📌 Newcastle, Tyne & Wear
★★
Hadrian’s Wall once passed through the centre of Newcastle, but centuries of urban development has seen it virtually all destroyed, quarried or buried under newer structures. However, the city has another defensive wall, built over 1,000 years later but with a similar function in repelling attacks from Scottish armies. These town walls were constructed in the 13th and 14th centuries and once formed a two mile-long ring around Newcastle. Six gates, 17 main towers and walls up to 25 feet high weren’t sufficient to prevent the wall being breached by Scots in the 1640’s Civil War. After the 1745 Jacobite rebellion ended in failure, the wall largely fell into decay, with much of it demolished to make way for new streets or buildings. Today, the best-preserved stretch is between Westgate Road and Gallowgate on the west side of town, where 300m of wall survives along with four towers: Durham, Herber, Morden and Ever. Avid historians can seek out several other viewable parts elsewhere: parallel to Orchard Street in the city’s south side, next to St Andrew’s Church to the north, and three corner tower fragments on the east side (on Croft Street, City Road just east of the railway bridge, and Tower Street).
🌍 Location
📌 Best-preserved (west) section is around Stowell Street, 10-min walk west of Grey’s Monument, Newcastle city centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NZ 244642
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 54.971757,-1.621156
🚇 St James Park | 🚆 Newcastle Central | 🚌 Westgate Road (A186) at St James’ Boulevard (A189) junction
🚗 Street parking / car parks nearby (both with charge)
📝 Key info
⌚ Always viewable
🎫 Free
