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LOWER OUSEBURN VALLEY

CONSERVATION AREA

CHARACTER STATEMENT

Lower Ouseburn Valley Consevation Area Character Statement

1Lower Ouseburn Valley Consevation Area Character Statement

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2

1.1 Terms of reference: conservation areas evaluation 2

1.2 Lower Ouseburn Valley – purpose of designation, principles of character and

boundaries 4

2. CONTEXT OF LOWER OUSEBURN VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA 7

2.1 Historical development 7

2.2 The Lower Ouseburn Valley in the 20th Century 14

2.3 Characteristics of the Valley 15

2.4 Statutory designations within the Valley 17

2.5 The future of the Valley 18

3. SETTLEMENT ASSESSMENT 19

3.1 Sub-area 1 19

3.2 Sub-area 2 22

3.3 Sub-area 3 23

3.4 Sub-area 4 34

3.5 Sub-area 5 44

Acknowledgements 46

2 Lower Ouseburn Valley Consevation Area Character Statement

1.1 Terms of ReferenceThis character statement has beenprepared in response to the proposeddesignation of the Lower Ouseburn valleyConservation Area and is in accordancewith Government guidance contained inPPG15. It is modelled on the existingcharacter statements for the CentralConservation Area and LeazesConservation Area.

Conservation AreasConservation areas were first introducedby the Civic Amenities Act 1967, and aredefined as being “areas of specialarchitectural or historic interest thecharacter of appearance of which it isdesirable to preserve or enhance”. Theydepend on much more than the quality ofindividual buildings, and take into accountfeatures such as building layout, openspaces, boundaries, thoroughfares, themix of uses, use of materials, and streetfurniture. It is common for a conservationarea to include a number of buildings,which are designated as “ListedBuildings” because of their individualarchitectural or historic value.

Conservation Area AppraisalsThe approach to conservation areadesignation has altered dramatically inrecent years. It is now recognised thatdevelopment plan policy, developmentcontrol decisions, proposals forpreservation or enhancement and the“management” of conservation areas canbe best achieved when there is a clearand sound understanding of the specialinterest of the conservation area. PPG15– “Planning and the Historic Environment”urges Local Authorities to preparedetailed assessments of theirconservation areas and states “the moreclearly the special architectural or historicinterest that justifies designation isdefined and recorded, the sounder thebasis for local plan policies anddevelopment control decisions, as well asfor the preservation and enhancement ofthe character and appearance of an area”.

Value of the AppraisalThe value of the appraisal is two-fold.First, its publication will improve theunderstanding of the value of the builtheritage. It will provide property ownerswithin the conservation area, andpotential developers with clearerguidance on planning matters and thetypes of development, which are likely tobe encouraged. Secondly, it will enableNewcastle City Council to improve itsstrategies, policies and attitude towardsthe conservation and developmentopportunities and priorities within theconservation area. The appraisal willform a sound basis for establishingeffective conservation area policies;support the effective determination ofplanning and listed building applications;and form relevant evidence in planningappeals with specific emphasis on thoserelating to the demolition of unlistedbuildings.• Steenberg’s Warehouse

- residential and businessconversion - Lime Street.

1 INTRODUCTION


Evaluation criteriaBuildings and Development sites• Existence/proximity to listed buildings,

schedule monuments, protectedtrees, features of interest

• Grouping cohesiveness, linkage/relationships to other buildings

• Period, style, materials, colour, detail,proportions, status

• Uniqueness, distinctiveness,consistency, inventiveness

• Local, regional or national importance

• Completeness. Condition,construction

• Cultural, historical or “folk/popular”associations

• Archaeological and industrialarchaeological value

• Orientation, access, form, height, plotshape

• Relationship to topography and urbangrain

• Density/proximity to other buildings

• Historical or planning precedents

• Opportunity for creative contemporarysolutions

• Threat from unsympatheticdevelopment

Streetscape

• Historical pattern

• Effect of proportion, alignment andtopography on enclosure

• Street furniture, signs and features

• Landscaping and surfacing

• Shopfronts and commercial treatment

• Period, style, materials, colour, detail,proportion, status

• Relationship to urban grain

• Relationship and hierarchy withconnecting spaces

• Cohesiveness and relationship withadjacent buildings

• Local, regional or national importance

• Completeness, condition,construction

• Cultural, historical or “folk/popular”associations

• Archaeological or industrialarchaeological value

• Uniqueness, distinctiveness,consistency, inventiveness

• Visual and physical activity

• Traffic and access

• Effects of differing lighting conditions


1.2 Lower Ouseburn ValleyConservation Area

The Conservation Area lies to the east ofthe City Centre, linking the residentialsuburbs of Byker and Walker with the maincommercial and retail core of the City.The Lower Ouseburn Valley consists of adeep valley which stretches upstream fromthe mouth of the Ouseburn forapproximately two thirds of a mile, to thesouthern entrance of the culvert.

Boundary ofConservation AreaThe boundary is largely established by thedevelopment of the landscape within thevalley. On the northern edge it clearlyfollows the ridge of the valley, separatingthe descent into the valley from the CityStadium which lies immediately north ofthe conservation area and is of a differentcharacter due to its relatively level,grassed appearance. The boundaryreturns southwards along Stepney Roadas far as Byker Bridge. At this point itfollows the south face of the bridge beforereturning southwards along the boundaryof the Stepney Bank Stables. Theremainder of Stepney Bank has beenexcluded as a result of the loss ofcharacter, due to the development ofmodern garage workshops. The boundaryfollows an arbitrary line across the bankonto Coquet Street. At this point itbecomes less defined as it follows the lineof the valley bank rather than a definedroad or walkway. However, it clearlyseparates the valley from the modernresidential development of St Ann’s and inplaces is marked by tree growth. Theboundary takes in the former stable yardat the end of Breamish Street as this is ofa similar character to that of the Valley ingeneral and is associated with theindustrial heritage of the valley.

The boundary returns eastwards onto CityRoad and follows the line of the road as faras the proposed stairway down to HoratioStreet, as part of the Wimpy Quaysidedevelopment. This effectively excludes thenew residential development from theconservation area. The line of the stairsfollows the west elevation of the Sailor’sBethel and returns westwards to take inthe whole of Horatio Street, included dueto its association with the valley’s industrialhistory and the retention of its traditionalfloorscape. The boundary returnseastwards along the south line of the streetand continues over the low-level bridge toBack Maling Street where it follows the lineof the steps, which rise up the east bank ofthe valley to Ford Street. The boundarybecomes much clearer as it takes in theformer Ouseburn School and Ballast Hillsburial ground. It returns onto Ford Street atthe junction with Cross Street, excludingthe modern Shepherds Scrap Metal site.The boundary returns eastwards alongByker Bank before returning north alongthe edge of Byker Buildings and takes inthe Cumberland Arms before headingnorth along Back Stephen Street where itmeets Byker Bridge. The boundary thenfollows the ridge of the bank, along the lineof tree growth where it meets the northernridge.

• The historic core of the conservationarea, looking north to thehigh level bridges.


For the purposes of this study theconservation area has been sub-dividedinto five distinctive sub-areas (see map):

1 The northern head of the valleyunderneath the three high levelbridges

2 The grass bank separating the StAnn’s residential development fromthe industrial nature of the valleys westbank

3 The central section of the riverstretching from the Byker Bridge tothe Ouseburn Bridge

4 The lower section of the river from theOuseburn Bridge as far as thesouthern boundary of the conservationarea

5 The former stable yard at the end ofBreamish Street

• Aerial photo showing boundary of conservation area.

© Getmapping/Bluesky International


Map showing Sub Areas


turn around. As a result processingindustries located in the valley and reliedon the river for delivery of their rawmaterials and export of the finishedproducts. The buildings (mills,warehouses etc) were built right up to theriver’s edge and incorporated slipwaysand shoring for the boats and thenecessary loading equipment. Often theriver would form a source of power andmillraces would be constructed to harnessthe river as a means of drivingwaterwheels. The overall effect was tocreate a corridor of dense building typeswith the river running almost below them.

