High Gowlands, West Road

High Gowlands farmhouse, situated at the eastern edge of Benwell, is first recorded in 1829 when it was tenanted by William Daglish. By 1840, it changed hands and was occupied by Henry Nairn and comprised four fields circa 50 acres as detailed in the 1841 tithe map. In 1847, Henry Milvain of neighbouring North Elswick Hall purchased a narrow strip of land adjoining the eastern boundary of High Gowlands and in 1857, he purchased the entire property. The property was surveyed by the Royal Engineers in 1858 for the first Ordnance Survey Map of Northumberland, published in 1864, who recorded: “High Gowlands …........... about 8 chains NW of Benwell Grove …........ an ordinary farmhouse with offices yards & attached”.
High Gowlands Farm appears to have had a regular turnover of tenant farmers. In 1856 and 1861, it was leased to Richard Swan as the primary tenant, however he had been replaced by 1871 by a Mr Hawksby. The census of 1881 records Isaac Maughan as the primary tenant and confirms that the farmstead was 50 acres in size. The census of 1891 lists Edward Kane as the main tenant of High Gowlands. On the death of Henry Milvain in 1893, the four fields of the farm were offered for sale by auction, listed as two Lots. However, both Lots were withdrawn as (presumably) the best prices offered were not acceptable. The farm is depicted on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey published in 1899, which was revised between 1894 and 1895.
The last depiction of High Gowlands farm is on the 1919 Ordnance Survey, which shows the field boundaries and the farm buildings still extant, however, it would seem to have been developed for residential housing in 1920s and 1930s.