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@Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1 @PJDThomas Thread of photos of Newcastle. Had to go to Newcastle yesterday-two appointments with 3hr interval. Used it to walk around the West End and Westgate Hill area and take photos. @PinkLaneBakery - great bakery, delicious British Rail Gingerbread
@KerryAtkin1 @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas I started on Clayton St- architecturally beautifully simple compared with some bits of Grainger Town and often neglected. Very, very quiet.
@Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1 @PJDThomas Narrow streets off Clayton St have names reflecting their medieval past- Falconars Court, Fenkle St (originally Fennell St where the apothecaries were situated)
Running up from and parallel to Clayton St, in the direction of Blackfriars are Low Friar St and Friars - again Medieval in origin. Then there is the beautiful Charlotte Square. @PJDThomas @Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1
@PJDThomas @Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1 Charlotte Square is a beautiful square built by eminent local architect William Newton in 1770. He lived at Number 1 and has a blue City of Newcastle plaque there.
Off Low Friars St is the lane up to Blackfriars - the Dominican friary existing in some form from about 1200AD. It is the only one of Newcastle's great medieval friaries left and sits justinside the city walls. Just me there. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
@Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1 Out of Blackfriars you come to Stowell St, Newcastle's Chinatown. It's great.
There is the Chinese Arch (right next to the Tyneside Irish Centre, where we certainly socialised as a family), a Chinese style post box( marked VR), the Chinese Garden in the City Walls and the North-East Chinese Association
@Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
@Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
Stowell St is against the longest remaining stretch of the city walls, gates and towers. @PJDThomas @Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1
There are the old grinding stones from the city lead works, not sure what the metal gridded holes in the wall are - prisons or for guards, no way out the back- the old lane down the back of Stowell St. and one of the towers. @PJDThomas @Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1
St Andrew's is the oldest church in Newcastle. The city walls almost contain it. It's so typical of Newcastle- you see this all over the city, the old pressed up against the newer. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
The churchyard contains many famous Newcastle names - Avison, Beliby, Charlton, Milburn, Newton, Clennell, Surtees. Also those who helped build the city- masons, builders, brickmakers, plumbers. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
The grave of Charles Avison. As I walked back past the walls there was a new build for sale with this sign on it. It's not a common name. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
I set off up Westgate Road to the Summerhill Square area. The houses are so beautiful. A house on Westgate Rd, houses on Westgate Hill Terrace and a sign on a gate reflecting current times. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
Looking through from Summerhill Square to Westgate Road. House on the left is the house @DavidOlusoga looked at the history of - the blue plaque of Joshua Alder can be seen. However, a wider shot shows what has been built next to it. Hmm! @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
Blue plaques, interesting uses of buildings and buildings (which looks John Dobson-ish to me) awaiting a new use in Summerhill. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @PJDThomas
Old doorways on the sides of the square. Not sure what the stone 'tablets' are from. Any ideas? They look like they might have had a religious purpose but the building didn't. @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
30 mins left so headed back down Westgate Road to my second appointment. Passed Sinclair's Tobacco Warehouses- now flats- The Tyne Theatre . I wondered what the small narrow building to the right of the theatre used to be? @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
A quick look at Thornton Place - another overlooked beauty- and Pink Lane, once the red light district but no longer. Named because the Pink Gate into the town was there . @Old_LowLight @PJDThomas @KerryAtkin1
A look along Clayton St West towards my favourite Newcastle church, St Mary's RC Cathedral, built with donations from poor Irish immigrants who came to Newcastle - including my great grandparents from Monaghan, Galway and Cavan. @Old_LowLight @KerryAtkin1 @PJDThomas