The industrial development of the valleybegan in the 17th century with theestablishment of glasshouses and mills,representing some of the earliestindustrial activity on Tyneside. Industrieswere based on the availability of ballastgenerated by the coal trade, and the valueof the River Ouseburn as both a transportroute and source of power. This is indirect contrast with the upper section ofthe Ouseburn Valley, which lent itself to thedevelopment of Victorian Parks such asJesmond Dene, Heaton Park andArmstrong Park.

2.1 Historical Developmentof the Conservation Area

Originally the valley formed part of thetownship of Byker, one of the first outsideof the town walls, and prior to the industrialrevolution of the 19th Century, was largelyagricultural.

The River Ouseburn is the longest andlargest of Newcastle’s streams, and wasformed some 10-15,000 years ago afterthe last ice age. The river is tidal up to thebase of Stepney Bank, and traditionallywas fast flowing. However, the nature ofthe river has changed considerably as aresult of developments further upstreamand is slower moving and of poorerquality, requiring improvements in terms ofthe water quality, odour, visual appearanceof the river and associated mud bankswhich occur at low tide. The river is edgedfrom Stepney Bank to the mouth of theriver by a mass of gravity retainingmasonry structure. This is visible asreasonably coursed rubble walling withtimber piles visible in places and is ofvalue in terms of civic engineeringheritage.

The overall character of the area has beenshaped by the industrial development ofthe river and its banks during the 17th, 18th

and 19th centuries although very littleproperty dating from this period survives.That which does survive is however, ofgreater significance due to its rarity.

The river was a major factor in theindustrial development of the valley andaffected both the types of industries whichlocated here and their built form. As atransport route the Ouseburn was veryeffective, its tidal nature permitted Keelsand barges to travel up the river whilst themouth of the river entered the Tyne at apoint where most shops could comfortably

• “Historic” Ouseburn (date unknown).

2 CONTEXT OF LOWER OUSEBURN VALLEYCONSERVATION AREA


Glassmaking was the first known industryto establish itself in the valley with threeglasshouses established by 1619 at themouth of the Ouseburn. By the mid 17th

century there was growing commercialand domestic activity as bricklayers,potters, plumbers, brewers, felt makersand bakers established themselves nextto the glasshouses. The pottery industrylocated to the valley in 1782 andculminated in the establishment of theMaling Pottery on Ford Street in the 19th

Century. By the end of the 18th Century thepopulation of the valley had grown and theindustrial commercial activity expanded toaccommodate shipbuilding, masonry,hairdressers, tailors and shoemakers.Lead works and iron foundriesestablished themselves in the upper partof the valley in the 19th Century,accompanied by associated works suchas paint factories. During the first quarterof the 19th century the industrialenvironment expanded considerably toaccommodate soap manufacturers,copperas, tanners, sawmills, corn millsand flint mills.

The success of the valley as an industrialepicentre was a result of the developmentof the trade network system. For instance,on Stepney Bank at the turn of the 19th

century there were slaughterhouses, boneand glue works, butchers, saw mills andtanners side by side so very little of anyanimal was wasted, likewise the leadworks produced white lead used in themanufacture of paint. Also, the areaprovided substantial employment and hadthe infrastructure to support thedevelopment of a self-containedcommunity with brick terraces andtenements along the sides of the valley, adoctor’s practice, school andapproximately fifteen public houses.

• Glasshouse Bottleworks, Hume Street.

• Historic view of the Clunyand Lime Street.

• Plaque on site of the Leadworks.


Hutton’s map of 1770


Beilby’s map of 1788


Oliver’s map of 1849


1st Edition O.S. map of c1860


2nd Edition O.S. map of c1898


2.2 The Lower OuseburnValley in the 20th Century

As a result of the improvements intransport and development of road and railnetworks the characteristics of the valleywhich contributed to its success becameless significant and much of the traditionalindustry of the valley had becomeredundant by the end of the Second WorldWar. As a result, the population of theOuseburn was gradually re-housedoutside of the valley in the 1940’s and50’s. In the 1960’s the majority ofbuildings were demolished. The heavyindustry of the past was replaced bysmaller businesses, mainly related to thecar industry, arts and crafts workshops,redundant open spaces suitable forredevelopment, and green sites, with theByker City Farm dominating the northernend of the valley. The modern workshopswhich have been constructed bear norelation to the architecture of thosebuildings which remain from the 19th

century and nor do they relate to the river,a further reflection of its redundancy as atransport route. In the most part thesebuildings detract from the character andappearance of the area due to their mass,scaled and materials. This has, to anextent, affected the integrity of the valley assingle, contained area.

• Foundry Lane from Byker Bridge.

• MOT Centre, Lime Street.

• Foundry Lane Industrial Estate.


The Lower Ouseburn Valley demonstratesa perpetually evolving character. Originallyagricultural land, it developed into anindustrial environment (changing types ofindustry through the centuries) followed bythe development of a self-sustainingcommunity. Despite the decline of thearea in the 20th century it still retains thisevolving character, which is again movingtowards a vibrant and sustainableenvironment with residential conversionsand the development of arts and craftsworkshops, although the emphasis hasmoved from heavy industry to smallerscale crafts. It is important that thecharacter of this area is allowed tocontinue to evolve in a positive andsustainable fashion without losing thatelement of its character, which is steepedin the history of the area.

The valley is also characterised by its useof building materials and the treatment ofboundaries. There is a strongpresumption in favour of brick buildingswith stone dressings, in particular windowlintels, and slate roofs. Boundary walls arepredominantly stone rather than brick, andare both tall and solid retaining typestructures, or are dwarf walls designed tosupport decorative iron railings.

2.3 Characteristics of theValley

The landscape of the valley contributes tothe valley retaining a self-containedatmosphere, which belies its proximity tothe City Centre. Views across the valleyare restricted to the higher levels of thevalley sides and the bridges which crossthe valley in an east west direction. Viewsof the valley from outside of theconservation area are limited due to thescreening nature of the landscape athigher levels.

The valley is of moderate ecological value,based on a legacy of isolated sites. Someareas of industrial dereliction contributesignificantly to this value whilst buildingsare significant in their potential to hold batroosts. The poor quality of the river andnature of the banks prevents thedevelopment of riverine habitat andspecies typically associated with thisenvironment do not occur here.

• View south from Byker Bridge.


Listed Buildings and Archaeology


2.4 Statutory Designationswithin the Valley

There are a number of listed buildingswithin the conservation area. These arelisted below.

• Ouseburn Railway Viaduct – grade II*

• Former Ouseburn School – grade II*

• Crawford’s Bridge – grade II

• 36 Lime Street – grade II

• 30 Lime Street – grade II

• Sailor’s Bethel, Horatio Street –grade II

• Blenkinsopp Coulson Fountain,Horatio Street – grade II

• Piers, walls and railings at OuseburnSchool – grade II

• Caretaker’s Cottage, Ford Street –grade II

• Victoria Tunnel – grade II

The northern end of the valley,approximately in line with Stepney Laneand the high level rail and road bridges,falls within the Hadrian’s Wall WorldHeritage Site.

The Valley falls within a designated wildlifecorridor.

• Crawford’s Bridge.

• Caretaker’s Cottage, Ford Street.

• Blenkinsopp Coulson Fountain.


2.5 The Future of the ValleyThe unusual character of the valley isunder threat from potential regenerationand development. The majority of clearedsites in the valley have taken the form ofdumping grounds or have been surfacedin concrete or tarmac. The overall result isthat these sites are very evident anddetract from the quality of the conservationarea. It is crucial that the redevelopmentof these sites reflects the character of theconservation area and contributes to thisin a positive fashion. In addition there isthe threat of existing, unlisted historicbuildings being demolished as a result oftheir poor condition to make way for newdevelopment. The loss of such buildingsis likely to have a detrimental impact onthe character of the conservation area, asphysical links to the valley’s industrialheritage are lost. The threat ofdevelopment also impacts on theecological value of the valley. The loss ofexisting, quality open spaces anddemolition of buildings will lead to the lossof habitat niches for bats and kingfisherunless properly managed.

