Newcastle Walks - Shieldfield and Manors Walk

Shieldfield and Manors

Begin at the Fire Station Pilgrim Street.
(A 45 minute walk with steep ramped walkways)

Fire Station

With your back to the Station…turn left.
At the next corner look up at the building in front of you at the ornate stone carvings.
At the corner turn left, down Worswick Street. On your left is the Catholic Church of St Andrew. On your right is the portico of the old Bus Station. The whole area was once a busy part of the city with hundreds of daily bus passengers arriving and leaving for east coast destinations south of the city.
Walk straight on crossing over Carliol Street. On your right is a large photographic shop, further on the
’For Your Eyes Only’ club.

Plummer Tower

Take the next left, Croft St. To your right in front of you is Plummer Tower. (See Plaque) Pass the Tower, at the next junction turn right, walk through the arch. Out of the arch. 'carefully' cross the road: 'traffic' approaching at speed from your right! Walk toward the base of the ramp going over the Motorway Bridge. Near to this arch stood Pandon Gate.

Motorway Bridge

Walk on to the foot bridge crossing the Central Motorway. At the top of the ramp turn left and cross the bridge.
The elevated walkways from the surrounding car parks, were designed to allow easy 'foot' access into the city.
Stop and look to your right from the bridge… the motorway partly follows the path of the ancient Pandon Valley. To the right of the marker board over the road stood 'Pandon Gate' once an Easterly entrance to the city.
On the Skyline past the car parks is the Spire of All Saints Church. The span of The Tyne Bridge and further on toward the Windmill Hills of Gateshead the multi-storey car park featured in the Michael Caine film ‘Get Carter’. Squeezed in left of the Tyne Bridge in Gateshead is the small square tower of St. Mary's Church 12C; now the visitor and information centre for The Gateshead Quays development.

Pandon Village

Near the multi-storey car parks once stood Pandon Village, believed to be the first settlement on the Tyne River. The village stretched down to the rivers edge. Articles found there suggest a fortified village as far back as Brigantee Tribe...
See History Page. The village was also documented in Roman times.
Continuing over the bridge…there are two areas in front of you. Separated by New Bridge Street: to your right Manors and to your left Shieldfield.
The modern buildings of the Technology and Business Park stand on the sight of Manor’s Village settlement and latterly the old Manors railway station and junction.
In front of you is The Manors Metro Station entrance ‘M’
To the left 'WB' Cinema and the church of Christ Church lie in Shieldfield.

Manors

Walk from the bridge by the left side ramp toward the ‘M. You are now in Manors. The actual first site of 'Manors' was more than likely behind the business park nearer the river, to the East of The Holy Jesus Hospital, where the old Manors Railway Station stood.
Once the upper part of Pandon valley; here stood an ancient Saxon Monastery and burial ground. In 1290 another Monastery stood here used by The Austin / St Augustine Friars. After dissolution of the monasteries there stood an ancient religious house used by the Kings' of Northumberland. The Kings' of Northumberland were, also interned in the area.
Where the name Manors came from is debatable. One suggestion could be the dictionary definition of, 'System of villages surrounding a Medieval Town’.
Another being a settlement that grew outside of the Town Wall near to Manor Chare (Austin Tower):narrow alleys leading away from river at right angles to it.
Historically documented is that after the dissolution of the monasteries the name was ‘given’ to the area.
1539 in ' King’s Manor'. Henry VII held court when visiting the North and used it as a resting place, a store and magazine where he fed and rested his troops when en route to Scotland.
In later years stood Surgeons and Barbers Halls 1730 with surrounding gardens where they grew herbs to use in medicine; demolished to make way for the railway. Nearby fields were used for military training and jousting. In the 19c the village had a Police Station and Prison.
Next to the Metro Station is The Stout Fiddler Pub, the Street is New Bridge Street...

New Bridge Street

The first Bridge over Pandon Dene was built in 1812,(near to the bridge you have just walked over), linking the East side of the town to Shieldfield and Manors, and to Shields Road leading to North Shields and the North East Coast.
Walk toward The Stout Fiddler Pub and the sign which says Minden Street.

