[189] Trillians Rock Bar is well-noted for its rock andmetal shows,[178] and The Head of Steam is a 90-capacity basement venue described as "one of Newcastle's staple venues".[190]
Newcastle has multiple independent cinemas, including the famousTyneside Cinema,[192] located on Pilgrim Street. It originally opened as the 'Bijou News-Reel Cinema' in 1937, and was designed and built by Dixon Scott, great-uncle of film directorsRidley Scott[191] andTony Scott. The Pilgrim Street building was refurbished between November 2006 and May 2008; during the refurbishment works, the cinema relocated to theOld Town Hall, Gateshead. In May 2008 the Tyneside Cinema reopened in the restored and refurbished original building.[193] The site currently houses three cinemas, including the restored Classic[194] —the United Kingdom's last surviving news cinema still in full-time operation—alongside two new screens, and dedicated education and teaching suites.
As well as this, the city is home to The Side Cinema and Star and Shadow Cinema which are both small venues which have built up cult audiences of film fans.
TheBollywood filmHum Tum Aur Ghost (2010) was shot on location in Newcastle's city centre and features key scenes in and aroundGrainger Town.[202] The filmPublic Sex (2009) was shot in and around Newcastle, and features several scenes under and around theTyne Bridge.
Two converted warehouses provided the base for Tyne Tees on City Road until 2005.
ITV Tyne Tees was based at City Road for over 40 years after its launch in January 1959.[205] In 2005 it moved to a new facility on The Watermark business park next to the MetroCentre in Gateshead.[206] The entrance to studio 5 at the City Road complex gave its name to the 1980s music television programme,The Tube.[205]
Newcastle Student Radio is run by students from both of the city's universities during term time.[209] Radio Tyneside[210] has been the voluntaryhospital radio service for most hospitals across Newcastle and Gateshead since 1951.[211][212][213]The city also has a Radio Lollipop station based at the Great North Children's Hospital in the NewcastleRoyal Victoria Infirmary.
Newcastle was one of the first cities in the UK to have its city centre covered by freewireless internet access. It was developed and installed at the end of 2006 and went active in March 2007.[214]
The city's economy is diverse with major economic output in science, finance, retail, education, tourism, and nightlife. Newcastle is one of the UKCore Cities, as well as part of theEurocities network.[215][216][217]
Newcastle played a major role during the 19th-centuryIndustrial Revolution, and was a leading centre for coal mining, shipbuilding, engineering, munitions and manufacturing.Heavy industries in Newcastle declined in the second half of the 20th century; with office, service and retail employment now becoming the city's staples.
Today, Newcastle's economy contributes around £13 billion to the UKGVA.[218] This figure is mostly produced by corporate activity inthe city centre.
The city's thriving nightlife is estimated to be worth £340 million per year, and consequently is seen as a major contributor to Newcastle's economy.[219]
The UK's firstbiotechnology village, theCentre for Life, is located byCentral Station. The village is the first step in the City Council's plans to transform Newcastle into a science city.[220]
In 2010, Newcastle was positioned ninth in the retail centre expenditure league of the UK.[221] There are several major shopping areas inNewcastle City Centre. The largest of these is theEldon Square Shopping Centre, one of the largest city centre shopping complexes in the UK.[222] It has one of the largestJohn Lewis & Partners stores in the UK. This John Lewis branch was formerly known asBainbridge, established in 1838, often cited as the world's firstdepartment store.[223] Emerson Bainbridge (1817–1892),[224] a pioneer and the founder of Bainbridge,[225] sold goods via department, a new arrangement of trade for that time. The Bainbridge official ledgers reported revenue by department, giving birth to the name department store.[224][225] Eldon Square is currently undergoing a full redevelopment. A new bus station, replacing the old underground bus station, was officially opened in March 2007.[226] The wing of the centre, including the undercover Green Market, near Grainger Street was demolished in 2007 so that the area could be redeveloped.[227] This was completed in February 2010 with the opening of aDebenhams department store as well as other major stores includingApple,Hollister andGuess.[228]
Central Arcade, Newcastle upon Tyne
The main shopping street in the city isNorthumberland Street. In a 2004 report, it was ranked as the most expensive shopping street in the UK for rent, outside London.[229] It is home to two major department stores including the first and largestFenwick department store, which houses some of the most luxuriousdesigner labels, and one of the largestMarks and Spencer stores outside London. Both stores have entrances into Eldon Square Shopping Centre.