The future of the conservation area will beaffected considerably by the regenerationof the area and policies to mitigate theharmful effects of such regenerationshould be considered. The threat ofdemolition should be considered inrelation to the proposed use of the clearedsite and the value of retaining the historicbuilding contrasted with the positive andnegative values of the proposedredevelopment scheme. Newdevelopment immediately outside theconservation area can also play animportant role in enhancing the characterand setting of the valley. In addition, theexisting uses within the valley attract areasonable amount of traffic, which, dueto the narrow roads and lack of carparking encourages on road parking.

Further development in the conservationarea is likely to increase the traffic flowthrough the valley and this should behandled sensitively to avoid furtherdamage to the nature of the conservationarea. Ideally, a comprehensive view oftraffic management should be taken toavoid piecemeal solutions, which maycumulatively detract from the character ofthe conservation area.

Conservation area designation is notdesigned to prevent change but merely toensure that change contributes to, ratherthan detracts from, the character andappearance of the conservation area. It isrecognised that the Ouseburn Valley isundergoing a process of regeneration anddevelopment and it is important that thisprocess of regeneration is managedeffectively and does not result in the lossof what is left of the Valley’s interest. Thecharacter assessment aims to identify the“special interest architectural or historical”of the conservation area and to establishthe character and appearance, whichshould be preserved and enhanced. Aspart of this process, the assessment alsosets out those elements which detractfrom the character or appearance of theconservation area, and which wouldbenefit from redevelopment orenhancement proposals.

Through the establishment of the specialinterest, the character and appearance ofthe conservation area, the assessment willprovide a benchmark for managingchange and ensuring that whish is ofinterest is preserved and that which is not,is enhanced.


3.1 Sub area 1

A small section of this upper part of theconservation area is included in theHadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site. Thewall crossed the valley approximately inline with Byker Bridge although the exactroute of the wall is unknown.Archaeological investigations have foundnothing to confirm the route and have lentthemselves to a number of theories, themost obvious being is that the wallfollowed a direct route down the WestBank across the base of the valley and upthe east bank to Shields Road.

The lower levels of the valley were,historically, dominated by lead and paintworks, terraced housing with potteriesextending up Stepney Bank and watermillsalong the banks of the river. The housingwas developed in response to theincreasing employment opportunitiesafforded by the growth of the valley as anindustrial centre. The environment isconsiderably different today and has beenheavily influenced by the City’s transportimprovements across the turn of the lastcentury.

The construction of Byker Road Bridge in1878 was designed to overcome the needto descend into the valley in order toaccess the eastern residentialdevelopments of Byker and Walker.However, its construction necessitated thedemolition of several potteries and mills.

The river originally ran through a deepravine to Jesmond Vale. However thiseffectively cut off the suburb of Heatonand, despite the construction of the roadbridge in 1878, the suburbs still remaineddetached from the City Centre. In 1907, areinforced concrete tunnel wasconstructed to accommodate the river,allowing the valley to be infilled and provideland for housing and roads through to thesuburbs. The culvert runs for 2,159 feetand is elliptical in shape (30 foot wide by20 foot deep) and is only 8 inches thick atthe top of the arch. The land above theculver was used as a tip and graduallyinfilled to create a level surface.

The result of these developments is thatthe valley is now a predominantly opengrassed landscape on the east and westbanks with shrubbery and reasonablydense tree planting on the north bank. Aline of trees effectively shields the valleyfrom the surrounding environment on allsides, and grows thicker as it movesaround the east bank towards LeightonStreet. The river now re-emerges from theculvert below the Ouseburn Viaduct andcontinues down to the River Tyne as anarrow, slow flowing river rather than thefast flowing river it previously was.

Immediately above the point at which theriver re-emerges is an outdoor riding ringrun by the Stepney Bank Stables. This isa small rectangular space with a soft floortreatment and timber boundary fence. Atthe north end of the ring is the entrance tothe culvert, a solid wall built into the bankwith stone surround detail which has beensubject to graffiti.

• Remnants of former NorthumberlandLead Works, now site of City Farm.

3 SETTLEMENT ASSESSMENT


The landscape is dominated by bridges.At low level there are two bridges, the“Flint Mill Bridge” and the grade 11 listedCrawford’s Bridge. This is a small archedbridge built of coursed, squaredsandstone and, dating from the mid-18th

century, is the oldest surviving bridge inthe valley. At high level the RailwayViaduct and the Metro Bridge complementthe Byker Road Bridge. The rail viaductwas built in 1837 by John and BenjaminGreen for the Newcastle and NorthShields Railway Company andincorporated timber arches. It waswidened in 1869 and the timber archeswere replaced with ironwork. The MetroBridge is the most recent, built in the1970’s by Ove Arup which is constructedusing pre-stressed concrete girders, andis probably the most elegant, following aslender curve between the viaduct androad bridge.

Generally, there are few buildings left inthis part of the valley. The exceptionsbeing the Cumberland Arms standing atthe top of the eastern bank and the pigeonlofts which stand adjacent to LeightonStreet. The pigeon lofts were purposebuilt and are stepped down the bank. Thelandscape around the pigeon lofts ispredominantly grass and small shrubs withtree cover forming the boundary to theByker Wall housing development in theeast.

The majority of boundary treatments in thisarea are formed by low level shrubberyand tree planting. Tall stone walls areretained at the start of Foundry Laneimmediately after Crawford’s Bridge. Thebanks on either side of the valley are sub-divided to manage livestock using moderntimber fences, which are not undulyobtrusive. Traditional floor treatments,such as granite setts, are retainedalongside the river and on Leighton Street.Elsewhere, modern hard surfaces havebeen applied. There is little in the way ofstreet lighting in this part of the valley andin the most part it is of a standard, moderndesign.

The views within this area are largelycontained by the boundary planting andtree growth. The landscaped banks anddominating bridge arches can be viewedfrom most locations within the valley andgenerally create a park-like atmosphere.Views out of the valley are only achievedfrom the upper ridges of the valley andfrom the high level bridges.

• Cumberland Arms and eastern bank

• View of the 3 high level bridgesover the Ouseburn.


Sub-area 1: SummarySpecial Characteristics

• Woodland and semi-improvedpasture

• Views down the valley andgeneral inward looking nature ofarea

• High level bridges - Byker,Ouseburn viaduct and Metro

• Industrial archaeology

• Entrance of culvert and itconstruction

Against The Grain

• Modern treatment of pathways

• Poor river habitat quality

Key Issues

• Long term management oflandscape

· • Implementation of policyguidance set out in the adoptedConservation Area ManagementPlan

Enhancement Opportunities

• Improvement of pathways throughrestoration of traditional surfacesand appropriate lighting

• Improvement of boundarytreatments on banksides andriding ring

• Improvement of river environment

• Interpretation of Hadrain’s Wall

• Improvement of habitats

• Outdoor riding arena and entrance tothe culvert suffers from grafitti.

• Traditional floor surfacein Leighton Street.



• Public open space

• Views across the valley

Against The Grain

• Lack of management

• Ongoing path improvements

Key Issues

• Need to manage landscape anduse of area

• Implementation of policy guidanceset out in the adopted ConservationArea Management Plan


• Enhancement of steps from LimeStreet and adjacent landscape

• Creation of improved links with therest of the valley

• Woodland management

3.2 Sub area 2

The landscape is dominated by publicopen space, partially planted broad-leaved woodland and partially laid amenitygrassland. The steep southerly slope isreasonably densely planted with trees.Access is via steps leading up from LimeStreet.

