Newcastle town wall, curtain between Sand Gate and the Tyne

HER Number:
1565

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Newcastle town wall, curtain between Sand Gate and the Tyne

Place:
Newcastle

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Town Defences

Site Type: Specific:
Town Wall

General Period:
Medieval

Specific Period:
C14

Form of Evidence:
Destroyed Monument

Description:
A short spur of the curtain wall ran from Sand Gate to the Tyne, and probably formed part of the original circuit of the town wall. Part of it was recorded by Knowles in 1905 when it still stood 7 feet high, and before it was covered up during the widening and lowering of the road along the Quayside. Part was excavated in 1992, after which the remains were carefully backfilled and survive under the road.. The primary (north) piece was 2.40 metres thick. It was later extended at a reduced width, for about 11.50 metres, and then widened, so producing a stretch on 3 slightly different alignments. Its extreme south end was inaccessible. During the 18th century it gradually became encumbered with buildings, and apparently formed the west wall of the Sandgate midden or an open storage yard. In 1841 10-12 feet of it was visible immediately south of the site of Sand Gate when some old houses were demolished.

Easting:
2557

Northing:
6400

Grid Reference:
NZ25576400

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 1565 >> J. Corbridge, 1723, A Plan of Newcastle upon Tyne Illustration, S. & N. Buck, 1745, A View of Newcastle G.B. Richardson, 19th century, The Walls of Newcastle, 217 -Newcastle University Library Unpublished MS W.H. Knowles, 1907, The Newcastle Town Wall near Sandgate, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, 3, II (for 1905-06), 63 Excavation report, D.H. Heslop, 1995, Excavation of the Town Wall in the Milk Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, Archaeologia Aeliana, 5, XXIII,