Other shopping destinations in Newcastle include Grainger Street and the area aroundGrey's Monument, the relatively modern Eldon Garden andMonument Mall complexes,Central Arcade and the traditionalGrainger Market. On Blackett Street can be found thesilversmithReid & Sons which was established in the city in 1788.[230] Outside the city centre, the largest suburban shopping areas areGosforth andByker. From 2007, insideKingston Park, on the edge of Newcastle, theTesco store was the largestTesco hypermarket in the UK[231] — for a period of time.Close to Newcastle, the largest indoor shopping centre in Europe, theMetroCentre, is located inGateshead.
Newcastle upon Tyne population pyramid in 2021Jesmond has become an affluent area and is popular with students.Stanhope Street inArthur's Hill is home to one of the largest Asian communities inNorth East England.Gosforth High Street in the north of the city
According to the ONS, Newcastle had a population of 293,000 in 2015.[232] Tyneside (made up of Newcastle and the surroundingmetropolitan boroughs ofGateshead,North Tyneside andSouth Tyneside) has a population of approximately 880,000, making it the eighth most populous urban area in the UK.[233] The widermetropolitan area of Tyneside-Wearside has a population of approximately 1,122,000.
From the 2011 Census, two significant religions could be identified in the city:Christian andMuslim. 56.6% of Newcastle identified as Christian and 6.3% as Muslim.[236] Over 28% stated they haveno religious affiliation.
According to the 2011 census,[237] the metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne was predominatelywhite, representing 85.3% of the population (including non-British white).Asians made up 9.8% of the population (2.3%Pakistani, 1.7% 'Bangladeshi', 1.8% 'Indian', 2.2% 'Chinese', 1.8% 'Asian other').Black people make up a small proportion of the population (1.7% 'Black African', 0.1% 'Black Caribbean' and 0.1% 'Black other'), as do mixed race groups at 1.6% (0.6% 'Asian and White', 0.3% 'White and Caribbean', 0.3% 'White and African', 0.4% 'White and Other'). The last significantly sized ethnic community in Newcastle is 'Arab' at 0.9%. The remainder of the population, 0.5%, represent other ethnicities.
According to the 2011 UK Census, those born outside the UK were mainly from India (3,315), China (3,272), Pakistan (2,644),Bangladesh (2,276), Poland (1,473), Germany (1,357), Nigeria (1,226), Iran (1,164), Hong Kong (1,038) and Ireland (942).[238]In the North East, Newcastle was the most ethnically diverse district followed by Middlesbrough.
The dialect of Newcastle is also referred to asGeordie. It contains a large amount of vocabulary and distinctive words and pronunciations not used in other parts of the United Kingdom. The Geordie dialect has much of its origins in the language spoken by theAnglo-Saxon populations who migrated to and conquered much of England after the end of Roman Imperial rule. This language was the forerunner ofModern English; but while the dialects of other English regions have been heavily altered by the influences of other foreign languages—particularlyLatin andNorman French—the Geordie dialect retains many elements of the old language. An example of this is the pronunciation of certain words: "dead", "cow", "house" and "strong" are pronounced "deed", "coo", "hoos" and "strang"—which is how they were pronounced in the Anglo-Saxon language. Other Geordie words with Anglo-Saxon origins include: "larn" (from the Anglo-Saxon "laeran", meaning "teach"), "burn" ("stream") and "gan" ("go").[247]
According to theBritish Library, "Locals insist there are significant differences between Geordie and several other local dialects, such asPitmatic andMackem. Pitmatic is the dialect of the former mining areas in County Durham and around Ashington to the north of Newcastle upon Tyne, while Mackem is used locally to refer to the dialect of the city of Sunderland and the surrounding urban area of Wearside".[248]
"Bairn" and "hyem", meaning "child" and "home", respectively, are examples of Geordie words with origins in Scandinavia;[249]barn andhjem are the corresponding modern Norwegian and Danish words. Some words used in the Geordie dialect are used elsewhere in the Northern United Kingdom. The words "bonny" (meaning "pretty") and "stot" ("bounce") are used in Scots; "aye" ("yes") and "nowt" (IPA:/naʊt/, rhymes without, "nothing") are used elsewhere inNorthern England. Many words, however, appear to be used exclusively in Newcastle and the surrounding area, such as "canny" (a versatile word meaning "good", "nice" or "very"), "hacky" ("dirty"), "netty" ("toilet"), "hockle" ("spit").[250]
According to research from 2011, public health and levels of deprivation in Newcastle upon Tyne was generally worse than average in England.[251] As levels of deprivation is considerably higher than the nationwide average, sociologists argue that as a result, thelife expectancy for both men and women is lower than the nationwide average. There is significant discrepancy between life expectancies in wealthy areas and deprived areas, with life expectancy up to 14.3 years lower for men and 11.1 years lower for women in deprived areas than in wealthy areas.[252] From 2015 to 2019 Newcastle became relatively more deprived according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation.[253]
From 2001 to 2011, as with all UK cities all-cause mortality rates have fallen, life expectancy has increased. Early death rates from cancer and from heart disease and stroke have fallen but remain worse than the England average.
