Glimpse history through old images of Gosforth, in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England.
Newcastle’s northern suburb of Gosforth covers what was once the settlement of Bulman Village.
This page includes videos of Gosforth High Street, South Gosforth, and Gosforth Park.
Old Pictures of Gosforth’s People & Places
Gosforth in the 1890s
Gosforth in the Early 1900s
Gosforth: 1917 Map
These are extracts from the 1917 Boundary Commission map. They are low resolution so don’t show much detail, but demonstrate how much building and development has occurred since the map was created during WW1.
And here is the modern Google map for comparison:
Gosforth In the 1920s & 30s
Gosforth Park 1924
In 1924, an official event opened the extension of the tramway system through Gosforth Park.
A brass band played as Councillor Anthony Oates drove the first tram along, watched by a small crowd of well dressed people.
At the end, we watch the guests dismount the vehicle, with the men posing for the camera.
Newcastle’s New Extension Of Tramways AKA Newcastle’s New Extension Of Trams (1924) – British Pathé (YouTube)
Gosforth Park 1931
In 1931, large crowds turned out to see men and women carrying Legion banners at a ceremony conducted by the Bishop of Newcastle.
Dedication Of Legion Standards (1931) – British Pathé (YouTube)
Gosforth in the 1940s
Gosforth Trams in the 1940s
Gosforth in the 1950s
Gosforth in the 1960s
Gosforth Grammar School in the 1960s
Garden Village in the 1960s
Gosforth Park Hotel in the 1960s
South Gosforth Railway Station in the 1960s
South Gosforth in the 1960s
Gosforth in the 1970s
Gosforth in the 1980s
One Sunday afternoon in the run up to Christmas 1980, Bandmaster Bill Webb and his band entertained local residents.
NEWCASTLE CITY TEMPLE BAND 1980’s CAROL PLAYING IN GOSFORTH – Geoff Platt (YouTube)
The next video takes us on a drive to Gosforth High Street in 1983.
Gosforth in the 1990s
This clip is just a few seconds long, but shows huge crowds across Gosforth High Street for the Newcastle United Promotion in 1993.
The Millstone pub, filmed in 1999, is located on Haddricks Mill Road, South Gosforth.
Gosforth in the 21st Century
Gosforth West is the best, as they used to say. These days it’s Gosforth Junior High Academy. Here’s a collection of photos of the 2008 leavers, including a trip to Lightwater Valley and another to Paris.
A sudden storm and overflowing drains on 6 September 2008 left a cul-de-sac in Brunton Park flooded, with fire fighters using hydrolic pumps to clear the water away.
Downfall of Northern Rock
After the financial crash and the downfall of Northern Rock, an important part of the local economy, Newcastle City Council bought the recently constructed Northern Rock headquarters for about £22 million in early 2009.
Northern Rock’s crisis meant government intervention and a 2009 half year loss of £472.2 million.
The Sanderson Hospital
It is perhaps surprising how quickly the Sanderson Hospital fell into disrepair. And frustrating for local residents how long it is taking for the site to become more than the local eyesore.
Opened on 30 September 1897 as a home for destitute children, the Sanderson Home for Destitute and Crippled Children was solidly built and set in spacious grounds. By 1914 it was extended to accommodate more patients as a private hospital, renaming itself the WJ Sanderson Orthopaedic Hospital and School for Children in 1935.
The NHS took over the site from July 1948, until its closure in 2005. They renamed it the Sanderson Orthopaedic Hospital in 1950, before the final change of Sanderson Hospital in 1964.
Between 1974 and 1996, the site was used for care of the elderly. The annex known as the Sanderson Centre was used for outpatients services until 2003.
By July 2009, the old site was in a terrible state, as shown in the following recording.
November 2010 saw the sudden appearance of heavy snow, worse than the UK had experienced for several years.
This mobile footage shows Gosforth High Street in the evening, with the occasional cars and pedestrians struggling through the difficult conditions.
In 2012, as the UK struggled with the aftermath of the financial crash, High Streets also faced competition from emerging online retailers.
Business retailer and TV personality Mary Portas headed a national campaign and cometition to rejuvinate local high streets. The Gosforth Town Team made their case in the following video.
Just 12 seconds long, this tilt shift video gives a glimpse of one corner of Gosforth High Street in the summer of 2012.
On 28 June 2012, Gosforth wasn’t as badly hit by the floods as the Quayside or Scotswood Road, but some properties were damaged and the worst affected roads caused serious traffic problems.
The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland
by Kelly and Company
Published in 1879
Old Photos of Gosforth
1888-1939
Old Photos of Gosforth Part 1 (1888-1939) – Local History Videos on YouTube
1940-1969
Old Photos of Gosforth Part 2 (1940-1969) – Local History Videos on YouTube
1970-1998
Old Photos of Gosforth Part 3 (1970-1998) – Local History Videos on YouTube
Old Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne & Wear, England, enjoyed through historic photos, vintage pictures & archive film. Browse history in these fascinating old images of a bygone era on my Pinterest board at:
Hi, I’m Debbie. I’ve enjoyed books, films, and documentaries about history for more than 30 years. My favourite trips with friends and family are to museums, historic houses, archaeological sites, and I love unearthing old photos and archive film bringing history to life.