Distance : 6.14 Miles / 9.88 Kms
Terrain : Tarmac = 5.94 / 9.56 Kms ; Trail = 0.2 Miles / 0.32 Kms
Difficulty : Moderate
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/58440614
By population size, Newcastle Upon Tyne is one of the UK’s top ten cities, with nearly 300,000 residents. This regional capital has a strong history as an important trading port and industrial centre, having been involved in wool and coal exports, locomotive building, ship building, armaments and glass making, amongst other trades.
In the modern age it has a diverse economy involving science, finance, retail, education and tourism. The city is probably best known for its lively night-life and large student population, reflecting the friendly and welcoming attitude of the locals. The people of this region are also known for their obsessive and long-suffering devotion to Newcastle United Football Club, or the “Toon” as it is affectionately known. You would be hard pushed to travel the streets of the city without seeing a black and white shirt.
Impressive architecture is at every turn, providing a home for the bustling shops, cafes and restaurants, and the fascinating art and cultural venues, whilst framing the city’s attractive green spaces. This scene is all located within a compact city centre, offering the perfect opportunity for a run of discovery, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this fantastic urban hub.
It would, of course, be unfair of me not to include Gateshead in this narrative. After all, this is where my run started and finished, just outside of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts, and alongside the Millenium Eye on the South side of the Tyne. Newcastle and Gateshead are very often referred to in the same sentence, and the two are intimately joined across the River Tyne by no less than seven bridges within a mile stretch.
Gateshead hosts the Norman Foster designed Sage music centre, Tyneside’s own Sydney opera house, with its fantastic alienesque shape. This impressive venue is such a strong identity for Gateshead. Having attended many concerts within the acoustically designed timber-clad halls of the Sage, I describe it “like sitting within an acoustic guitar”, but it is not as simple as that. The concrete used in its construction was specially designed with large air bubbles to improve acoustics and sound insulation. The resulting sound quality is amazing and enhances the many genres of music that are showcased within.
Well let’s talk about the run itself, as it is easy to be distracted by the wealth of interesting facts and figures in the city’s fabric. It was a cloudy but dry Friday morning for a run. No rain was forecast so I left my shell jacket in the car.
I set off, heading West along the Tyne with my good friend, Adam. We ran below the bulging glass walls of the Sage and under the iconic Tyne Bridge, being careful not to slip on Kittiwake “excretion”, or indeed be hit by a faecal aerial strike.
Hazard safely avoided, we turned right, onto the Swing Bridge. Built in 1876 by the industrialist William Armstrong, to allow larger ships to travel up the Tyne to his works, it was the largest swing bridge in the world when it was built. It still opens occasionally for river traffic, and on the first Wednesday of every month as a maintenance exercise.
It may have been early morning, but the empty wooden tables stretching along the riverside by the container housed bar of the River Brew Company, reminded me of the social impact that Covid 19 has made to us all.
Crossing the Swing bridge gave us a great view of the Tyne Bridge, revealing an image remembered fondly by Geordies. Over and beyond, we crossed the road and ascended the alley steps, ducking below an arch in the old city walls, on our way up to Newcastle Castle. This Norman fortress is the reason Newcastle has its name, and the views from the roof give a quintessential view over the River Tyne.
Crossing the cobbles, we eased off our pace, took a photo and recovered after that sharp climb from the riverside. Under the East Coast mainline, we ran onto the wooden walkway which took us through the Black Gate, a fortified gatehouse of Newcastle Castle.
Taking a right turn again, we passed below blossoming trees as we dropped onto The Side. The Side was an important and much used road down to the river in medieval times, prior to the formation of Dean Street and Grey Street. The latter were created when the Lort Burn was infilled in the 1740’s, because it was deemed “a vast nauseous hollow…a place of filth and dirt”.
Newcastle Cathedral now stood before us. Otherwise known as St Nicholas’ Cathedral, it is the holy structure that bestows city status on Newcastle. Skirting round the spire of the cathedral we ran down Mosley Street, before crossing at the crossroads and making our way up the fantastic Grey Street.
Often voted one of the most attractive streets in the UK, it was built in the 1830’s by Richard Grainger in a Georgian style with vertical dormers, domes, turrets and spikes. The impressive Theatre Royal sits towards the top of Grey Street. The local council is gradually pedestrianising Grey Street, which was evident by the migration of walking and cycling lanes into the road and cafes/bars with outside seating on widened pavements. A very good move I’d say.
Standing as a focal point at the top of the street is Greys Monument. Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey himself stands on a plinth atop a 135 foot high doric pillar. OK, not the guy himself, but a statue of him, to celebrate the 1830’s prime minister and his role in the reform act and the abolition of slavery. A viewing platform at the top is occasionally open to the public, but you won’t find me up there with my head for heights…or lack of. It must be a good view though, if you can stand after climbing 164 steps. When a statue and column will not suffice, then you could have a bergamot flavoured tea named after you. It is, however, a touch floral for my simple palate.
The city centre was starting to liven up when we passed the Old Eldon Square. This green space with a war memorial of St George slaying the dragon in the centre was popularly called the “hippy field” when I was growing up. I can’t imagine why!
Adam and I made our way around the corner, away from the main shopping area, towards China Town. China Town stands on an area of the old city where part of Blackfriars monastery once stood, close to the city walls. An impressive Chinese Arch with it’s two guardian lions stands at the entrance to the street.