Shieldfield

At the pedestrian lights on your left: Cross ‘New Bridge Street’. Once over the road: turn right, cross over Falconer Street toward the ‘sign’ of the same name. Over the street turn left. Pass 2 lanes on your right. Do not turn toward the Church (Christ Church 1859). Stop! On Falconer Street.
With Church on your right, on the other side of the road is a stone wall. Right of the wall is a grassed area and further on garages. The old cinema car park is on your left down the ramp on the other side of the wall.
Cross and walk to the wall. On this pavement with the stone wall to your immediate left, on your your right is the grassed area: three 19 storey 1960’s style blocks of flats. The nearest is ‘King Charles Tower’. Named after the captive King held in the Town after the Civil War.1646...
See History Page.
Until the late 60’s, stood a large mansion and grassed area, used by the King. Here he played bowls and golf and walked with his family. 'Outside the bounds of the Town Walls!'
The area was used to muster / gather troops for service against Scotland. Perhaps shields were laid out to collect ready for battle.(Shieldfield)? Was it given to the field on the road to North Shields? Or was it an area where shepherds took their sheep in the summer months 'a shielding'?
Prior to the 1644 siege of Newcastle a fort was built here to defend 'Loyalist' Newcastle. Situated where the Steeple of Christ Church is today it played a significant part in the Town's defence.
In the early 18C the village settlement was served by a colliery and mill. The area further East is described as being, 'open fields stretching down to the Ouseburn: in the South East several windmills overlooked Stepney Village': North East (behind the tower blocks) the green fields of Jesmond.
The most famous resident born here in 1810 was the industrialist Armstrong.

Motorway Footbridge

Next to the wall following the path / pavement. The whole area was once covered by a large goods storage and rail yard. During the Second World War it was severely damaged by a direct bombing hit, the resultant fire burned for days.

On the skyline on your left over the wall and left of The University of Northumbria Building, the building bearing horses' heads this is the ‘bell-tower’ of the City’s Civic Centre.
Continue to the new buildings on your left. The road sign indicates the road turns left to a roundabout. Next corner turn left. Pass the entrance to Glenemara House. Cross over the footbridge on your left directly in front of you. At the bottom of the down ramp walk on until you reach the entrance of the car park: sign indicating The University of Northumbria on the right.
The road is Northumberland Rd. Cross and Walk on the left pavement.

Northumberland Road

The first building on your right is The Northumberland Building. Walking on, on the skyline in front of you is the scaffolding type structure of St. James Park, home of Newcastle United Football Team. Virtually every building you see belongs or is used by the university.
Walk on, halfway along on your right, is the entrance to The Newcastle Business School.
Left a small grassed area: look out for the’ Stack of Books!’
Next on your left is The Holy Trinity Church a ‘converted’ Church used as the University Trinity Building.
On your right St. James’s United Reform Church.
The next road junction on your left is College Street.

College Street

The building on your left now, The Sutherland Building, was once The Newcastle Dental Hospital, a dental training school for students.
In front of you is Burt Hall: dedicated to Thomas Burt a local miner and miner’s son who in 1863 was elected secretary and agent of the Northumberland Miner's Association. Labour candidate for Morpeth, he pursued the reform of the 1871 Trade Union Act. Look for the Miner standing proudly upon the roof.
On your right, on the opposite side of the road a large Cricket ground once stood.
Now College House, until around 1920 this was Dame Allan’s Old School. Dame Allan.
In front of you over to your far right on the other side of the road is The Newcastle City Hall and Baths complex.
Cross over College St. turn left and walk on the street. With The Sutherland Building on your left walk to the end of the street.

Walkways and Ramps

At the very end next to the railings walking right up to the railings go up the ramp onto the footbridge over the road (Durant Road).
Crossing over the bridge to your right the large block of flats is Bewick Court. Bewick, Thomas (1753-1828), Born nr Newcastle. Engraver, famous for illustrated books and wood engraving. Called 'The Father of Wood Engraving'.
Once again a fuller view of St. James Park.
In front of you over the white wall is the Domed Tower which is the top of the Laing Art Gallery…(See City Centre Walk)
To our left the Central Motorway and the area you have recently walked through. Take the next right at the end of the bridge walkway.

Princess Square

In this area stood the Carliol or Weavers Tower. Situated at the far North–Eastern corner of the City Wall. During its demolition a cannon ball was found lodged in its 4 feet thick wall. A reminder of the Siege of Newcastle. For Carliol Tower...See History Page.
Walk down walkway: Bewick Court is in front to your right: pass the entrance and the Almonds and Raisins Shop. The ramp drops further here outside the Lower Princess Square. At the bottom of the ramp turn left into the Square. Walk diagonally across, (library—‘facilities’--on your left) go to the right of ‘Cruise’ Dept. store. Or stop and have your sandwiches.
Follow the sign post the pavement drops down onto Northumberland St.

Northumberland St: with the entrance to Eldon Square in front of you turn left. see the automated City ‘help’ point. Keep left of the help point continue over the next junction. At this junction stood Pilgrim's Gate, another gate in the old Town Wall. Continue toward the elevated building over the street. Passing the old Odeon Cinema entrance…as you reach the next corner on the wall of the furniture shop is a plaque dedicated to Joseph Swann; born and worked in the North East on the development of the electric filament lamp.

Walk straight to Police / Fire Station and you have completed the walk.