Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

Rules! No Bad language or derogatory remarks Please or we will delete. Anyone sharing our content on Face Book must credit 'Hebburn and our Neighbours'.

History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'

Posted by Norman Dunn on 20/10/2025, 10:34 am

Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Allan C. on 20/10/2025, 11:12 am, in reply to "History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'"

Not seen that picture before. A good indication of what Newcastle may have looked like in 1600.

There is some artistic licence. The Castle Keep appears to have been moved a bit and there is no Black Gate shown.

This would be so that the Cathedral is in full view.

It could have been painted for a Churchman or the Church Authorities.

The Quayside seems to have an awful lot of posh type buildings.

The City Wall on the right and is that Jesmond Dean with maybe a Tower.

Food for thought

Re: Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Stan Wears on 20/10/2025, 11:35 am, in reply to "Old Newcastle 1600 "

Allan, what we are looking at is pretty spot on. The bridge lost 15 houses in the great flood. The Black Gate was built in 1247 named after Patrick Black and David Stephenson's All Saints church shows the old church circa 1300. A new one is different as it is elliptical. As for the keep (castle , Dobson ruined it when he added the battlements in my personal opinion. St. Nicholas cathedral is GR I listed and the lantern tower was used to guide ships into the river after it was built. Great history!!!

Re: Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Allan C. on 20/10/2025, 11:39 am, in reply to "Old Newcastle 1600 "

There is a map dated 1772 available that I found and shows that the old city walls ran across the junction of Pilgrim St. with Northumberland St. Blackett St. going to the West and the Ficket Tower probably where Gray’s Monument stands today.

Would never have know until Norman posted that Picture.

Re: Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Carol in hampshire on 20/10/2025, 4:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Old Newcastle 1600 "

Where would that bridge be positioned today

Re: Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Liz Dance on 20/10/2025, 4:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Old Newcastle 1600 "

Carol, I was wondering that as well.

Re: Old Newcastle 1600

Posted by Norman Dunn on 20/10/2025, 5:54 pm, in reply to "Re: Old Newcastle 1600 "

That old bridge on the painting is very close to where our Tyne Bridge was built in the 1920s.

Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'

Posted by Malcolm on 20/10/2025, 5:36 pm, in reply to "History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'"

Isn't that an odd thing, as I have some ancestors (once Hebburn residents) called Monkchester, a name I hadn't heard before.

NOW I know where it came from !!

Where is the painting now, Norman?

Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'

Posted by Norman on 20/10/2025, 5:49 pm, in reply to "Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'"

I have no idea where the painting is Malcolm.
That could have been a Postcard I copied donkeys years ago.

Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'

Posted by Stan Wears on 20/10/2025, 8:49 pm, in reply to "Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'"

I may be wrong but the great painters in Newcastle were Thomas Miles Richardson senior. Or maybe William Bell Scott ?

Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle' 1500's

Posted by Mac C on 20/10/2025, 10:12 pm, in reply to "History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle'"

Here is a different image which is about Ncle in the 16c (therefore 1500's)
https://images-cdn.bridgemanimages.com/api/1.0/image/600wm.XXX.09754250.7055475/5242611.jpg

Mac C

Posted by Allan C. on 21/10/2025, 9:01 am, in reply to "Re: History lesson 'Before 'Newcastle' 1500's"

I would think that the pen and ink drawing is the original and the coloured one has been done from it and a lot of detail lost or added in parts.

However the pen and ink is recent ( but how recent?) and is the artist interpretation of what Newcastle could have looked like in the 1500’s.

I looked at the Gateshead side as it stands today via Google maps, vast changes since I left Tyneside.

Recent?

Posted by Mac Cummings on 21/10/2025, 11:51 am, in reply to "Mac C"

Recent, by definition, refers to a time not long ago, close to the present.
The research I did before posting the image suggests that the pen and ink is not "recent" and goes back into the 1700's, perhaps earlier, and is what the local artist John Storey (1828-1888) used as the basis for one of his works.
There are lots of similar images of early Newcastle to be found online. Some with provenance others not.
How did you reach your conclusion?

Re: Recent? That could be at anytime but after 1700’s I think

Posted by Allan C on 21/10/2025, 4:02 pm, in reply to "Recent?"

My guess that it was done in the 1700 ‘s about. Before then the artist would I think not be doing that type of painting as he would be doing say landscape or portraits.

It depends who asked the artist to do it and pay him to do it.

Whatever is a great picture. Thanks for finding it. Allan C.

Re: Recent? for Allan

Posted by Mac C on 21/10/2025, 6:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Recent? That could be at anytime but after 1700’s I think"

I wasn't fishing for thanks for posting it Allan rather just trying to put a date on it to show you it wasn't "recent" as you guessed.
And PS it is a Landscape!!

« Back to index