History of Newcastle
Newcastle , often shortened for Newcastle upon Tyne is a city located in Tyne and Wear. The city of Newcastle was founded in Roman times under the name Pons Aelius. There is evidence of early settlement in the city as long ago as 5000 BC. The residents of Newcastle were known as Novocastrians, however, today, the term Geordie is more commonly used.
The natural landscape of Newcastle has shaped the history and development of the city since the prehistoric times. Over the decades the River Tyne has become more and more important to not just Newcastle but to all the cities and towns of Tyne and Wear, acting like a defense , a channel for communication and an artery of trade.
In the Roman era Newcastle was known as “Pons Aelius”, and the city was founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and it is said that parts of Hadrian's Wall is still visible in parts of Newcastle particularly along the West Road. As Newcastle was the lowest point downstream it meant that t could be bridged, and it is thought that the first bridge constructed was by the Romans.
Newcastle soon became part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom after the Romans withdrew from Britain . During the period of the Anglo Saxons Newcastle was known as Monkchester.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England 's northern fortress. There was a 25 foot wall constructed around the town to defend the city from invaders during the Border war against Scotland . During the 14 th Century the wall served its purpose and successfully defended the city three times against the Scots.
Newcastle quickly expanded and had great importance and by the 17 th Century, the town was considered as a regional capital and the second town of the Kingdom.
In 1928 Newcastle was the leading English port for exporting leather, although the trade was soon destroyed by the border wars that ravaged the countryside. The development of Newcastle as a major city was much owed to its central role in the export of coal from the Northumberland coalfields. In 1921, 80 quarters of coal was sent to Dorset from Newcastle . By 1334 Newcastle was the fourth wealthiest town in England , and was the 11 th largest in 1372.
However in the 19th Century ship building and heavy engineering became more important to Newcastle than the coal industry and the rapid expansion of Newcastle began.
Due to some of the heavy industries in Newcastle started to decline in the second half of the 12 th Century, large sections of Newcastle and its city centre were demolished to make way for new developments such as Eldon Square.
Even though Newcastle has suffered extensive damage in the past some famous historic monuments and buildings still remain standing today and are very popular with tourists. Some of these historical buildings are.
The Castle Keep, which stands on a steep sided headland overlooking the River Tyne. The Castle Keep was built between 1168 and 1178 by the order of King Henry II. The site of the castle has an extensive amount of history, as before the castle was constructed there was a motte and bailey castle, which was built by Robert Curthose, who was the son of William the Conqueror, and before that the Roman Fort Pons Aelius stood there, which was used to guard the river crossing.
The Keep is now a Grade 1 listed building, and a scheduled ancient monument, and is currently owned by Newcastle City Council and managed by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne.
An addition to the Castle Keep was The Black Gate, and was assembled in 1247 by King Henry III. The Gate is essentially a barbican, which is an unusually designed outwork consisting of two parallel walls extending from a gateway with a secondary gate at the outer end. The Black Gate is said to have derived its name from one of it tenants who was Patrick Black. By the middle of the 19 th Century Black Gate accommodated 12 families and a public house. In the present day The Black Gate is still used as a place of meeting and a library by the Society of Antiquaries.
Another well known historic monument in Newcastle is Bessie Surtees House. The House of Bessie Surtees is actually two merchant's houses, which is situated on Newcastle 's Quayside. The houses were constructed in the 1700s, and are a fine example of Jacobean domestic architecture. The house stands five stories high, and with each floor slightly overhanging the one below. The windows of the house are quite significant as they extend over the full width of the house.
Bessie Surtees was the daughter Aubone Surtees, who was a wealthy merchant. Aubone lived on the Quayside in Newcastle in the latter part of the eighteenth century. When Bessie fell for a coal merchant's son, the match was frowned upon, so Bessie eloped to Scotland with John Scott, who later becomes Lord Chancellor.
The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle-upon-Tyne or more commonly used Newcastle Cathedral was built in 1091; however it was originally a parish and did not become a cathedral until 1882. However the parish had to be rebuilt in 1359 as it was destroyed by a fire in 1216.
The Cathedral is particularly noticeable for its Lantern spire, which was erected in 1448. For hundreds of years the Spire was the main navigation point for ships using the River Tyne. The Cathedral is also the seat of the Bishop of Newcastle.
Newcastle Cathedral is more than just a building; it is the focus point of a large diocese, which covers the inner city and its expansive suburbs, as well as the towns and villages throughout Northumberland.
Along with its buildings Newcastle is also well known for its bridges, which also tell some stories of the area.
The first bridge on the Tyne and Wear was built by Romans, but fell to disrepair. The oldest bridge on Tyne and Wear that is still standing is the High Level Bridge , which dates 157 years old. The High Level Bridge is used for road and railway pedestrians. The bridge was designed by Robert Stephenson. The bridge was completed in 1849, and was the first example of a wrought iron bridge. Close after the High Level bridge was the Swing Bridge which dates to 130 years old. Work started on the Swing Bridge in 1873, but didn't open to road traffic until the 15 th June 1876. Approximately 1 month after opening the bridge to road traffic, it was decided to open to river traffic as well. Before the Swing Bridge was built there was already a bridge on site which had to be demolished to enable bigger ships to move upstream. On the 10 th June 1909 the Queen Alexandra Bridge was officially opened by Queen Alexandra. The bridge was designed by Chris A Harrison and built by Sir William Arrol. The bridge is used as a pedestrian and road traffic bridge. The most famous out of all the bridges on Tyne and Wear is The Tyne Bridge. It was officially opened on the 10 th October 1928 by King George V. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hat and Anderson, and built by Dorman Long Co. The latest bridge to be built on the Tyne and Wear is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge , which is a significant tourist attraction. It was opened on the 17 th September 2001 to the public, and is now used as a foot and cycle bridge.