Almost 21.9% of Year 6 children are clinically obese. In 2014/5, 35.9% of 10 to 11-year-olds were classified as overweight or obese, in comparison to a national average of 33.2%.[254] 54.9% of pupils meet the recommendation of at least three hours each week on school sport. Levels ofteenage pregnancy are higher than the nationwide average. In 2011,GCSE attainment amongst school children was worse than the England average.[255] Estimated numbers of adults 'healthy eating' are lower than the England average.[256] Rates of smoking-related deaths[257] and hospital stays for alcohol-related harm are higher than average.[258]
In a report, published in early February 2007 by the Ear Institute at theUniversity College London andWidex, Newcastle was named as the noisiest city in the whole of the UK with an average noise level of 80.4decibels. The report claimed that these noise levels would have a negative long-term impact on the health of the city's residents.[260] The report was criticised, however, for attaching too much weight to readings at arbitrarily selected locations, which in Newcastle's case included a motorway underpass without pedestrian access.[261] As well as numerous parks, open spaces, and extensive riverside areas, puzzlingly the report also overlooked the 1000-acreTown Moor at the heart of the city. Larger than London's Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath combined,[262] and even larger than New York'sCentral Park, the town moor dates back to the 12th century, with the land tenure and its use being regulated by an Act of Parliament.
Newcastle hosts the start of the annualGreat North Run, the world's largesthalf-marathon[268] in which participants race over theTyne Bridge intoGateshead and then towards the finish line 13.1 miles (21.1 km) away on the coast atSouth Shields.[269] Another athletic event is the 5.9-mile (9.5 km)Blaydon Race (a road race from Newcastle toBlaydon), which has taken place on 9 June annually since 1981, to commemorate the celebratedBlaydon Races horse racing.[270]
There are a number ofcricket clubs in the area including Newcastle Cricket Club, Newcastle City, South Northumberland, Blagdon Park, Benwell Hill, Benwell & Walbottle, Cowgate, Kirkley, Seaton Burn and United Stars.[272][273][274][275][276]
The city is home to theNewcastle Eagles professional basketball team who play their home games at the Vertu Motors Arena, having previously hosted their home games at Sport Central, a sports venue belonging to Northumbria University. The Eagles are the most successful team in the history of theBritish Basketball League (BBL).[286]
In 2014, work was completed on refurbishing the station's historic entrance.[290] Glazing was placed over the historic arches and the Victorian architecture was enhanced; transforming the 19th century public portico.[290] The station is one of only six Grade One listed railway stations in the UK.[290] Opened in 1850 byQueen Victoria, it was the first covered railway station in the world and was much copied across the UK. It has aneoclassical façade, originally designed by the architect John Dobson, and was constructed in collaboration withRobert Stephenson.[291][292] The station sightlines towards the Castle Keep, whilst showcasing the curvature of the station's arched roof.[290] The first services were operated by theNorth Eastern Railway company.
The other mainline station in Newcastle isManors, exclusively served byNorthern Trains.
