North East England news

Alnwick Garden was first started by the Duke of Northumberland, he employed Capability Brown to landscape the garden in the late 18th century.

The current garden was created by the Duchess of Northumberland, Alnwick Garden is situated adjacent to Alnwick Castle.  The land was given by the Duchess, along with £9m to fund the project.

The stunning gardens surround a cascading fountain which is the centre piece, it is also home the the Poison garden.  The poison garden has many highly toxic plants, it has special permission from the Home Office to grow plants, like Tobacco, Opium Poppies, Magic Mushrooms and Wild Lettuce, which can be used as a tranquilliser.

An image of the Angel of the North stands proudly on a bus shelter in London, underneath the image reads “East England North”.

Now having lived in the North East of England all my life, I have become a bit wound up at the sight of East England North being posted all over several parts of the country.

Why on earth people would want to change the name of the region, North East England has a ring to it, East England North sounds like someone is just making it up.

I would suggest that everyone write to their MP and demand the area to be known as North East England.

Originally constructed by Richard Grainger (John Dobson was the architect) in 1824, Eldon Square now stands as the largest City Centre shopping mall in Great Britain.

It is a far cry from the early days before the demolition in the 1960’s, that paved the way for what is Eldon Square Shopping Centre now.

In 2008 money was spent by the owners on the revamp of the Eldon Square memorial, which is now landscaped and has access to the lower level of shops.

It is currently undergoing major regeneration which will see a large portion of the centre going to Debenhams, previously this space was allocated to the Green Market.

It covers 13 acres and is home to over 140 shops, all big brands, it also provides a leisure centre that is used by all ages. Newcastle City Council have a reported 40% share in Eldon Square.

Built between 1973 – 1978, the Byker Wall is recognised as one of the most recognisable buildings in the region.

Designed by the architect Ralph Erskine, it provides 620 maisonettes across 200 acres on site, all buildings are in an unbroken chain.

Designed by Antony Gormley, the Angel of the North stands proudly on the edge of Low Fell (overlooking the A1) following its completion in 1998.

Weighing 200 tonnes, the £1m structure is 66 feet tall and has a wing span of 178 feet, making the span larger than most buildings.

Antony Gormley wanted to create a piece that would be a place of hope for those who were lost in between the industrial and information ages, it sits on a mound that was created following the closure of the Lower Tyne Colliery.

An unknown fact is that the wings are not actually flat, but have a 3.5 degree angle, this is to give the feeling of an embrace to all those who see it, which is an estimated 90,000 people every day.

Following the unveiling, many people disliked the structure, but it is now classed as the major icon of the North East, overtaking the Tyne Bridge.

MetroCentre, located in Gateshead, is the largest shopping centre in the European Union.

It opened on the 14th October 1986, constructed with finance from the Church of England Commissioners, and was thought of by former Newcastle United Chairman and current President Sir John Hall, through his Cameron Hall developments.

It was also home to MetroLand, which was a indoor themepark (the largest in Europe), until its closure in 2008.

Located in the east end of Newcastle upon Tyne, Heaton is a popular area for students.

With many takeaways and pubs, the nightlife is second only to the city centre.

Linking most of the commercial areas such as Chillingham Road, Shields Road, Osbourne Road & Newcastle City Centre, Heaton is therefore the centre for many people in the City.

Heaton Park is the main park in Heaton, accessible from Heaton Park Road the park has a lot history. Linking to Armstrong park which was given to the people of the city by Lord Armstrong, it provides people with fantastic scenery and a lovely walk.

The name Heaton means High Settlement, probably referring to its position above the River Ouseburn, a tributary of the River Tyne.

Heaton first appears as Hactona in 1157 and then as Hoton in 1279. Hoton is referred to as Haugh-ton, meaning the village on the Haugh of the Ouseburn.

The township was included in the municipal boundaries of Newcastle in 1896.

The manor of Heaton was originally part of the barony of Robert de Gaugy, who was one of King John’s most trustworthy knights and who on a number of occasions entertained the king when he was in the North. Later it belonged to the Babbingtons of Harnham.

Henry Babbington was knighted by King James I for the loyal entertainment he had provided for the monarch at Heaton Hall on 1 May 1617. The Hall was a convenient home for the family as it was situated amongst the collieries they owned. Sir Matthew White Ridley added two towers to the original Hall, which had been just a plain, square, brick building. The Hall and grounds were bought by Addison Langhorn Potter in 1840.

Addison Langhorn Potter was so upset at its rundown dondition that he immediately set about a restoration programme. He also renovated the remains of the thirteenth-century chapel known as King John’s Tower. The Hall was eventually demolished in 1933 to make way for new housing, which became known as Heaton Hall Estate.

Heaton Road was a major access route leading from Shields Road to the new Coast Road. From 1880 to 1910 this road, along with the many terraces, avenues and places, became a popular residential area. Tramlines were laid along Heaton Road and Shields Road in 1901, which gives an indication just how important these routes had become. For many years coal mining was an important part of Heaton’s industrial heritage. On 30 April 1850 disaster struck High Heaton Colliery, which was in an area now known as Spinney Park. When miners broke through to old mine workings, water flooded the pit. One of the seventy-five miners who perished, thirty-four were mere boys. Seventy-five trees were planted on the site, one for each man and boy killed.