246-248 Whitley Road, Whitley House

Whitley House, with its "picturesque iron porch", was erected in 1803 on ground formally owned by John Dove (see HER 5479). Thomas Stevens built the house incorporated part of Dove's 1670s malt-kiln and byre in its constructed. Stevens died soon after and the house was advertised to be let in the Newcastle Courant of December 17th 1803. It was described as a "new-built pleasant and commodious mansion-house, consisting of an entrance hall 10 feet wide, a dining room and drawing room on the ground floor each 23 foot by 17ft, a breakfast room 22 foot by 17ft, with lodging rooms and other conveniences suitable for a genteel family, with coach house, stables and other outbuildings, and a large garden and hothouse behind the same". In 1803 the tenancy was taken by Zepheniah Shipley the elder, in trust for Thomas Stevens (the younger?) but this was a short-lived arrangement, as in 1806 he occupied a farm adjoining Whitley Link. In 1811 the occupier was A Ilderton, in 1817 Sanderson Ilderton and in 1818 Samuel Walker Parker. In 1840 it was sold to Henry Mitcalf JP (MP for Tynemouth in 1841). He made additions to the west side of the house. In 1855 it was rented by Mrs Lydia Green and in 1862 by Henry Bell. In 1869 it was sold to Lawrence W. Anderson, who left in 1894. The building was then occupied by a Mr Peterson for 18 months. It was then empty until conversion as the Unionist Club in 1902. LOCAL LIST