Gateshead, Bankwell Lane, Green's Tannery

HER Number:
5164

District:
Gateshead

Site Name:
Gateshead, Bankwell Lane, Green's Tannery

Place:
Gateshead

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Industrial

Site Type: Broad:
Leather Industry Site

Site Type: Specific:
Tannery

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C18

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
In origin an 18th century industrial building used as a tannery, a once flourishing Tyneside industry of which nothing now remains. Thick sandstone rubble walls with deep openings. Heavy cills, jambs and lintels. Welsh slate roof. Two storeys, and basement at lower end of hill slope, nine bays. 19th century glazing or boarded shutters. Some patching with brick at south end and on rear elevation to Mirk Lane. The remaining tannery buildings were recorded in 2005 ahead of demolition by Peter Ryder and The Archaeological Practice Ltd. The two ranges, formed a triangular block of properties, backed by the infilled arches of High Level Bridge - they were in very poor condition at the time of survey. The structures are shown on the 1860 OS plan as Greene's Tannery. Those on the Mirk Lane frontage were cut through by the 1845-1849 viaduct while those on Bankwell Lane post-date the viaduct and are probably 1850s in date. It appears that by 1873 the building may have been split as George Green & Sons are listed on Banwell Lane with G Redshaw operating on Mirk Lane. The tannery seems to have closed by the 1890s. The 4th edition OS plan lists the premisese as 'paper works' while more recent maps simply term the building 'mill'. Now demolished.

Easting:
2534

Northing:
6351

Grid Reference:
NZ25346351

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 5164 >> Dept. of National Heritage, of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, May-51 I. Ayris & S.M. Linsley, 1994, A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Tyne and Wear, p 80; The Archaeological Practice Ltd.2005, Railtrack Building, Mirk Lane, Gateshead, Historic Buildings Recording