The steps rising from Lime Street are oflittle interest in terms of their appearance.The bank immediately to the north of thesteps has recently been cleared of treesas part of ongoing enhancement works.

The western boundary of the grassedbank is predominantly low level shrubswith an opening to provide access to StAnn’s residential development. Hardstanding is provided immediately behindthe open space for parking. At presentthere is no formal path leading from thesteps to Lime Street to the car parking.

Views within this section consist of the StAnn’s residential development lookingwest up the bank, the Byker Bridge andMetro Bridge in the north, standing abovethe valley, and the eastern bank of thevalley. Whilst the view north isaesthetically pleasing due to therelationship of the bridges with the valley,the views west and east are lessinteresting visually. The eastern bank ofthe valley contains a large number ofmodern workshop developments, whichbear no relation to the history, or character,of the valley. In the distance the Byker Wallhousing development is clearly visible.

• Open space above Lime Street.• View from top of west bank,

behind Lime Street, looking east.


3.3 Sub area 3

Much of this area is characterised bycommercial buildings and hardlandscaping. On the East bank of the riverthe majority of buildings are of little interestarchitecturally or historically, andcontribute little to the character orappearance of the conservation area.However, a number of green open spacesdo occur which soften the hardlandscaping of the area generally. On theWest Bank of the river stands the mostcomplete selection of historic industrialbuildings in the valley. The bank ischaracterised by the prominence of thesebuildings along the river edge, and themany green spaces interspersedthroughout. The whole area is of value byway of its industrial heritage andsubsequent archaeological value. Thearea retains its historic street pattern andlayout.

East Bank■■■■■ Foundry Lane

A small pocket of mixed old and newworkshops stand at the northern end of thelane, almost underneath Byker Bridge.These buildings are relatively wellscreened by a brick boundary wall on theeast and by tree growth on the north side.Opposite, the riverside is flanked by atriangular field, which is used by the Cityfarm. The field is largely grassed and itsopen nature encourages views bothacross the valley and northwards. Asecond, larger open space lies betweenthis and the Off Quay building and, whilst ithas less significance as an open spacedue to its landscape quality it doesprovide good views of both the ClunyWarehouse and high level bridges. Thearea is a mix of grass and hard standingwith car parking provided next to thefootbridge which links the East and Westbanks. The footbridge is a modern,timber structure, which is of little interestvisually.

However, due to the prominence ofbridges in this part of the valley it does notdetract from the character of the area.

• View down Lime Street.

• Footbridge linking Lime Streetto Foundry Lane.


■■■■■ The Off Quay Buildingand Foundry LaneIndustrial Estate

The Off Quay building is one of the fewhistoric buildings on this side of the riverand has remained in use with littleapparent external alteration. The buildingstretches form the riverside to FoundryLane as a two storey brick structure withflat roof. The north and south elevationsare characterised by large, almostcontinuous openings at first floor levelgiving the building a strong horizontalemphasis. As a result, it effectively actsas a visual barrier and separates themodern industrial estate to its south fromthe grassed riverbanks, which stretch asfar as Byker Bridge in the north. TheFoundry Lane Industrial estate, which sitsnext to the River, consists of a number ofmodern, pre-fab single storey workshops.These low-level buildings sit in thelandscape well and reflect the form of theadjacent Off Quay building. However,whilst their use is in keeping with the areatheir style of build and appearance is suchthat they do not contribute positively to thecharacter or appearance of theconservation area. In addition, whilst thisbank of the river is a source of activityduring the daytime, in the evenings itbecomes dead with little more thanthrough traffic.

■■■■■ Land to the East Sideof Foundry Lane

The area of land bounded by FoundryLane, Leighton Street, Cosyn Street andByker Bank is of little interest in its currentform and consists of a number of brickbuildings, characterised by large vehicleopenings and roller shutters andpredominantly used as mechanicsworkshops and MOT centres. Theelevations facing outwards into the valleyare a mixture of brick and stone and havefew openings creating a blank,impermeable appearance. The internalyard is accessed by a short section ofcobbled road, off Cosyn Street and has aconcrete surface suited to its use andcontains little greenery. The Rolls Roycebuilding on the corner of Foundry Laneand Leighton Street is of more visualinterest than the rest of this area. The frontelevation is painted a dark green and ismaintained in a reasonable condition.

A small triangle of grassland is located onthe bank between Cosyn Street andFoundry Lane. A number of large scaleadvertising hoardings have been erectedand are prominent when approaching fromCut Bank or Byker Bank. The boundaryonto Cosyn Street and Foundry Lane ischaracterised by dense tree and shrubgrowth. As one of the few entrances to thevalley there is considerable scope forenhancement.

• Off Quay Buiding andFoundry Lane Industrial Estate.

• Cosyn Street - retains much of itsoriginal floor teatment.


This was historically one of the mainaccess routes into the valley and slopessteeply. The Stepney Bank stablesdominate the north side of the blank.Horse and cart was the traditional form ofroad haulage in the valley and originally,the stables were established in 1897 forthe Globe Parcel Express Company andlater re-established in 1991 as part of theCity Farm development. They are now theonly urban working stables in the City. Theland between the stables and StepneyRoad is of poor quality and detractsvisually from the conservation area. It isbounded by the road bridge in the northand in the south by a tall brick and stonewall with poor quality, placard stylesignage attached and has a gravel/earthsurface treatment suited for its use as alorry hire centre. The south side of theroad is characterised by a series of carworkshops stepped down the bank whichneither contribute to nor detract from thecharacter or appearance of theconservation area. Stepney Bank suffersfrom traffic congestion with on roadparking found on both sides of the bank inplaces, which restricts access to thevalley.

West Bank■■■■■ Byker City FarmThe Byker City Farm development sitsunder Byker Bridge and is the former siteof the Northumberland Lead Works.Within the grounds of the farm complex area number of structures thought to date fromthis earlier period. The farm contains anumber of modern low-level buildingslargely constructed of timber and which arescreened effectively by the high timberfence and dense vegetation, surroundingthe site on the west. The farm is visiblefrom the east bank of the river where theboundary is marked by a timber andchicken wire fence from the south whereiron railings stood on a dwarf stone wallmark the boundary. The farm is generallypainted in bright, primary colours. Due tothe screening nature of the boundarytreatments and vegetation growth the farmdoes not detract from the character orappearance of the conservation area. Thefarm does however, contribute to thevalleys self-contained image, againbelying its proximity to the City Centre andacts as an attraction to encourage peopleto use the valley.

■■■■■ Stepney Bank

• Eco Centre at City Farm, Lime Street.

• Stepney Bank Stables.


The lowest section of Stepney Bankfollows the line of the Byker Bridge arches.A number of the arches contain singlestorey modern buildings which ware usedmainly by car related industries. Thosearches nearest to the Ship Inn have beencleared and landscaped to provide offroad car parking using a combination ofbrick paviers and tarmac. Whilst thematerials are not appropriate to this areaas a floor surface, the work has producedan overall improvement to the appearanceand setting of both the bridge and thissection of the bank. The Ship Inn standsunderneath the bridge and is one of thefew remaining, historic public houses inthe valley. Opposite the Inn is a grassbank bounded by iron railings. This bankis grassed with some tree planting, picnicstyle seating and interpretation plaques.Overall, this space complements the CityFarm, the revitalised Cluny Warehouseand Ship Inn and provides a focal point forvisitors. At the Lime Street corner of thebank stands a tall, circular brick chimney,which is built off an octagonal stone base.This is a remnant of both the former use ofthe Cluny Warehouse and the nature of thevalley’s previous built environment.

• Byker Bridge - infill development inthe arches.

• Byker Bridge - no infill developmentin the arches.

• Byker Bridge with Ship Inn.

• Residents of Stepney Bank Stables.


