Old Images of Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne

old images of Kenton

Glimpse history through old images of Kenton, now a suburb in the northern part of Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England.

Old Photos of Kenton


German WW2 Map

This image is an excerpt of a 1941 German map series of Britain, showing Kenton marked for nearby industry of note.

I’ve added the German key, so you can look up the translation for any symbol shown.

Excerpt of Militärgeographische Einzelangaben über England : militärgeographische Objektkarten mit Objektbildern – held by the Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division


Kenton’s Secret Bunker

Somewhat suprisingly, there is a World War II bunker sitting under Kenton Bar. The HQ for No. 13 Group, which formed part of RAF Blakelaw, directed wortime fighters from the operations room, which still has working lights.

Unfortunately, the Grade II listed facility is not usually open to the public, but this video was made in January 2010.

world war 2 bunker kenton newcastle upon tyne – Mark Gibson

Tyne & Wear made a film about the bunker and one of its war time occupants, Kitty Brightwell, in 2014.

Kitty was a plotter in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) during the Second World War.

The Secret Bunker – TWMuseums (2014)

Kenton Park Sports Centre

Kenton Park Sports Centre is a Community hub, offering leisure, recreation, sporting activities, community events, trips, and room hire.

In 2009, this video was made to showcase some of the centre’s facilities and services.

Active Newcastle – Kenton Park Sports Centre – ActiveNewcastle (YouTube)

Kenton School

Kenton School’s Thriller Flash Mob took place in November 2012.

Thriller Flash Mob @ Kenton School – Kenton School

Sadly, food banks have become a necessary part of society in the twenty first century. But schools have embraced the chance for their youngsters to do good things for other people, and here Kenton School records what happened to their weekly donations for the West End Foodbank.


McDonald’s versus Kenton

McDonald’s wanted to build a fast food outlet on the site of the Crofter’s Lodge. It’s very close to Kenton School, so a determined group of local residents worked very hard over several months to stop this happening. In June 2016 McDonald’s withdrew their plans for the site, which was a decision welcomed by Newcastle City Council.

The site is now a Sainsbury’s garage and shop.

McDonald’s decision to withdraw Kenton plans – the right decision for a healthy future – NewcastleCCUK (YouTube)

The Post Office Directory of Durham and Northumberland

by Kelly and Company

Published in 1879


Kenton’s Old Photos

Old Photos of Kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne – Local History Videos on YouTube

This fascinating collection of old photos displayed in a montage shows what Kenton used to look like in the past.

Old kenton, Newcastle upon Tyne. – Steve Preston (YouTube)

Old Photos of Kenton Bar

Designed by Ryder and Yates and constructed between 1966-68, Kenton Bar was a post-war modernist housing estate built to the north edge of Kenton. Much of the housing still exists today.


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