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Walking Through Time: Newcastle Social Justice Heritage Walk

Our journey begins on Newgate Street. Here we shall provide an introduction and overview of the walk. Newcastle upon Tyne, despite its size and humble façade, has over 2000 years of history. Together on this tour we will discover the dark and considerably brutal remnants of Newcastle’s past. Expect tales of torture, morbid executions and some breathtaking sights that make up Newcastle’s social justice heritage.

The history of crime and punishment in Newcastle stretches a long way back. Newcastle became responsible for the custody of its own prisoners in 1399 when it was made a county. Newgate, the oldest and strongest of the city gates, was used as the common gaol until its demolition in the early 1820s. A new gaol and house of correction was designed by John Dobson in 1823 and was built on a two-acre site at Carliol Square.

 

Newcastle Gaol- The new Gaol. The new jail and house of correction was situated on the west side of Carliol Square. The new prison was a strong and massive erection, with a bold and formidable central tower, the entrance was under a massive Gateway and the whole prison was surrounded by a 25 ft. stonewall and had all the appliances of approved prison discipline. The building was finished in February 1828 and the prisoners were moved in. The different wards are arranged on the radiating principle, so that every avenue and court is visible from the lofty central tower, in which the apartments of the jailer and turnkeys are situated. It had served for nearly 100 years as a prison for all levels of crime, with both a gallows and a house of correction, before it was demolished and replaced with a Telephone House that was built on the site in 1932. 

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The Town Wall thirteenth century New Gate was the largest gate on the wall, lay to the east of here. It became the gaol for the County of Newcastle in 1399 and was demolished in 1823.

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Newgate Street- The old Gaol (1400-1823)

 

When Newcastle, in 1399, was made a county, it took custody of its own prisoners and became the common gaol of the town. Newgate street the old jail-Along with Westgate, Pilgrim Street and the adjoining Bigg Market, Newgate Street was one of the principal thoroughfares of medieval Newcastle. It was named from a gate in the town wall. Outside the wall the street split into the streets of Gallowgate and Sidegate (Percy Street). A New Gate was first mentioned in the fourteenth century. It has been suggested it was named 'New' because it replaced an earlier gate. For centuries the gate served as Newcastle's jail, so that both London and Newcastle were home to a Newgate Jail. By 1820 the New Gate was in disrepair. The felons were moved to a new prison at Carliol Croft and the debtors to a prison in the castle keep. The demolition of Newgate Prison began in 1823. The New Gate and prison stood north of St Andrew's Church where Newgate Street now joins Blackett Street and Gallowgate. Newgate Street's modern entertainment complex called, The Gate, is really closer to the minor gate in the town wall, once used by the Black Friars.  

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At the spring assizes in 1820, Newgate gaol was presented by the grand jury of the town and county, "as being out of repair, and inconvenient, insufficient, and insecure." An act was therefore obtained for building a new gaol; and the felons and debtors were successively removed, the former to the new prisons in the county courts, and the latter to the Castle. In June 1823, workmen began to pull down the east wing of Newgate, which was followed by the removal of the west wing; and the north gate being also demolished, the most ancient part of the building became isolated. A vigorous, but unsuccessful effort was now made by the lovers of antiquity, to save this venerable monument of ancient times from destruction; but, in the following September, it also fell a sacrifice to the improving spirit of the age. Part of the walls were blasted with gunpowder; whilst other parts, on removing the facing stones, appeared like heaps of rubbish. The portcullis, which was found in a very perfect state, is now at Blagdon. During the demolition of this structure, several large cannon balls were found, deep sunk in the wall.

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Gallowgate End

 

The “Gallows Hole” was a place of public execution in the vicinity of the current St James’ Park. There were grim spectacles. In 1650, 22 people - including 15 witches - were hanged in one day. And capital punishment was not confined to those who had taken another person’s life. In 1783, William Alexander was hanged for forging a bank note, and in 1786 Henry Jennings was executed for stealing horses. The last hanging took place in 1844, only three decades before the first ball was kicked at the site.