■■■■■ Upper Steenberg’s YardThe yard extends from the St Ann’s HousingDevelopment towards Lime Street. Toaccommodate the changes in ground level,the yard comprises two plateaux with afurther lower plateau of buildings facing ontoLime Street. The two plateaux behind LimeStreet are currently derelict, the upper ofwhich stretches onto Coquet Street. It isbounded by a brick wall, which is steppedup the bank and along the west boundary ofthe conservation area where a pair of stonepiers indicate the original entrance to theyard. The yard is effectively on two levelsand is a mix of grass and hard standing withbuilder’s waste dumped on the lower of thetwo levels.

In its current state it detracts from theappearance of the West bank of the valleywhilst its character remains in keeping withthe surrounding environment of derelicthistorical industrial sites.

• Steenberg’s warehouse and Woods Pottery, Stepney Bank- currently being converted for business use.

The lower yard is more complex andcontains a number of historic buildingsthought to be the last surviving buildings ofthe pottery industry. The buildings, whichface onto Stepney Bank, are of significantinterest despite their poor condition andderelict state. The rear yard has been hardsurfaced and used as a dumping ground forbuilder’s waste. The site is bounded at therear by a tall brick wall which is collapsing inplaces. Throughout this area there isevidence of former industrial uses andassociated historic structures whichcontribute to the character of the areadespite the poor quality of the currentappearance.


■■■■■ Lime StreetLime Street is dominated by large-scalewarehouses belonging to the UpperSteenberg’s Yard. The first of thesewarehouses has been successfullyconverted to residential flats by theOuseburn Partnership in conjunction witha housing association, although theabundance of modern rooflights on thefront roof pitch does detract from thesimplicity of the building. As part of theconversion of this building it has beenrendered in a rust red colour. Theadjacent warehouse has also beensuccessfully converted to workshops andan indoor riding ring for the Stepney BankStables. The front elevation is rendered atground floor level in a pinkish red and ischaracterised by the nature of theopenings, which have a strong verticalemphasis. The use of roller shutters overthe vehicle entrance does not detract fromthe overall appearance of the building butthere is scope for enhancement. Overallthe conversion of these warehouses isvisually successful. The scale and massof the buildings has not been lost whilsttheir appearance has been enhancedthrough the application of coloured render.

Adjacent to the Steenberg’s developmentstands a detached historic building, whichis in a poor condition and boarded up inpart. Whilst this building is of interestbecause of its historical relationship to thevalley and also the architecture of the frontelevation, it detracts from the generalappearance of Lime Street because of itscondition and run down appearance. Asensitive restoration project wouldcontribute considerably to the streetsceneof Lime Street and the character andappearance of the conservation area.

• Village Green.

• Upper Steenberg’s Yard conversion.

• Public art on front of UpperSteenberg’s Yard conversion.

• 47/49 Lime Street.


The West Side of Lime Street becomesdisjointed after the Steenbergdevelopment with modern workshopsinterspersed with cleared sites andrelatively little greenery. Adjacent to thesteps rising up the bank stands a numberof purpose built pigeon lofts which sitagainst the rising bank. The lofts are oflittle interest architecturally but do notdetract from the character of the area.Further along, there is a series of modernbuildings, which in effect forms a shortterrace. The appearance of thesebuildings belies their use as car MOTcentres. The terrace is characterised bycolourful render, a strong verticalemphasis created by the fenestration, astrong sense of light created by the use ofglazing and the combination of flat andcurved roofs. The use of flat and curvedroofs ensures that the building relates toits setting at the base of the West Bank ofthe valley. This is a new build within theconservation area which attempts to relateto the character and appearance of LimeStreet particularly well, despite the natureof its use. The use of coloured render isvisually interesting and lifts thestreetscene. Adjacent to this terracestands two further modern workshops,which are of lesser quality and interest.The workshops are characterised bylarge, vehicle entrances, roller shuttersecurity systems and clutter such aswheelie bins. The workshops do notcontribute to the character or appearanceof the conservation area. A cleared sitestands to the south of the workshops,which is bounded on the West Side bydense tree shrub growth. The site has notbeen landscaped and contains rubberpiles from the demolition. In its currentform it detracts from the character or theappearance of Lime Street. A detachedthree-storey house occupies a prominentlocation on the corner of Lime Street and

Cut Bank. Formerly a house, it has beenunsympathetically converted to office orother use on the ground floor. Despitethis, the building retains much of itsoriginal detailing, particularly in itsfenestration at first floor.

• Looking north up Lime Street.

• Looking north up Lime Street.

• 1-5 Lime Street.


■■■■■ The Former Cluny Warehouse and surrounding mill complexOpposite the Upper Steenberg’s Yardstands the former Cluny Warehouse andadjacent mills. This is the largest singlecollection of historic mills in the valley andlike the Steenberg warehouses, they havebeen successfully converted to workshopsand arts/crafts uses. The collection ofmills dominates the landscape due to theirscale and mass and when viewed from theeast bank of the river, their sheer physicalpresence. Despite the riverside elevationbeing the rear elevation of these mills it isthis elevation which is of the most interestvisually. The Lime Street frontage isclearly defined, and architecturallypleasing, on the stretch beside thecobbled slipway (this retains evidence ofthe former horse tramway which is onlyclearly visible at low tide). The return ontoLime Street is obscured by single storeystructures with poor quality openings andof a general poor appearance. Thepredominant building material is brick,although varying shades are apparentthroughout this complex, and slate roofs.Architectural decoration is minimal andconsistently makes use of segmentedarches over openings. Remnants ofhistoric signage exist on the gables of thewarehouses.

• The Cluny from Byker Bridge.

• Former Flour Mill andLime Street Chimney.

• Elevations of the Cluny from the Ouseburn


Note:

The former flour warehouse, next tothe Cluny, is currently being convertedto the National Centre for Children’sBooks. This includes the demolitionof the single storey warehouse whichstands between the two mills and theconstruction of a new entrance andcirculation tower.

South of the Cluny Warehouse andassociated mills, the character andappearance of Lime Street changes fromthe dense built form of the warehousesand mills to a steep grassed bank leadingdown towards the river, separated fromthe road by iron railings stood on a dwarfstone wall. The bank is dominated by acombination of steps, driveways, slipwayscomplete with original floorscape,evidence of horse tramways and shrubplanting whilst the riverside is dominatedby boats and associated moorings. Thequality of this landscape is poor in places,particularly next to Ouseburn Bridge, at theend of Lime Street. The character of thisarea reflects the value of the RiverOuseburn and its surroundings in leisureterms rather than industrial. In portrayingthe river as a leisure environment ratherthan industrial transport route it contributesto the overall character of the conservationarea in the same way the City Farm does.

■■■■■ Boundary TreatmentsBoundary treatments vary throughout thissub-area and there is a prominence ofrailings, particularly alongside theriverside path on the eastern bank and onLime Street, which are unobtrusive andsimple. Inappropriate metal fences areevident around the Steenbergdevelopment on Lime Street although it isunderstood this is temporary, and alsoaround the Off Quay building on the eastbank. Stone and brick boundary walls arealso evident and vary in quality andcondition. The boundary treatments alongthe east bank of the riverside and onFoundry Lane also incorporate a largeproportion of shrub and tree planting whichserve to shield the modern industrialestate from most views.

• Active use of Ouseburn northof Cut Bank.

• New railings to refurbishedVillage Green.

• Corner of Upper Steenbergs Yard.

• Brick boundary wall to river.


