Glimpse history through old images of the Quayside at Newcastle upon Tyne,
Set against the River Tyne and facing across to Gateshead, Newcastle’s historic Quayside has been transformed from an industrial transport centre into a hub for culture and leisure.
Old Pictures of The Quayside
St Anne’s Church Newcastle upon Tyne c1770. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old picture of the Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1820. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old picture of boats at the Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1820. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Plan of the River Tyne, published in 1830. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Copy of an 1830 engraving of Dents Hole in Byker, with the Newcastle Quayside in the background. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Engraving of Newcastle Quayside’s Ascension Day river procession in 1832. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.All Saints Church above the Newcastle Quayside in 1842. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Print of the High Level Bridge above the Newcastle Quayside, circa 1860. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old picture from 1881 of the Newcastle Chemical Works at 102 Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old engraving from 1882 of the ‘Coaly Tyne’. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old painting from 1906 of the Newcastle Quayside at night. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Quayside Fire 1854
Newcastle Quayside in 1854, photographed from the Gateshead riverfront, following the Gateshead Warehouse explosition which caused a large fire on the Newcastle side of the River Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Newcastle’s Quayside in 1854, after the Gateshead Warehouse explosition left death and destruction in its wake. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Old Photos of The Quayside
Old photo of the High Level Bridge and Newcastle landmarks beyond, taken from the Gateshead side of the River Tyne around 1868. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the High Level Bridge looking towards Newcastle Quayside around 1871. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the High Level Bridge from Gateshead looking across to Newcastle Quayside, pre-1874. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of tall ships at the Quayside Newcastle upon Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Newcastle Quayside in 1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Devonia ship at Newcastle Quayside around 1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of Newcastle’s Quayside, taken from Gateshead around 1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Quayside at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photos of the River Tyne’s Boats and Bridges circa 1890. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Ships on the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne circa 1890. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of Newcastle’s Castle Keep from the Quayside circa 1890. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of buildings on the Newcastle Quayside in 1895. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo and closeup of the Newcastle Quayside at the corner of the Guildhall in 1897. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the railway crossing at the Newcastle Quayside. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Newcastle Quayside and Guildhall. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the High Level Bridge and Quayside taken from the Gateshead side of the River Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of workers standing on the Newcastle Quayside next to the Swing Bridge. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the High Level Bridge and Swing Bridge Newcastle upon Tyne, taken around 1901 from the Gateshead side of the River Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the River Tyne and Bridges taken from the Gateshead side of the River Tyne in 1901. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old postcard of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1903, including Leazes Park, Central Station, War Memorial at St Thomas’ Church, Northumberland Street, and the Quayside. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Swing Bridge and River Tyne in 1904. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the High Level Bridge, Swing Bridge, Quayside, and city scape, taken from Gateshead in 1910. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the River Tyne at Newcastle upon Tyne & Gateshead in 1910. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Newcastle Quayside including the High Level Bridge and Swing Bridge, taken in 1910 from the Gateshead side of teh River Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the interior of the Commercial Exchange in the Guildhall, Newcastle Quayside, in 1912. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Quayside Market
Old photo of crowds at the Quayside Market on Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne, taken around 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of crowds along the Quayside on a Sunday morning circa 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the busy Quayside Market, around 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the crowds at the Quayside Market next to the River Tyne, circa 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of crowds at Newcastle Quayside circa 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Quayside Market in Newcastle upon Tyne, with the Guildhall in the background, taken in the late 19th Century. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo and closeup of Paddy’s Market at the Quayside around 1900. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Newcastle Quayside Market taken in 1915. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Milk Market
Old photo of the Newcastle Quayside near the Milk Market, 1908. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of industry on the Newcastle Quayside, close to the Milk Market, in 1909. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of crowds of men around the racing tipster at Newcastle Quayside near the Milk Market. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Dean Street
Dean Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1894
The Close
The Close, Newcastle upon Tyne, around 1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Tuthill Stairs
Tuthill Stairs, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1885
The Swirle
Old photo of the Swirle at the Newcastle Quayside in 1907. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of The Swirle at Newcastle’s Quayside, 1908. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo and closeup of The Swirle at Newcastle’s Quayside, circa 1908. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of The Swirle Newcastle upon Tyne 1915. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Dog Bank
Old Photo of Dog Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne, taken 1879/1880. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
City Road
Old photo and closeup of the City Road close to the Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, taken in 1908. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
Quayside Extension at The Ouseburn
Old photo of the Quayside Extension in 1906. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of buildings being demolished to make way for the new Quayside extension at the Ouseburn. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of of the east end extension of the Quayside in 1910. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Ouseburn Glasshouse taken around 1910 from the bridge during the Quayside extension works. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo and closeup of the Quayside Extension works underway at the Ouseburn. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the retaining wall being rebuilt as part of the Quayside extension at the Ouseburn. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the building of the Newcastle Quayside extension. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of Ropery Bank Newcastle upon Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Quayside extension retaining wall at Ropery Bank. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of wall rebuilding at the Quayside extension in 1910. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the staging for the Quayside Extension, Newcastle upon Tyne. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.Old photo of the Dead House along the Newcastle Quayside in 1906. Image: Newcastle City Libraries.
King Street
Kings Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1967
Newcastle Quayside in 1970
It’s strange to see how much of Newcastle’s Quayside looks familiar, yet at the same time has changed so much over the past fifty years.
“Newcastle Quayside 1970” – Newcastle Upon Tyne & UK – Video from the past on YouTube
The Quayside in 1983
This home movie shows us what the Quayside was like back in 1983.