Running under the arch towards the towering St James Park football stadium, we headed first for The Strawberry Pub. This little drinking establishment has long been an essential visit for many supporters of Newcastle United. I think any self respecting Newcastle fan must have at least one pint from the pumps of this place at some point in their lifetime.
Even if you are not a football fan, everyone should visit St James Park to savour the atmosphere on a matchday. When the team play well (it can happen!) and the 52,000 crowd is in good “fettle”, the noise, fervour and sensations can be overwhelmingly good, especially when they score!
Maybe one day the club might again reach the heights it aspires to, but as of the present day, those feats appear a long way off. Simply avoiding relegation from the Premier League seems to be the seasonal objective in this era.
Anyhoo, I padded the perimeter of the stadium with my fellow fan Adam, briefly touching on the well trodden subject of football, noting that we were both numb after many years of disappointment.
Crossing Leazes Park we almost tripped on the pigeons being fed by the lake. Sitting opposite the entrance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, many patients have circum-navigated this little lake in dressing gown and slippers. I hope they were able to revisit in happier times.
Our route now squeezed between the student blocks on Richardson Road and the Hospital and University, before alighting at the student favourite, North Terrace pub.
Over the central motorway (A167) we reached the Town Moor. This wide expanse of greenery has long been used as a grazing spot for cattle, and a place to exercise within and commute through, for humans.
At the South-East edge lies Exhibition Park, a pretty and well-kept space containing a small lake, overlooked by the Palace of Arts. The palace is the last surviving building from the 1929 “North East Coast Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art”, and now houses Wylam Brewery, with a venue for eating, drinking, live music and event hire. You can be assured the beer will be good! A swan lay in her nest, close to the lakeside path but hidden between the rushes, with her partner on sentry duty close by.
An attractive bandstand stood pride of place, surrounded by trees full of blossom. Resisting the temptation to grab a coffee from the little artisan coffee van parked nearby, we swept back under the central motorway. On our way towards the park gates we passed a skatepark, highly decorated with varying standards of graffiti. It sat empty, save for a couple sitting in deep conversation on a quarter pipe.
I love the architecture of the old Newcastle University buildings and the smooth paved pathways. It is a pleasure to travel through such an establishment, as well kept as it is. Beyond St Thomas’ Church and the Civic Centre, with its seahorses looking out from the top of the tower, we crossed St Mary’s Place heading for Northumbria University.
The buildings in and around Northumbria University are a mix of architecture from Victorian, seventies and modern, but all blending together nicely. The area is very pedestrian friendly and a lot of money appears to have been spent on paving and street furniture. Add in the trendy bars and coffee outlets and it all feels very cultured and sophisticated. Not quite how I remember my university days.
A modern bridge took us back over the central motorway towards Shieldfield, now a popular area for student digs. Leaving the campus area behind we dropped down to the Biscuit Factory.
The Biscuit Factory is a contemporary art gallery, housing a cafe and a modern restaurant. It has been a popular place for a long time.
Behind the biscuit factory is the fantastic Ernest Cafe/Bar. Brightly coloured brickwork and planters filled with Yuccas and bamboo create a lively outside space, all overlooked by a huge Darth Vader serving wine (Maybe from the Bar Wars series…sorry).
Following Stepney Road to the left of Ernest, and passing Ernies Deli Takeaway, we dived in left before the railway bridge to take a footpath down to the Ouseburn. Dropping under the sweeping arches of three huge bridges we descended onto cobbles. Beyond the rail and road in the sky above us, we took our own little footbridge over the Ouseburn, and ascended past the small Ouseburn Farm, a visitor attraction providing the opportunity to see farm animals within the city.
The Cluny music venue and bar stood ahead of us. I have seen many bands from within its walls….some good, some bad. My favourite would have to have been “Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster”…no longer on the scene but I loved their “psycho-billy” style. Check them out!
The Ouseburn has been an area that I have visited many times over the years. Often to sample the music and bars, and latterley with my kids at Seven Stories, a museum and visitors centre dedicated to children’s literature. Now, of course, I was here to enjoy the surroundings via the medium of exercise, as we followed the Riverside Walk towards the mouth of the burn.
The Ouseburn is still a changing face. Modern apartments are being built and trendy cafes have sprung up along its bank, especially towards the barrage before you reach the River Tyne. The barrage enables boats to pass in and out of the Ouseburn via two lock gates, which close when a boat enters, enabling the water levels to equalise, before the gates reopen for the vessel to continue on its way.
The Tyne Bar sits alongside the barrage at the mouth of the Ouseburn. With plenty of outdoor seating it would often be busy with punters indoor and out…more likely out these days, of course.
We left the Ouseburn and took the Hadrian’s Wall path along the Quayside. The stretch before us would have seen shipping, warehouses and cargoes aplenty in the not too distant past, but today it is a clean and fashionable place to be. Stylish apartment blocks and office buildings have replaced the heavy industry. Now bars and coffee vendors supply punters sat looking out over the water to those seven bridges and the buildings of the far bank, both new and regenerated.
Of the sectors which have re-energised this city after the collapse of ship building and coal mining, it is the tourism industry which paints the prettiest picture, backed by investment in the region’s culture and heritage. This was aptly demonstrated by folks taking pictures on the Millenium Eye bridge. The bridge which elegantly took us back to where we started.
Enjoy running Newcastle…there is something to see with every stride.