■■■■■ Surface TreatmentsThe surface treatment of roads and pathsthroughout this sub-area is generallymodern with only the upper section ofFoundry Lane, Leighton Street and CosynStreet and the slipway beside the ClunyWarehouse retaining traditional surfaces.The overall effect of this is a series ofuninteresting and bland floorscapes,which do not reflect the history of thevalley. There is a considerable differencebetween the character and appearance ofthe traditional floorscapes and the modern.Where traditional floor surfaces still existthey are in danger of being removed or atthe least covered with modern materials.This should be resisted in favour ofrestoration and enhancement schemes toprevent the further loss of traditionaldetailing in the valley. Street furniture isnot particularly prominent in this area andis largely restricted to street lighting. OnLime Street there are examples of newstreetlights with simple but decorativeironwork. These contribute to theappearance of the area and whilst theymay or may not be historically accurate intheir design are an improvement ofstandard streetlights found elsewhere inthe valley. The riverside pathway on theeast bank unfortunately does not benefitfrom these types of streetlights, andinstead the path is punctuated by lights notdissimilar to those found at zebra crossings.

■■■■■ Views

• Slipway adjacent tothe Cluny - historictownscape

• Temporaryrailings toCity Farm.

Views within this area are largely limitedto views across the river from east to westor vice versa. The views from theriverside path of the East Bank are ofconsiderable interest and an importantelement of the character of this area. Atthe start of the path, by the Off Quaybuilding, the view across the river is solelyof the Cluny Warehouse and adjacentmills, complemented by the curve of theriver as it effectively disappears out ofsight. This is one of the few views withinthe valley which bears any relation to thehistory of the area and gives an indicationof how enclosed the river would have beenwith similar warehouses and mills builtalong both sides. Moving round the paththe view west continues to be dominatedby the presence of the warehouses andtheir relationship to the river. It then opensup to provide longer views of the rivertowards Cut Bank, the eastern bank andmodern developments on Lime Street.The views eastwards from Lime Street areless interesting, with the modern industrialestate standing in the foreground despitetheir screen of shrubs and small trees.

The green open spaces and east bank ofthe river play an important role in theecology of the lower Ouseburn Valley.However, this is hindered by the lack oflinks between these areas and the poorquality of the river.

• View dominated by Cluny warehouse.


Key Issues

• Improving links

• Retention of existing, quality ‘open’spaces on river banks

• Appropriate management of trafficand parking to reduce congestion

• Quality of new development onkey sites such as that opposite theCluny Warehouse must berepeated

• Retention of historic buildings andsurfaces to prevent further loss ofcharacter and special interest

• Implementation of policy guidanceset out in the adoptedConservation Area ManagementPlan


• Habitat incorporation inlandscaping schemes

• Boundary and floor surfacetreatments throughout area

• Improvement of street furnitureand lighting

• Rescue, repair and re-use of theremaining historic buildings

• Improvement of landscape in openspaces either through landscapingor redevelopment


• Riverside activity

• ‘Pocket’ habitat areas

• The Cluny warehouse andadjacent mill complex

• Upper Steenberg’s Yard

• Industrial archaeology

• City farm

• Views within the valley from theriverside path

• Modern car MOT centres on LimeStreet

• Historic horse tramway andslipways

Against The Grain

• Advertising hording on BykerBank/Cosyn Street

• Poor quality of river as wildlifecorridor

• Modern industrial estate onFoundry Lane

• Lack of people on the East bank

• Poor quality boundary and surfacetreatments on west bank

• Traffic on Stepney Bank and BykerBank


3.4 Sub area 4The Ouseburn BridgeThe Ouseburn Bridge, at the bottom of CutBank and Byker Bank, is a modern roadbridge of no significant architectural orvisual interest. The sides of the bridge aremodest railings set between brick walls.Modern traffic barriers separate thefootpath from the main road. On the southside the brick wall on the West Bank is ofreasonable height and forms the boundaryto the Lower Steenberg’s Yard. On theeast bank there are steps leading downthe river and a short riverside walk/viewpoint. The viewpoint is not particularlywell maintained with overgrown, untidy lowlevel vegetation and a hard surfacetreatment. In the retaining wall, which runsparallel to the river, there is evidence offormer kilns which may have related to theglass industry which was prominent in thislocation. Iron railings define the boundaryto the river. The value of this area is in theability to walk alongside the river and thusenjoy the views of the river as it meanderstowards the River Tyne.

The views from Ouseburn Bridge, and theviewpoint, are of particular interest andare dominated by a redundant warehousein the Lower Steenberg’s Yard and the IceFactory and former Maynards ToffeeFactory in the south. Like the views of theCluny Warehouse in sub-area 3, this ischaracteristic of the industrial nature of thearea.

The character of this area is not dissimilarto that of sub-area 3 in the sense that it isdominated by modern commercialbuildings interspersed with few openspaces. The principle difference beingthat the majority of the development in thisarea dates from the 20th century and verylittle remains of the previous industries.Like sub-area one there are numerousbridges, however, these are of interestbecause of their history rather than theircurrent form. Due to the nature of thisarea and the businesses located here itbecomes very dead in the evenings andserves as a through route for traffic andpedestrians. This sub-area retains itshistoric street pattern and layout.

• View of Sub Area 4 fromGlasshouse Bridge.

• View south from Ouseburn Bridge.

• View from Quayside. • View along Ouseburn Bridgetowards Byker Bank.


East Bank■■■■■ The Ice FactoryThe site immediately adjacent to the river(north of the Glasshouse Bridge), oppositethe Lower Steenberg’s Yard, is dominatedby the Ice Factory, an early 20th centurywarehouse which stands on the bank of theriver. It is believed that this site may havebeen part of the Ford ‘A’ Maling Pottery, builtin 1859 to replace the original site next to theOuseburn Bridge.

The value of this building lies in its scale andmass, and its relationship with the river as itbends towards the Tyne. Architecturally andvisually, the grey cement rendered façadeand lack of openings on the southernelevation diminishes its interest. Thesurrounding riverside site is characterisedby modern brick warehouses andworkshops with flat or pitched roofs in sheetmetal cladding. The floorscape surroundingthese buildings and to the south of the IceFactory is unattractive due to its poor qualitysurface treatment.

The Glasshouse Bridge

The Glasshouse Bridge is the onlyphysical reminder of the glass industry.The area around the Walker Road Bridge(also known as the Glasshouse Bridge) isthe site of the former glasshouses, whichstood on the mouth of the Ouseburn fornearly 300 years. However, the bridge,which exists today, is not the original. Theoriginal Glasshouse Bridge crossed theriver at a lower level and was rebuilt threetimes between 1619 and 1908 when itwas demolished. The existingGlasshouse Bridge was built in 1878 andreferred to as the “New GlasshouseBridge”.

The floorscape of the bridge has beenmodernised to cope with the trafficdemands and the pavements are boundedon the roadside by metal barriers similarto those found on the central reservation ofa motorway. Whilst these serve afunctional purpose in terms of safety theyare unattractive and bear no relation totheir environment. The view north-eastfrom this bridge is unfortunately of theShepherd’s Scrap metal site. Immediatelynorth stands the Lower Steenberg’s Yardand Ice Factory.

• View south throughGlasshouse Bridge.

Note:Unfortunately, this building wasdemolished soon after the designation ofthe conservation area (October 2000).The site is currently cleared and, in itscurrent state does not contribute positivelyto the character and appearance of theconservation area.

• Ice Factory (on left) before demolition.

• Ice Factory site (on left) after demolition.


■■■■■ Maling Street ■■■■■ Hume Streetand Ford Street

Along the river side of Hume Street standsa number of brick buildings of poor designand appearance, characterised byconsiderable use of heavy roller shutters.In between these buildings, and to theirrear, stand a number of yards and openspaces, largely used for the storage oftimber and parking. Whilst these spacesbreak up the built environment of this areatheir quality and floorscape are notconsidered to enhance the character orappearance of the conservation area.