The city is served by theTyne and Wear Metro, a system of suburban and underground railways covering much of Newcastle and the surroundingmetropolitan boroughs. It was opened in five phases between 1980 and 1984, and was Britain's first urban light rail transit system.[293] The network was developed from a combination of existing and newly built tracks and stations, with deep-level tunnels constructed through Central Newcastle.[294][295] Abridge was built across the Tyne, between Newcastle and Gateshead, and opened byQueen Elizabeth II in 1981.[296] Extensions to the network were opened in 1991 and 2002.[297] It is operated directly byNexus, carrying over 37 million passengers a year.[298] In 2004, the companyMarconi designed and constructed the mobile radio system to the underground Metro system.[299] The Metro system was the first in the UK to have mobile phone antennae installed in the tunnels.[300]
The system is currently undergoing a period of refurbishment and modernisation, entitled 'Metro: All Change.' The programme has replaced all ticket machines and introduced ticket gates at the busiest stations – part of the transition to smart ticketing. All Metro trains are being completely replaced[301] and most stations are undergoing improvement works (or in some cases complete reconstruction, for exampleNorth Shields). In addition; tracks, signalling and overhead wires are also being overhauled.[302] Longer-term plans include further extensions to the system. Proposed routes include to Newcastle's west end, to theCobalt Business Park in North Tyneside, to the Metrocentre in Gateshead and to additional locations in Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland. Several of the proposed routes would require trams as opposed to the current light rail trains.[303]
Major roads in the area include theA1 (Newcastle Gateshead Western Bypass), stretching north toEdinburgh and south to London; theA19 heading south pastSunderland andMiddlesbrough toYork andDoncaster; theA69 heading west toCarlisle; theA696, which becomes theA68 heads pastNewcastle Airport and up through centralNorthumberland and centralScottish Borders, theA167, the old "Great North Road", heading south toGateshead,Chester-le-Street,Durham andDarlington; and theA1058 "Coast Road", which runs fromJesmond to the east coast betweenTynemouth andCullercoats. Many of these designations are recent—upon completion of the Western Bypass, and its designation as the new line of the A1, the roads between this and the A1's former alignment through theTyne Tunnel wererenumbered, with many city centre roads changing from a 6-prefix[304] to their present 1-prefix numbers. In November 2011 the capacity of the Tyne Tunnel was increased when a project to build a second road tunnel and refurbish the first tunnel was completed.[305]
Other major bus departure points are Pilgrim Street (for buses running south of the Tyne viaGateshead), and Blackett Street/Monument for services to the East and West of the city. Many bus services also passNewcastle Central Station, a major interchange for rail and metro services.[307]
Newcastle is accessible by several mostly traffic-freecycle routes that lead to the edges of the city centre, where cyclists can continue into the city by road, usingno car lanes. The traffic-freeC2C cycle route runs along the north bank of theRiver Tyne, enabling cyclists to travel off-road toNorth Shields andTynemouth in the east, and westwards towardsHexham.
Suburban cycle routes exist, which use converted trackbeds of former industrialwagonways and industrial railways. A network onTyneside's suburban Victorian waggonways is being developed.[308] A network of signed on-road cycle routes is being established,[309] including some designated on-road cycle lanes that will lead from the city centre to the suburbs ofGosforth,Heaton andWallsend.
