Hello and welcome to the new website for the Newburn ward. The site includes a wide range of information about the ward including what's on, local facilities and services, useful contacts, community groups, local meetings, events in Newburn, and how to have your say. It also provides facts and figures about Newburn, local priorities that will be tackled via the Neighbourhood Charter, and links to key local websites. The links on the right hand side of the page will help you find what you need.
The site is still a work in progress and we need your help to make sure that everything about the Newburn ward is included. So please get in touch via Your Views if you have suggestions about what else should be added.
Gateshead and Newcastle Councils are currently out for consultation on two draft strategic planning documents. These are the joint One Core Strategy and Urban Core Area Action Plan.
The One Core Strategy sets out the vision, strategic objectives and key policies relating to economy, retail, environment, transport, health, sustainable communities (including new housing provision) and climate change for delivering future development across Gateshead and Newcastle until 2030.
In addition the Urban Core Area Action Plan (UCAAP) will set out the spatial strategy for the future of the urban core of NewcastleGateshead and its function at the heart of the city region. This will be a twenty year strategy for change.
Further details on both plans can be found here along with instructions on how to make comments. There is also more information available on the Newburn factsheet(4.87MB).
Newburn ward
Click on this map to view the ward boundary. The Newburn ward consists of a number of distinct neighbourhoods including Throckley, Newburn, Walbottle, North Walbottle and Blucher are located in the Newburn ward.
A petition is a quick and easy way to bring issues to the attention of our councillors and officers and help influence local decision making.
You can send us a paper petition or set up an e-petition on our website.
We have prepared a Petitions Scheme which explains in detail how both types of petition can be submitted or set up and how they will be dealt with by the Council. You are recommended to read that Scheme before submitting a paper petition or asking to set up an e-petition.
www.newcastle.gov.uk/petitions
Newburn has its origins in Saxon time when it was a Royal Burgh, originally called New Burgh.
In 1067 the Earl of Northumberland, Copsi, was burned alive in St Michaels Church.
The Percy family of Northumberland acquired Newburn in 1367. It comprised a Dovecote, a brewery, a salmon fishery, a coalmine and a stone quarry for stone slates. By 1613 all the local woods had been used for pit props in the local mines. From the twelfth century the Manor of Newburn contained Newburn, Newburn Hall, Throckley, Wallbottle, Butterley and Whorlton. Newburn Haven was still used in the 17C to send goods by water to Newcastle.
1640 was the date of the famous Battle of Newburn when the Scottish army, under the command of General Leslie, defeated the English army and laid siege to Newcastle which he later occupied for a whole year.
Newburn was always an important crossing point on the river Tyne because its’ fords provided river crossings at the tidal limit. There were three fords; Newburn ford to the west, Kelshaw ford to the east and Riding ford in the middle. Romans, Saxons, Scots and English used these fords.
In 1723 horse racing took place on Newburn Sands for a four guinea Plate.
The 1828 Directory reported that Newburn had many extensive iron works, coal staithes, brick and tile yards, chemical works, a crown glass house, two corn mills, a paper mill and a coal mine.
In 1894 Newburn Urban District Council was formed and the new iron bridge was erected in time for that years Blaydon Races. This was a toll bridge until 1947.
George Stephenson lived in Newburn and both his marriages are recorded in the church registers. Newburn was a great mining and railway area with Duke Pit, Blucher Pit, King Pit and North Walbottle and Coronation Pits nearby.
The remains of Newburn Hall, a 15C Pele tower to which a 16C dwelling was added, are embedded in what was Spencer’s Steel Works immediately north of the railway line.
The inventor of ‘Puffing Billy’ one of the first locomotives, William Hedley, was born in Newburn in 1779. From 1813, ‘Puffing Billy’ was used on the Wylam Wagonway to transport coal from the mines to the staithes at Lemington. This wagonway eventually became the Scotswood, Newburn, Wylam Railway in 1872 as a branch line for the North East Railway Company. The line closed in 1968.
Throckley First School site is to be occupied by pupils from Milecastle Primary School following structural damage caused by the recent heavy snow falls.
There is a proposal for a new library in Newburn village. The existing library is a late 1960s purpose built building within Council ownership, but is only accessible via a long flight of stairs and it is not possible to make the building properly accessible. During the bad weather earlier this year visits dropped dramatically as residents were unable to access the building. We receive regular comments from residents who can no longer use the library. Again, watch this space!
Newcastle City Council is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.