Old Images of Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne

Glimpse history through old images of Byker, in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, in North East England.

Discover the past streets and communities of Byker, and see how familiar landmarks have changed over time.

Byker Bridge in 1905

When this photo was taken in 1905, Byker Bridge had tramlines running along it. It also gives some lovely views of buildings to the left and right of the bridge, including those cleared away for the Byker Wall development in the 1970s.

Byker Bridge c1905 — Byker Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, taken about 1905. In the distance on the left hand side is the Grand Theatre. Thanks to Newcastle Libraries’ Collection

Shields Road, Byker

Shields Road is, of course, the heart of the Byker community. In some ways it has changed considerably, while in others it is still very familiar.

Shields Road in the Edwardian Age

Edwardian Shields Road Byker — Old photo of Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Taken in the early 20th century. Original photo held by Newcastle Libraries’ Collection.

Next, the same old photo of Shields Road, this time colourized to give a different impression of the historic image, though please note the colours may have been different in real life.

Colorized image of Shields Road old photo

And next, some close ups from the image, too see some of the smaller details.

Shields Road in 1974

Old photo of Shields Road Byker 1974 — 1974 photo of Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne. Original held by Newcastle Libraries’ Collection.

Video about Shields Road

Shields Road, Byker – scotty221282 (YouTube)

The Byker Wall

Brian Alexander’s family were from Shipley Street. In these old family photos in Parts 1 and 2, we see Shields Road, the Raby Hotel, and places in and around Shipley Street.

Where Did Byker Go! Part 1 of 2 – Brian Alexander (YouTube)

Where did Byker Go! Part 2 of 2 – Brian Alexander

Byker Viaduct

The Byker Viaduct transports metro trains high above the Ouseburn Valley.

Constructing the Byker Viaduct. North East Film Archive – BykerLives (YouTube)

Old Photos of Byker & Heaton

This collection of photos made into a montage shows a variety of local locations.

Old Byker and Heaton Newcastle upon Tyne – jilllowes (YouTube)

Byker Tavern Fire

In 1970 the Byker Tavern on Dunn Place suffered a catastrophic fire.

Civic Centre and Byker Tavern Fire 1970 – Newcastle Upon Tyne & UK – Video from the past (YouTube)

Other local pubs lost over the years for various reasons include the Burton House pub, which was across from St Silas’ church on Burton Street, and the Half Moon and Plough Inn on Stephen Street.

Demolition of Northview

Revisit some of the north east parts of Byker which disappeared under the bulldozers many years ago.

Demolition of Northview. Byker. North East Film Archive – BykerLives (YouTube)

The Byker Wall

Terry Flaxton’s work with the BBC led to him producing short films about the people and places of interesting, yet overlooked, places.

The Byker Wall – Terry Flaxton (YouTube)

Fifty years after the Byker Wall was built, ITV News came to talk to some of the residents and discover the communities who live there now.

Fifty years of the iconic Byker Wall in Newcastle | ITV News – ITV News (YouTube)

The Early 21st Century

This video shows a series of photographs taken in the early 2000s, up to May 2007.

Byker Photographic Slideshow – ILuvNUFC (YouTube)

And in this video, we see a look around the Byker estate and discover more about its architect, Ralph Erskine.

Byker – ILuvNUFC (YouTube)

On 8th November 2009, the Newcastle Kingsmen celebrated 60 years since their formation, performing the Byker Buildings dance in the Cumberland Arms.

Newcastle Kingsmen Byker Buildings dance in the Cumberland Arms – donbirnam24 (YouTube)

In 2011 the campaign group Braasda (Byker Residents Against Asda) formed to stop a new Asda superstore opening in the area. Local businesses were worried about the impact it would have on their locally-run stores.