Newcastle has a growing culture of bicycle usage. Newcastle is also home to a cycling campaign, called the 'Newcastle Cycling Campaign.'[310] The ideal of the organisation is to model other European cities likeAmsterdam andCopenhagen.[310] The aims of the organisation, within the constitution are: To raise the profile of cycling, especiallyutility cycling around the city;[311] to educate decision makers over the benefits of cycling;[311] to promote equality.[311]
Following guidelines set in the National Cycling strategy, Newcastle first developed its cycling strategy in 1998.[312] As of 2012[update], the city council's social aims and objectives for cycling include: highlighting the usage of cycling to cut city congestion and educating that cycling promotes healthy living[309] The authority also has infrastructure aims and objectives which include: developing on road cycle networks on quieter streets; making safer routes on busier streets; innovating and implementing contraflows on one way streets; developing the existing off-road cycle route networks and improve signage; joining up routes that are partially or completely isolated; Increase the number of cycle parking facilities; working with employers to integrate cycling into workplace travel plans; link the local networks to national networks.[309]
DFDS Seaways runs a ferry service toIJmuiden, nearAmsterdam in The Netherlands,[313] from Newcastle International Ferry Terminal (located inNorth Shields). TheDFDS ferry service toGothenburg, Sweden, ceased at the end of October 2006 and their service toBergen and Stavanger, Norway was terminated in late 2008. The company cited high fuel prices and new competition fromlow-cost air services as the cause. However, since summer 2007, Thomson cruise lines have included Newcastle as a departure port on its Norwegian and Fjords cruise.[314]
Newcastle was anancient borough. It is said to have been made a borough byWilliam II (reigned 1087–1100), although the earliest known charter was granted byHenry II (reigned 1154–1189). In 1400, a new charter fromHenry IV gave the borough the right to hold its own courts and appoint its ownsheriffs, making it acounty corporate, independent from theSheriff of Northumberland.[316] Whilst administratively independent, Newcastle was still deemed part of thegeographical county of Northumberland for the purposes oflieutenancy until 1974.[317][318]
Newcastle was awarded city status in 1882. When elected county councils were established in 1889, Newcastle was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it was made acounty borough.[325] The city boundaries were enlarged on several occasions, notably in 1904 when it absorbedBenwell,Fenham andWalker,[326] and in 1935 when it absorbedKenton and parts of neighbouring parishes.[327] In 1906 the city was given the right to appoint aLord Mayor.[328]
In 1974, the county borough was replaced by a larger metropolitan borough within the new county of Tyne and Wear. The borough gained the area of the formerurban districts ofGosforth andNewburn, and the parishes of Brunswick, Dinnington, Hazlerigg, North Gosforth and Woolsington. It also gained the Moot Hall, which until 1974 had been anexclave of the administrative county of Northumberland surrounded by the city.[329][330] Newcastle's city status was transferred to the enlarged borough at the same time.[331]
From 1974 until 1986, the city council was a lower-tier district authority, withTyne and Wear County Council providing county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1986, since when the city council has again provided both district-level and county-level services, as it had done when it was a county borough prior to 1974. Some functions are provided across Tyne and Wear by joint committees with the other districts. The county of Tyne and Wear continues to exist as aceremonial county for the purposes of lieutenancy, but has had no administrative functions since 1986.[332]
Newcastle's coat of arms dates back to the fourteenth century, and can be described ascanting:Gules three castles triple towered argent. Thesupporters are twoseahorses, reflecting the fact that the city developed as a port. Thecrest is another three-towered silver castle with a gold demi-lion guardant on it holding theflag of England in pennant form. Themotto is theLatin phraseFortiter Defendit Triumphans (Triumphing by brave defence), and was added in the 1640s after Newcastle successfully resisted a Scottish invasion during theEnglish Civil War.[335]
The arms should not be confused with the similar arms of theScottish city of Aberdeen, which has towers instead of castles and a royal tressure.
Newcastle University has its origins in theDurham University School of Medicine and Surgery, established in 1834.It became fully independent on 1 August 1963, forming the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (now simply Newcastle University). It is ared brick university and is a member of theRussell Group, an association of research-intensive UK universities, often considered to represent the best UK universities.[337][338] It won theSunday Times University of the Year award in 2000.[339] It was awarded the Gold Award in theTeaching Excellence Framework (TEF), one of only ten Russell Group universities to achieve the Gold TEF rating.[340]
Northumbria University has its origins in Newcastle Polytechnic, established in 1969 and becoming the University of Northumbria at Newcastle in 1992 as part of the UK-wide process in which polytechnics became new universities. Northumbria University was voted 'Best New University' byThe Times Good University Guide 2005. It holds the Silver TEF Award.