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Newcastle Castle Keep

 

Imagine being shackled to a wall in a roofless, cold and often flooded cell, overcrowded, with no segregation, no toilet, no water and no food. This was the reality for prisoners in the Keep. From a fort to a court, the Castle Keep has a long and impressive history and also played a significant role in local justice. Described as one of the most disgraceful and primitive prisons by prison reformer John Howard, the Keep was being used as the County Gaol, and the Great Hall as an Assizes Court, for many years with some very infamous names held here. By the late 1400’s, criminals wanted in Newcastle could also use the castle yard as a sanctuary to escape, as the castle was officially part of Northumberland and outside the jurisdiction of Newcastle town authorities. All of the prisoners held here had received severe sentences; often death by hanging, and many were sentenced to transportation. Other punishments included whipping – very common and harsh. On Assizes Sunday the prisoners were put on public display and for sixpence you could come and ridicule them. 

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The Close

 

The only medieval house and warehouse complex with a private quay to survive in Newcastle. It was separated from the river in 1985. The present buildings are 16th Century and later. Restored 1982-4. The Close Gate evidently derived its name from the street called the Close. After the fall of the Tyne Bridge in 1771, its tower was converted into a temporary prison.

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Moot Hall

 

The Moot Hall was long used for the keeping of assize, sessions, and gaol-delivery, for the county of Northumberland; but in the progress of modern improvements, it became so extremely inconvenient, and the prison in the Castle was so frequently condemned for its inconveniency and unhealthiness, that the gentlemen of the grand jury, in 1808, proposed the erection of a new building, which might do honour to the liberality and humanity of the county. Built in 1810 in an area known as Castle Garth, Moot Hall was used as the County Court and Assizes and sometimes the Quarter Assizes (Crown Court). Moot is the old English word for meeting. These were held in the Grand Hall. As there were few written laws in the early days, justice was delivered through the meetings and was based on local custom. The ground floor housed county prisoners before they were sent to Morpeth Gaol. Justices of the Peace, or JPs, were first introduced in the 14th Century to keep order. They would sit four times a year. 

 

 
Guildhall

 

The Guildhall in Sandhill lies between the Tyne Bridge and Swing Bridge and was once the heart of Newcastle’s government. It housed the council chamber, whose powerful members were drawn from the various trade guilds in the town. They were responsible for regulating each of the trades, rights, rules, apprenticeships and the quality of produce. 

Criminals who met their death by hanging were tried at the Guildhall, used as an Assizes Court, Borough Sessions and Quarter Sessions. It was also used for Newcastle Assizes Week along with Moot Hall. Built by Robert Trollope from 1655 to 1658, a new façade was added in 1809. In June 1740, the Guildhall was attacked by rioters in what was described as the worst breakdown of civil disorder in the history of Newcastle. As a result, 27 men and women were tried at the Assizes. Seven were found guilty and transported for life, all were from the Castle Garth. The Guildhall would have been the last place men, women and children would of stood on old English land before boarding a ship set to transport prisoners to Australia accused of been highwaymen, smugglers, house-breakers, murderers, forgers, larcenists, arsonists, rustlers, deserters, pirates, smugglers and escaped convicts.

 

 
Cathedral of St Nicholas

 

The Moot Hall, along with the Castle Keep and the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas, played a key role in the keeping of justice in Newcastle through the ages. The Cathedral was used as the County Assizes court for two years when the Old Moot Hall was demolished in 1810. The Castle Keep was used as the county gaol for many years. The Cathedral is probably one of the most unusual buildings to have played a part in Newcastle’s criminal past. It has been a court house (Assizes Court) trying serious crimes, some resulting in the death penalty, and its bells have tolled to signify amnesties for criminals entering Newcastle. Judges known as the King’s Justices, arriving in Gateshead to open Assizes Week, would always visit St Nicholas’ Cathedral on the first Saturday of the week. They would raise funds for Newcastle Infirmary before retiring to the pleasures of Newgate Street inns.

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Image: Construction plans of Carliol Square Gaol
Image: Map of Newcastle Upon Tyne 
Image: The Town Wall Plaque
Image: Sketch of Newgate in 1813
Image: The Black Gate Plaque: Principal Gateway to the Castle Keep
Image: The Black Gate Plaque: Principal Gateway to the Castle Keep
Image: Moot Hall
Image: Newcastle Castle Keep
Image: Guildhall 
Image: Cathedral of St Nicholas
Image: The Close
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