“Newcastle Quayside 1983″ – Newcastle Upon Tyne & UK – Video from the past on YouTube
Tall Ships at Newcastle 1993
A short home movie recorded on an old Sony Video8 tape captures the sights and sounds of the Tall Ships Race in 1993, as the vessels moored at the Quayside.
Usually just known as the Millennium Bridge, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge was the seventh crossing to link Newcastle and Gateshead.
It’s a pedestrian and cycle bridge, which closes to foot passengers and tilts into the air when taller boats and ships want to pass through.
Thousands of people turned out to watch the bridge being moved into place in November 2000. The following June, the first tilt of the bridge brought in 36,000 spectators. Then on 17th September 2001 people turned up in their thousands again, for the first public access across the bridge.
Queen Elizabeth II visited the Gateshead Millennium Bridge on 7th May 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour, and unveiled a commemorative plaque. All in front of thousands of people, of course!
This first home video shows the first stage, when the bridge had been brought down the river and was being put in place.
“Millennium Bridge Installation” – Bill Halliday on YouTube
Next we have the Queen’s 2012 visit to the Millennium Bridge. It’s a very short and shaky clip, and the camera quality is bad (as were all mobile phone cameras at the time). But there don’t seem to be many home videos of the day.
“Gateshead Millennium Bridge Official Opening May 2002 part 3” – Jonathanwallace on YouTube
From 2007, when the Gateshead Millennium Bridge had been open to the public almost six years, this home video was made, showing the bridge tilt and close in a minute and a half.
“Newcastle’s millenium bridge FAST” – Richard Evans on YouTube
Quayside 2010
Home movie of the Quayside in 2010.
“NEWCASTLE QUAYSIDE” – broadoak2006 on YouTube
Street Performer 2010
It’s not often that you see street performers along the Quayside, apart from the weekend busker. But here a street performer from the USA provided a show for crowds of passerbys, with the help of some members of the audience.
“Tallulah… Newcastle Quayside” – biglesleyc on YouTube
Evening Vibes 2010
In this next video, the picture shakes a lot, but the lighting makes it a lovely time of the evening to capture, as the sun disappears behind the horizon.
“Newcastle Quayside” – Alan Heath on YouTube
Quayside Flooding 2010
It’s not often that Newcastle’s Quayside floods, yet in 2010 and 2012 rainfall levels caused chaos in the area.
In September 2010, the fire brigade had to pump away the floodwaters, and this home movie shows how high the river levels had got.
“Newcastle Quayside Flooded” – Richard Shepherd on YouTube
Quayside 2011
A quick look at the Millennium Bridge and Quayside on a cooler summer’s evening in 2011.
“Newcastle Quayside” – Brian Sturt on YouTube
Light Show 2011
The summer evenings of 2011 were enlivened at the Quayside with a light show called ‘Walk the Plank’.
“The Show Boat festival…. Newcastle Quayside” – SUSIEPIP on YouTube
Millennium Bridge Stunt Rider 2011
World renowned freestyle trials rider and Red Bull Athlete Julien Dupont rode across the tilted Millennium Bridge on 23rd August 2011, at 10.30am.
If you’ve seen the tilted Millenium Bridge in real life, you’ll know what an achievement this was! There are also plenty of clear shots of the onlookers.
“Julien Dupont Vs The Gateshead Millennium Bridge | Bike” – Gagdetwear on YouTube
Olympic Torch 2012
To celebrate London 2012, the Olympic Torch was carried in relay through Britain. It arrived in Newcastle upon Tyne on Friday, 15th June 2012, which was Day 28 of the Olympic Torch Relay.
Bear Grylls was handed the torch, then he travelled across from the top of the Tyne Bridge across to Gateshead on a zipwire.
“Olympic Torch Zip Wire from Tyne Bridge, Newcastle Quayside” – GOFindChannel on YouTube
Quayside Flash Flood 2012
On 5th August 2012, Newcastle experienced an astonishing flash flood, which caught everyone unaware. No long after the lovely sunshine disappeared from the skies above the Quayside that afternoon, a great stream of water descended down the hill from the city above, and quickly flooded the Quayside.
It was so bad, even cars started to be swept away, and people ran to find safety.
“Newcastle Quayside Flood, Must See !05/08/2012” – hamed198 on YouTube
” Newcastle Quayside Flood… 05/08/2012″ – Amie Buck on YouTube
HMS Mersey 2012
HMS Mersey departed from Newcastle’s Quayside on 12th September 2012 at 13.30pm. The Svitzer Sun was standing by.
“HMS Mersey leaving Newcastle Quayside 12th September 2012” – ALANSVIDS1 on YouTube
Olympic Rings on the Tyne Bridge 2012
The Olympic Rings were placed on the Tyne Bridge in honour of London 2012, and remained for the rest of the year.
“Newcastle, Gateshead Millennium Bridge” – Umberto Faraglia on YouTube
Scottish Independence Pop Quiz 2014
A Scotsman was interested to hear what people on the Quayside thought about Scottish Independence.
“Independence – Newcastle, Quayside” – meltedBettle on YouTube
The commercial docks of Newcastle’s Quayside are long gone.
People now head down the hill from Newcastle city centre to the River Tyne to enjoy the many hotels, bars and restaurants on offer. Many also wander across the Millenium Bridge to the Gateshead side of the Tyne, where they peruse modern art at The Baltic, and enjoy all tastes of music at the Sage.
During the day, the area is busy with activity around the Law Courts and the many nearby office developments. The historic Bessie Surtees House is across the road from the elegant Guildhall.