There are several museums and galleries in Newcastle, including theCentre for Life[341] with its Science Village;[342] theDiscovery Museum[343] a museum highlighting life on Tyneside, including Tyneside's shipbuilding heritage, and inventions which changed the world; theGreat North Museum;[344] in 2009 theNewcastle on Tyne Museum of Antiquities merged with the Great North Museum (Hancock Museum);[345]Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children's Books;[151][152] The Side Gallery opened in 1977 and displayed historical and contemporary photography from around the world and Northern England but it closed in 2023.[346][347] Another former attraction was the Newburn Motor Museum which opened in 1979 but closed during the Covid pandemic.[348][349]
TheLaing Art Gallery, similarly to other art galleries and museums around the world, has collections digitised on theGoogle Cultural Institute,[350][351] an initiative that makes important cultural material accessible online.
Newcastle is home to the onlyBaháʼí Centre in North East England; the centre has served the local Baháʼí community for over 25 years and is located close to the Civic Centre inJesmond.
Newcastle was a prominent centre of thePlymouth Brethren movement up to the 1950s, and some small congregations still function. Among these are at the Hall, Denmark Street and Gospel Hall, St Lawrence.
The Parish Church of St Andrew is traditionally recognised as 'the oldest church in this town'.[353] The present building was begun in the 12th Century and the last addition to it, apart from the vestries, was the main porch in 1726.[354] It is quite possible that there was an earlier church here dating from Saxon times. This older church would have been one of several churches along the River Tyne dedicated to St Andrew, including thePriory church at Hexham.[354] The building contains more old stonework than any other church in Newcastle. It is surrounded by the last of the ancient churchyards to retain its original character. Many key names associated with Newcastle's history worshipped and were buried here. The church tower received a battering during theSiege of Newcastle by the Scots who finally breached the Town Wall and forced surrender. Three of the cannonballs remain on site as testament to the siege.[354]
Newcastle has a "friendship agreement" with the American city ofLittle Rock, Arkansas.[408] Since 2003, it has had a "special cooperation agreement" with the Swedish city ofMalmö.[409] Furthermore, Newcastle participated in the 1998 summit of worldwidecities named Newcastle,[410] which led to friendship agreements with the following places:
^abcdLewis, Samuel (1848)."Newbottle - Newcastle-upon-Tyne".A Topographical Dictionary of England. British History Online. Retrieved13 July 2016.separated from Northumberland, and made a county of itself, by Henry IV
^abcMackenzie, Eneas (1827)."The Corporation: Grants and charters".Historical Account of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Including the Borough of Gateshead. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent. Retrieved1 May 2017 – via British History Online.in 1400, by a charter, granted that Newcastle upon Tyne,... then belonging to the county of Northumberland, should be separated from thence, and be a county of itself
^Mackenzie, Eneas (1827)."The Corporation: Grants and charters".Historical Account of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Including the Borough of Gateshead. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent. Retrieved1 May 2017 – via British History Online.title of the county of the town of Newcastle upon Tyne
^Hudson, Jules (22 March 2013)."Victoria Tunnel". BBC. Retrieved21 January 2014.By 1935, every city in the UK had been given a document by the government, declaring that in the event of war, every city should have air raid protection ...
^abSouthwick, Michael (2021).Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Fragments of the Past. Vol. 1. Newcastle: Great North Children's Hospital.the Lunatic Asylum for the counties of Newcastle, Northumberland and Durham. It was erected by public subscription in 1767
^Johnson, Ben (29 March 2025)."Newcastle-upon-Tyne".historic-uk.com. Retrieved29 March 2025.By the eighteenth century the printing industry was the fourth biggest in UK (after London, Oxford and Cambridge) and the Newcastle Gazette and the Newcastle Courant were the first newspapers in circulation in northern England when they were introduced in 1710 and 1711.
^ab"We take a closer look at the vibrant city of Newcastle"(PDF). Retrieved26 July 2010.By the 18th century Newcastle was the country's fourth largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge. Newcastle's Literary and Philosophical Society, founded in 1793 and now known as simply the Lit and Phil, predated the London Library by half a century.[permanent dead link]
^Lilley, Tasmin (June 2008)."Remembering Slavery"(PDF).collectionsprojects.org.uk. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 October 2018. Retrieved26 July 2021.
