If you’ve ever had a wander through the city, you’ll see the incredible architecture – but where better to start than our very own iconic arches?
Built in 1911 for the Armstrong College – the close predecessor of our University – its become a recognisable feature of campus. The building is listed on the National Heritage List for England, and even has a tribute to it on the Malaysian campus too!
Our next stop lies in town, with the Newcastle Theatre Royal. It’s roots date all the way back to 1788, when it was granted its Royal license by King George III to be established on Drury Lane.
It was rehoused in 1837 with its move to Grey Street, in a design by Grainger and Dobson to make it their flagship building within the centre of the city. During a performance of Macbeth – which continually shows its bad luck in theatres – the interior of the building was set on fire and was refurbished with an auditorium in 1901.
Moving past our very own great fire (granted almost two and a half centuries later), lets explore another iconic feature of the North East – Hadrian’s Wall.
Built by the Roman Empire in AD 122 on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian, it stretched 73 miles from coast to coast and was designed to mark the northern boundary of the province Britannia.
The wall held up as a great defence against attacks from further north, and included forts, milecastles (hello Wetherspoons mention), watchtowers, and civilian settlements.
It’s a very pretty day trip too! About an hour on the train, pack a picnic and take a hike through the route of the wall – I’d highly recommend it if you ever want to get out of the city!
It was considered a prototype for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was made by the same design team
The next pitstop on our tour is a lot closer to home – we’ve arrived at Newcastle Castle! Only a quick 15 minutes from the city centre, the castle began as a Roman Fort called Pons Aelius in the 2nd Century, becoming a castle in 1080 when the son of William the Conqueror built it as a wooden fortress.
King Henry II came along in 1172 and decided to turn the fortress into a stone keep – taking five years, but the foundations of it still stand today. Under King Henry III, prison facilities were added in the form of a windowless dungeon (creepy), known as the “Heron Pit” next to the Black Gate.
The Newcastle Corporation bought the castle in 1809, with refurbishments added all the way into the 20th Century and now you’re free to explore the place to your hearts content!
Our last stop on this tour, (incredibly sad, I know) is by the Quayside – The Tyne Bridge. Built by Dorman Long and Co. to accommodate the increasing traffic, it was the world’s longest single-span arch bridge at the time of construction. King George V opened it up in 1928, and it was considered a prototype for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was made by the same design team.
It’s become another iconic figure of the North East, bridging the gap over the River Tyne and associated with the industrial heritage of the area.