Maling Street borders the former IceFactory site and is characterised bymodern, poor quality commercial andindustrial buildings and landscape. TheEast Side of the road is, for the most part,a retaining stone boundary wall, whichreflects the changes in level betweenMaling Street and Back Maling Streetabove it. Trees grow along the top of theboundary wall but in an intermittent fashion.There are also a number of single storeywhite rendered garage units, which are ofno particular value in themselves and donot contribute to the character of the area.The West Side of the street is bordered bya modern brick wall, which is stepped upthe bank and incorporates access pointsfor the warehouses on the riverside and offroad car parking. The floorscapethroughout this street is largely of modernsurface treatments such as tarmac andconcrete and is not particularly wellmaintained. This character extendstowards Byker Bank, along Hume Street,with a notable increase in the number ofopen spaces which have largely arisenfrom the loss of buildings.

• View of Maling Street fromGlasshouse Bridge.

• View of Maling Street from Ford Street.

• Use of roller shutters, Hume Street.

• View down Hume Street.


A notable exception to the generalcharacter of this area is the large brickbuilding, which stands in the junction ofHume Street and Ford Street. Thisbuilding is in keeping with the laterwarehouses, which were built in the valley,and, despite later alterations has retainedmuch of its style and character. Itcontributes positively to the streetscenethrough its traditional construction andstyle, and also its relation to the roadlayout. The two-storey elevation ontoHume Street and the lower, single storeyelevation onto Ford Street illustrate thedifference in ground level between the twostreets. This has ensured that neitherstreet is overpowered by a very tallelevation, which bears no relation to itsenvironment. The contribution of thisbuilding to the character and appearanceof the conservation area is mitigatedslightly by the comprehensive infill of itsfenestration and the quality of thesurrounding environment.

■■■■■ The Former OuseburnSchool, Ford Street

• B. & J. Ince Ltd. on corner ofHume Street and Ford Street.

• Former Ouseburn School,by F.W. Rich in 1893, nowOuseburn Business Centre.

The area east of Ford Street is of a verydifferent character to the rest of this sub-area. The former Ouseburn School andBallast Hill, the former burial ground,dominates the landscape.

The school, listed grade II*, opened in1893. It reflected the growing populationof the valley and, following the closure ofthe school in the 1960’s it re-opened in1993 as a Business Development Centre.

It dominates the junction of Ford Streetand Walker Road and is distinct from therest of the valley through its architecturalstyle. It was built by F W Rich and ischaracterised by with Dutch type gables,decorative moulded brickwork and‘pagoda-style’ turrets similar to thosefound on Burmese Temples. Externally,the building has not been adverselyaffected by its conversion to the businesscentre. Car parking for the businesscentre on the corner of the road junctionand, whilst the hard, tarmac surface isbland the area is softened by small scaleplanting and the use of decorative ironrailings around the boundary.


■■■■■ Ballast HillBallast Hill is named after the deposits ofballast left there by Keele returning to thevalley for cargo. Its principle use was as aburial ground and it is one of the mostimportant non-conformist burial grounds inNewcastle. It is often referred to asPlaguey Fields after the many plaguevictims buried there during the 17th and18th centuries. The boundary wall wasconstructed in 1785 to stop locals grazingtheir pigs amongst the graves. Followingthe cholera epidemic in 1853 the burialground closed and in the 1930s was laidout as a children’s play area. The majorityof headstones were used to form thefootpaths and those relating to formerministers were stood against the school.

Ballast Hill is still used as a playgroundand small, temporary structures such asbenches and goal posts have beenadded. The area is boarded on thesoutheast side by relatively dense treeand shrub growth whilst on the north eastside it backs onto the Shepherd’s Scrapmetal site. Unfortunately, the scale of thescrap merchants dominates the visualimpact of the ground space. The 19th

century boundary wall is retained at CrossStreet. The space has considerablehistoric interest, and also as a green openspace.

The western side of Ford Street, oppositethe school is of little interest. Thebuildings, which stand on the corner, arevisually of very little value andarchitecturally are dominated by largeroller shutters. Back Maling Street, whichseparates Ford Street and Maling Street,is essentially a series of rear elevations,which are of little interest. Thestreetscape is dominated by single storey;white rendered buildings, large rollershutters and ad hoc security measuresincluding barbwire fences attached toroofs.

• General views of Ballast Hills.

• Use of headstones to form paths.


West Bank■■■■■ Lower Steenberg’s YardThe Lower Steenberg Yard sits on theWest Bank of the river and is bounded onthe West Side by Ouse Street. The sitehas been partially cleared and still retainsa number of buildings related to MaynardsToffee Factory including the tall brickchimney and a riverside warehouse.There is evidence within the cleared yardof the stone cottages which were built offthe boundary wall to Ouse Street and thetruncated end of Victoria Tunnel. Thebuildings which remain on this site are in apoor condition with most having lost theirroof. However, their significance ashistoric structures from the last century andcontribution to the landscape override anynegative impacts resulting from their poorappearance. In particular, the formercattle sanatorium, which standsimmediately next to Ouseburn Bridge,follows the line of the river as it curvestowards the Ice Factory and contributessignificantly to the appearance of the riverand landscape. It reflects the image of theCluny Warehouse standing on the riverfurther upstream but on a much smallerscale, whilst the architecture of theriverside elevation of interest by way of the13 bays of segmental arched openingsseparated by brick pillars. The yard itselfis of little visual interest and is essentiallya cleared site, which has yet to bedeveloped or landscaped. It is boundedon Ouse Street by a tall brick wall andenclosed on the south side by thebuildings relating to the former Maynardsfactory. The Maynards Toffee Factoryremnants consists of a number of twostorey structures which, despite beingroofless have retained much of their detail,in particular that of their fenestration, againusing the segmental arched lintels. As aresult of the ground levels these buildingsare not visible from Ouse Street or theGlasshouse Bridge. Nestled between

these buildings stands the tall brickchimney which projects above the OuseStreet boundary.

• View of former Maynard Toffee factoryfrom Ouseburn Bridge.

• View of Lower Steenbergs Yardfrom Glasshouse Bridge.

• Former Cattle Sanatorium,demolished 2005.


■■■■■ Ouse StreetOuse Street is characterised by the highbrick boundary wall to the LowerSteenberg’s Yard on the east, which, at thesouthern end is punctuated by remnantdetails of the stone cottages with clearevidence of previous openings onto thestreet.

The west side of the street ischaracterised by modern warehouses andworkshops for vehicle MOT and servicing,which are broken up by entrance toVictoria Tunnel.

■■■■■ Victoria Tunnel

• General view of Ouse Street.

• Dallas Carpets, Ouse Street.

• Entrance to Victoria Tunnel,Ouse Street.

• Victoria Tunnel.

Nestled between these workshops is asmall grassed area bounded byreasonably dense shrubbery and low-leveltimber post type fence to the pavement.At the rear of the area, set into the bank isone of very few access points for theVictoria Tunnel and is accompanied bytwo interpretation panels.

The tunnel was constructed between 1839and 1842 to transport coal from thecolliery at Spital Tongues to the quaysideand is recognised as being one of themost important structures to survive fromthe early Victorian period of the coal trade.It was originally two miles long with a brickarched roof and stone inverted arch base.The tunnel closed in 1860 and was laterused as an air raid shelter during WorldWar II. As a result of the construction ofthe Metro system and Central Motorwayonly small sections of the tunnel areaccessible.

On the corner of Cut Bank and OuseStreet stands the Dallas warehouse, abright pillar box red portal frame buildingwith corrugated sheet cladding andexcessive signage. This buildingdominates the landscape, particularly inviews south across the Valley from BykerRoad Bridge, largely as a result of itscolour, scale and mass. As a result thebuilding detracts from the character andappearance of the conservation area.