^"The History of Newcastle upon Tyne". information-britain.co.uk. Archived fromthe original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved23 January 2014.Shipbuilding and heavy engineering developed fast and Newcastle became the powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution in Britain
^freedomCity2017 Staff."Freedom City 2017".freedomcity2017.com. Newcastle University. Archived fromthe original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved11 July 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Bedrock Geology UK North, 1:625,000 scale geological map published by British Geological Survey
^"GRAINGER TOWN, Tyneside Classical". Archived fromthe original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved26 July 2010.hundreds of fine Georgian and stylish Victorian buildings which have led to its architecture being referred to as "Tyneside Classical".
^Maconie, Stuart (8 February 2008)."Stuart Maconie reveals..why it's great up North."Daily Mirror. UK. Archived fromthe original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved4 July 2008.Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle remain, bolder brighter and more beautiful than ever. You can't move in Manchester for boutique hotels, Leeds has got a Harvey Nichols and Newcastle is now the best-looking city in England.
^"Grainger Town... Grey Street, Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner". Archived fromthe original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved26 July 2010.Grey Street was described as 'one of the finest streets in England' by Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (1902–1983) the German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture.
^"Around Tyne. Grey Street". BBC. 13 December 2007. Retrieved9 July 2008.Grey Street in Newcastle was voted the best street in Britain by Radio 4 listeners.
^"Good Case Study – Grey Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne". BBC radio 4. Archived fromthe original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved9 July 2008.Said by many to be amongst the greatest streets in 'England if not Europe', this gently curving and rising street has been 'sensitively restored and improved in the last decade'.
^ab"Newcastle Breaks". latebreaks.com. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved17 September 2008.Town Moor, which is larger and wider than Hampstead Heath and Hyde Park
^"Honorary Freedom – Citations – King Harald V of Norway". newcastle.gov.uk. Archived fromthe original on 15 December 2009. Retrieved17 September 2010.to mark the 40th anniversary of the official opening of the Civic Centre by his father HM King Olaf V and to recognise and celebrate the close links between Newcastle and Norway over many years
^"Honorary Freedom – Citations – Sir Bobby Robson". newcastle.gov.uk. Archived fromthe original on 15 December 2009. Retrieved17 September 2010.in recognition of his long and outstanding career across Europe, his role as an ambassador for the North East and Newcastle, and his contribution to the culture and life of the City
^Lanagan, Paul (15 May 2010).The Hoppings Fair on Newcastle Town Moor. Books of the North. p. 128.ISBN978-0-9555059-0-4.. Thought to be the largest travelling fairground in Europe, it takes place in the last full week of June...
^"Turner Prize to leave London for BALTIC".M&H online. 17 September 2010. Archived fromthe original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved17 September 2010.The Turner Prize will not be held at a Tate venue for the first time in 25 years in 2011 when it heads to the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
^Hunt, Amy (11 December 2007)."Art mixing with nature in the wild".Evening Chronicle. Archived fromthe original on 7 July 2008. Retrieved1 September 2008.The Tyne is England's best salmon-fishing river, and this is something the North East should be really proud of, but it is so much more than a fishery.
^"History of the Grainger Market". Newcastle.gov.uk. Archived fromthe original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved3 March 2011.Richard Grainger, builder and developer, planned and constructed some of Newcastle's finest buildings and streets during 1830s including Grainger Market, Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Grainger and Clayton Street.
^"History of the Grainger Market". newcastle.gov.uk. Archived fromthe original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved3 March 2011.Richard Grainger was said to 'have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone.'
^"GRAINGER TOWN, Greys Monument, Edward Hodges Baily". Archived fromthe original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved26 July 2010.His statue by sculptor Edward Hodges Baily (also responsible for Nelson's Column) tops a column, Grey's Monument, of 41 metres (135 feet). It has remained a favourite meeting place since it was unveiled in 1838.
^Flannery, Peter.Retrospective – An interview with the creators of the series. Included as a bonus feature on theOur Friends in the North DVD release. (BMG DVD 74321 941149).
^Coleman, Liam (30 July 2023)."Newcastle voted best UK city for vibes".metro.co.uk.A survey asked 2,000 residents in the UK's largest cities to rate the different 'vibes' in their area. Newcastle scored highest for seven out of the nine in total – including being the most welcoming city and having the best pub scene.
