Newcastle medieval town

Newcastle developed at the lowest bridging point across the River Tyne, where the river is fairly narrow and flows between high steep banks. Several streams flowed into the Tyne through deep ravines, indeed the Lort Burn split the town into two. The flat land between the foot of the bank and the riverside above the site of the medieval bridge was made up of sandy material ('Sandhill') and was probably frequently under water. The present ground level is artificial, the result of reclamation. It is therefore suggested that Newcastle originated at the top of the river bank, with riverside development on reclaimed land being secondary. A new castle (HER 101) of motte and bailey type was founded in 1080. A second stone castle with tower keep was built on the same site in the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a new gatehouse, the Black Gate added in the mid thirteenth century. It is not certain when the medieval bridge (HER 310) was built over the River Tyne, but it seems likely that it was built in the late twelfth century. The bridge gave access to a triangular space called Sandhill (first referenced in 1310) at the mouth of the Lort Burn. The guildhall and a market cross (Cale Cross) were located here. From Sandhill you could climb the steep bank from the west via the Side (first referenced in 1366) or eastwards up All Hallows Bank (first referenced 1586) , later Butcher Bank (Akenside Hill today). There were three main streets running north from the top of the bank - Pilgrim Street (vicus peregrinorum, first referenced in c.1230) which followed the east bank of the Lort Burn; the market street (vicus fori, first referenced before 1235, now Newgate Street and Bigg Market) on the west side of the Lort Burn; and Westgate (first referenced in 1163-80) which ran north-west from Tuthill Stairs. At the foot of the market street was the parish church of St. Nicholas (in existence by 1100). Further up the bank stood the Benedictine nunnery of St. Bartholomew (probably founded in the mid twelfth century). At the top of the street stood St Andrew's church (again twelfth century). At the southern end of Pilgrim Street was All Saints Church (later twelfth century). The street continued north (now Northumberland Street) to cross the Pandon Burn by the Barras Bridge. The leper hospital of St. Mary Magdalene stood near to the Barras Bridge. The twelfth century hospital and chapel of St. Mary the Virgin stood on Westgate. Opposite it was St. John's Church. The main streets were linked by minor streets (chares) and burgage plots. Baylygate (first referenced in 1354) ran westwards from opposite the Bailey Gate of the castle. Low Friar Street, Pudding Chare (1333), Denton Chare (1425) and St. John's Chare linked Westgate to the market street. Brother Char (or Friarminor, Bareforfriar or Greyfriar, later High Friar Street, 1251-59) and the Denebrig (1334, later Overdenebrigg then High Bridge) linked the market street with Pilgrim Street. Cowgate (1272-3, upper part Austin Chare, later Manor Chare) linked Pilgrim Street to the Pandon Dene. All Saints or All Hallows Street (later Silver Street) ran along the north side of All Saints' churchyard, Dog Bank along the south side. The minor streets split the burgage plots into street blocks which became developed with small tenements. Newcastle became a borough in the twelfth century under Henry I. By 1200 it was a wealthy port. Newcastle received the four principal orders of friars - the Franciscans or Grey Friars from at least 1237 on the west side of Pilgrim Street; the Dominican or Black Friars by 1239 behind Low Friar Street; the Carmelite or White Friars in 1262 on Wallknoll in Pandon (separate village until the thirteenth century). The Trinitarians took over the Carmelite Friary site in 1360. The Friars of the Sack arrived some time around 1266 at Clavering Place and in 1307 the Carmelite Friars took over their site. The Austin Friars arrived around 1291, setting up their precinct south of the Carliol Croft. The town walls were begun in the later thirteenth century. They were not finished until the following century. Some outlying dwellings in Sinedgate (Percy Street) were left outside the walls. The wall cut through the Dominican Friary precinct and so a postern was inserted through the wall and a bridge built over the ditch. The hospital of St. Mary the Virgin also had a postern. The construction of the wall turned streets such as Darn Crook and Fishergate into cul-de-sacs. The riverfront was developed by the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. The Close, which led to the Close Gate, with buildings on both sides, ran along the waterfront below the medieval bridge and the Quayside, which was open to the river, above. The Close was linked to the upper town by Tuthill Stairs, Long Stairs and Castle Stairs. Running north from the Quayside there were twenty narrow chares (Dark Chare, Grindon Chare, Blue Anchor Chare, Peppercorn Chare, Palester Chare, Colvin's Chare, Hornsby Chare, Plumber Chare, Fenwick's Chare, Dark Chare, Broad Garth, Peacock Chare, Trinity Chare, Rewcastle Chare, Broad Chare, Spicer Lane, Burn Bank, Byker Chare, Cock's Chare and Love Lane). The borough market street was infilled probably by the later fourteenth century. Parts of the 'vicus fori' acquired the names of the goods which were sold in them - the upper part was called Horsemarket from the late thirteenth century, Neatmarket in 1430 and Noltmarket from the sixteenth century. The Beremarket (later Bigg Market), where barley was sold, ran from Nuns Lane to Pudding Chare. To the south on the west side was Flesh Market (later Groat Market) and to the east Cloth Market. Between the two was Middle Street, which was divided into Skinnergate, Spurriergate and Saddlergate. At the west end of St. Nicholas' church was the Iron Market. The wheat market was located in Pilgrim Street between Manor Chare and Low Bridge, which had been built over the Lort Burn in the late fourteenth century. There is no evidence for a medieval suburb outside Close Gate, but there was development along Gallowgate from around 1378. Sandgate existed as a right of way in 1336 but the first reference to buildings on the street is 1487. In the fifteenth century the Maison Dieu (St. Catharine's or Thornton Hospital) was set up as a hospital for the poor. A second storey was added for the Merchant Adventurers in the sixteenth century. In 1492 the guild of pilots and mariners built their meeting place, Trinity House. {This summary is based on Harbottle and Clack 1976}. The medieval core is still discernible in modern Newcastle. It is enclosed by the line of the town wall whose ghost can be seen even where the wall has been demolished. None of the original gates survive. The medieval street pattern is clear in lower Pilgrim Street and in Groat, Cloth and Bigg Markets. The medieval open spaces within the walls are now built over - the Blackfriars Precinct (cut in two by the town wall), Carliol Croft and the precincts of St. Bartholomew's Nunnery and the Franciscan Friary. Newcastle's medieval houses were timber-framed, stone or a combination of both. Surviving medieval buildings - the churches of St. Nicholas, St. John and St. Andrew, the castle keep, Black Gate (with 17th century upper floors and 19th century rear wing) and the remaining sections of the town walls. One medieval courtyardhouse survives on Broad Chare (acquired by Trinity House in 1505). What became a rigging loft in the 18th century is a medieval house with 12th century tree-ring dates. No. 35 The Close has early 16th century roof trusses and timber-framing which is now obscured.