■■■■■ City Road ■■■■■ Horatio Street & Tyne StreetThe inclusion of Horatio Street in theconservation area is justified on the basis ofits historical association with the valley as anaccess road and the retention of its originalfloor treatment of cobbles. Tyne Street,which runs parallel to Horatio Street, hasalso been included for the same reasons.However, ongoing development on the bankof the Quayside has resulted in the loss ofsome detail from this street and hence thevalue of what remains has increased. Thestreetscape is of particular interest visually.The Former Sailor’s Bethel, a non-conformist sailor’s chapel built in 1877 byThomas Oliver Junior, stands at the junctionof Horatio Street and Tyne Street. It closedin 1949 and most recently it has been usedas offices. This building is grade II listedand forms a prominent end point to theconservation area as it is effectively the lasthistoric building of the Lower OuseburnValley before the new, residentialdevelopment taking place on the Quayside.At the end of Horatio Street somefloorscape improvements have been carriedout with a reasonable degree of successdespite the design lacking visual interest. Amonument and small water fountaindedicated to William Leslie BlenkinsoppCoulson has been erected at the centre ofthis floorscape scheme and overlooks aviewpoint for the Quayside.

Allan House stands on the corner of OuseStreet and City Road and, as a result of itsscale and slightly elevated position,creates a strong gateway to the OuseStreet and approaches to the Valley fromthe south. The building fronts City Roadrather than Ouse Street. Allan House is athree storey red brick building which isarchitecturally interesting by way of itsthree bays, the centre of which projectsslightly forward and is marked by aparapet at roof level, and the fenestration.Adjacent to this building is a small sectionof open grassland which returns towardsthe Dallas warehouse on Cut Bank/OuseStreet. Advertising hoardings located onthis corner, due to its prominence foroncoming traffic, detract from both theopen space and the appearance of theprominent view on approach to theconservation area.

• Allan House, City Road.

• Poor use of open space at entrance toconservation area from Cut Bank.

• General view of Horatio Street andSailors Bethel.


■■■■■ Land to the south of theGlasshouse Bridge

The land to the south of this bridge ischaracterised by the arches of the bridge,and the low-level Road Bridge, whichcrosses immediately in front. Thefloorscape of this area is quite bland dueto the use of modern surface treatmentsbut is softened by the landscape on eitherbank. The landscape is reasonably greenwith large shrubs and trees descendingdown the bank below Horatio Street on theWest Bank and the grassed bank risingup the bank at the east towards WalkerRoad. Nestled in the east bank andstanding under the Glasshouse Bridge isthe Tyne Public House, circa 1850, anattractive brick building, which utilises thebridge arches as covered beer gardens.The Tyne enjoys views across the mouth ofthe Ouseburn and also upstream to the IceFactory. The poor quality of the river andsurrounding car park areas do notenhance the building’s setting whilst thegrassed bank rising behind it adds to itscharacter and appearance.

A key view within the conservation area isthat looking north through the arches ofGlasshouse Bridge to Lower Steenberg’sYard. This is typical of the industrialcharacter and appearance of the Valleyand contributes positively to the characterand appearance of the conservation area.

• View looking east along Quayside.


• Lower Steenberg’s Yard andMaynard’s Toffee factory

• Ouseburn School and Ballast Hill• Industrial archaeology• Victoria tunnel• Views up and down the valley,

views out of the valleyAgainst The Grain

• Poor river quality• Modern warehouses and

commercial buildings• Poor architectural and visual

quality of majority of buildings• Lack of people• Modern floorscape treatments• Dallas carpet warehouse• Incomplete riverside walkway

• Views showing visual prominenceof Dallas Carpets.


Key Issues

• Links between habitat sites• Ensuring the quality of

redevelopment schemes andthe treatment of elevations

• Retention of existing green spaces• Retention of surviving historic

warehouses• Implementation of policy guidance

set out in the adopted ConservationArea Management Plan


• Improvement of wildlife habitatsand links

• Rescue and reuse of historic shellswithin the Lower Steenberg’s Yard

• Improvement of river quality• Enhancement of surfac treatments

and street furniture• Redevelopment opportunities on

derelict sites• Improvement of links to the

Quayside

• Aerial view showing links between built and natural environments.


3.5 Sub area 5

This sub-area contains a mix of historicbuildings and small green open spaces.Its overall character is based on the qualityof the buildings and spaces and there arestrong historical connections to theindustrial development of the valley.

The former horse and carriage stables arenow used as a car and van hire centre.The buildings relating to the former stableuse have been retained and in the mostpart retain original detailing. The elevationonto Breamish Street, has been“modernised” for use as offices and nowfeatures white, UPVC widows. Shortaluminium flues projecting from theroofline punctuate the view of the buildingsfrom the grassed bank above Lime Street.The enclosed yard has a tarmac surfaceand there is no immediate evidence of itsoriginal floorscape. The boundary of theyard onto the rear of Lime Street consistsof a modern sheet metal type fence, whichis flanked on the Lime Street side bydense tree growth.

Note:

The yard is currently beingdeveloped as part of a residentialscheme named ‘Lime Square’. Thisscheme includes the retention andre-use of the existing stables toprovide town houses.

The former Ouseburn Mission House(1860) stands on the corner of Cut Bankand, despite its history of uses whichincludes a car repair business, and untilrecently retained much of its architecturalintegrity. The current restaurant use hasextended the building towards Cut Bank toprovide additional, outside dining spaceand also a car park. The appearance ofthe car park at ground level somewhatdetracts from the overall appearance ofthis elevation. Lowe level iron railingshave mitigated the visual impact of the flatroof. The recent ‘improvements’ whichinclude the replacement of the windowsand addition of railings over lower levelwindows detract from the simplicity of thebuilding style.

Adjacent to the Mission House is a smallgrassed bank, which is retained by astone boundary wall. The rear boundarybacks onto the stable yard, which isscreened by a series of tall trees. Thequality of this area of open space isdiminished due to the presence of anumber of large advertising hoardingswhich optimise the visual prominence ofthis site.

A long, two-storey brick building, formally asub-station, stretches down Cut Banktowards Lime Street. The building has astrong presence in the streetscape due toits scale and mass rather than itsarchitectural detailing. The restoration ofthe arched windows at first floor wouldimprove its general appearance bysoftening the existing, brick wall typeappearance of the elevation.

Note:

This building is currently beingconverted to offices and the worksinclude re-opening the blank windows.This forms part of the St Ann’s Yarddevelopment which is being marketedas ‘Lime Square’.

• Former Sub Station, Cut Bank.

Before Conversion

During Conversion


The floorscape of Cut Bank is entirelymodern and relates to the modern roadjunction and not the buildings. It is of littleinterest and does not enhance thisapproach to the conservation area.

Views from this sub-area are confined toviews of the Ouseburn Bridge and BykerBank or over the Tyne and of Gateshead.Views into the conservation area from thispoint, despite its prominence are limiteddue to the boundary treatments and treecover.

Sub-area 5: Summary

Special Characteristics

• Entrance to conservation area

• Cluster of historic buildings

• Views out of the valley

Against The Grain

• Advertising hoardings

• Treatment of road junction andassociated streetscaping

Key Issues

• Management of surviving historicstructures

• Implementation of policy guidanceset out in the adopted ConservationArea Management Plan


• Improvement of open space nextto restaurant

• Improvement of car park torestaurant

• Surface and lighting treatments

• View down Cut Bank from City Road.

• Former restaurant, now house,City Road.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Ordnance Survey map data used inthis publication is provided by NewcastleCity Council under licence from theOrdnance Survey in order to fulfil its publicfunction as a planning authority.

Persons viewing this mapping wishing touse Ordnance Survey data should contactOrdnance Survey Copyright.

Photographs used in this document arecopyright of Newcastle City Council unlessstated otherwise.

Aerial photographs are copyright of:

i) Getmapping/Bluesky International2003

ii) Air Images

Lower Ouseburn Valley Consevation Area Character Statement

For further information contact:Clare LacyHistoric Environment SectionPlanning and Transportation DivisionRegeneration DirectorateTel. No. 0191 2777191Fax. No. 0191 2114998

This document was approved as SupplementaryPlanning Guidance on 27th October 2000,revised on 24th September 2004Printed April 2005www.newcastle.gov.uk

lower ouseburn valley consevation area character statement · lower ouseburn valley consevation...

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