^"Morden Tower Home Page". Mordentower.org. Archived from the original on 16 March 2010. Retrieved4 August 2010.
^abGlover, Andrew (8 February 2011)."Alexander Armstrong in appeal to save Lit and Phil".The Journal. ncjMedia, Trinity Mirror. Archived fromthe original on 15 February 2011. Retrieved8 February 2011.The Lit and Phil is the largest independent library outside London, housing more than 150,000 books. Its music library contains 8,000 CDs and 10,000 LPs. The society was founded early in 1793 as a 'conversation club', with an annual subscription of one guinea. The current building was built in 1825.
^"Lit and Phil – Welcome". litandphil.org.uk. 2011. Archived fromthe original on 2 May 2010. Retrieved8 February 2011.The Literary & Philosophical Society (Lit & Phil) is the largest independent library outside London, housing over 150,000 books.
^ab"City Library". Newcastle.gov.uk. 11 June 2013. Archived fromthe original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved15 November 2013.On Sunday 21 June 2009 the building was formally dedicated by Dr Herbert Loebl
^Smith, Roger."Club A'GoGo". readysteadygone.co.uk. Archived fromthe original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved15 August 2010.The Animals also recorded a live album at the Gogo and even wrote a song about the place.
^Anthony Bateman (2008). "Sporting Sounds: Relationships Between Sport and Music". p. 186. Routledge
^"Welcome To Kitchenware Records".Music. Kitchenware Records. Archived fromthe original on 2 May 2003. Retrieved15 August 2010.Kitchenware Records was established in 1982 in Newcastle...
^"Global underground is 10". Archived fromthe original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved20 August 2008.Global Underground has become more than an internationally renowned dance music label. It's become a way of life. This is an impressive legacy – especially for an independent label based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North of England.
^"The Classic". tynesidecinema.co.uk. Archived fromthe original on 5 March 2011. Retrieved23 February 2011.the Classic is a magnificently restored auditorium which features balcony seating in its Classic Circle
^abAnne Pimlott Baker, 'Bainbridge, Emerson Muschamp (1817–1892)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 2010accessed 29 April 2011
^"Mapping Exercise: Bolivia"(PDF). London: International Organization for Migration. July 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 9 July 2008. Retrieved29 November 2008.
^"Bolivians in the UK: 1.2 Geographical Location and Spread of the Bolivian Community"(PDF).unitedkingdom.iom.int. International Organisation for Migration. July 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 15 March 2017. Retrieved21 July 2017.Bolivians who have recently arrived in the UK are concentrated in London, with a small number going to Newcastle. Long-term residents are more widely dispersed across the country. Some live in London and neighbouring areas... number live in Newcastle and Edinburgh (see figure 1).
^University Staff (23 October 2017)."Geordie dictionary".libguides.ncl.ac.uk. Newcastle University Library. Retrieved31 March 2018.Hyem: Home (of Scandinavian origin)
^"Mobile Coverage to Newcastle Metro System". paul-walton.co.uk. Archived fromthe original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved28 February 2011.Marconi undertook the negotiation, feasibility, design and construct of the mobile radio system to the underground parts of the Newcastle Metro.
^"Mobile sounds of the underground". BBC. 17 February 2004. Retrieved28 February 2011.it would be the first time complete coverage had been provided to a UK underground system.
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^McCall, Alastair (17 September 2000)."King of the Castle".Sunday Times. Archived fromthe original(Reprint on Newcastle University's website) on 18 September 2007. Retrieved22 September 2007.
^"Side Gallery". AmberOnline. Archived fromthe original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved15 November 2013.Since opening in 1977, the gallery's been committed to documentary in the tradition of the concerned photographer – our own production/commissions in the North of England and the historical and contemporary work from around the world...
^"St. andrews church". british-history.ac.uk (From: 'St Andrew's church', Historical Account of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...(1827), pp. 323–341.). 1827. Retrieved15 August 2012.Bourne, indeed, is of opinion that it was built before king David was born; because, according to tradition, it is the oldest church in town, and St. Nicholas', it is admitted, was erected before the time of king Henry I. But as the church of St. Nicholas was burnt down in 1216, this church may be the oldest ecclesiastical building in Newcastle...
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