Northumberland Yesterday and To-dayTerry, Jean F. (Jean Finlay)
History
Northumberland Yesterday and To-day
Terry, Jean F. (Jean Finlay)
Northumberland (England) -- Guidebooks; Northumberland (England) -- History
Of the walls of Newcastle only fragments remain, the most
considerable portion being found between Westgate Road and St.
Andrew’s Churchyard; here are also remains of several of the
watch-towers that stood at intervals around the walls—the Heber
Tower, the Mordaunt or Morden Tower, and the Ever Tower. Between
the two first named towers may be seen a little doorway, walled up,
once used by the Friars, who obtained from Edward II. permission to
make the doorway in order that they might the more easily reach
their gardens and orchards outside; but they had to be ready to
build it up at a moment’s notice on the approach of an enemy. One
of the towers—the Carliol or Weaver’s Tower—was pulled down to make
room for the Central Free Library, opened in 1881. Many little
fragments of the Castle wall are to be seen near the High Level
Bridge, incorporated in other walls, as far as the South Postern of
the Castle, which is said to be the only remaining Norman postern
in England and is the oldest remaining part of the Castle.
The old streets of Newcastle are fast disappearing to make room for
the ever-increasing needs of commerce; at the moment of writing it
is being proposed to pull down more of the historic street called
the Side, to make room for new printing offices. At the head of
this curious old street, which curves downward from the Cathedral
to the river, stood the birthplace of Cuthbert Collingwood, who was
to become Admiral Lord Collingwood, and second in fame only to
Nelson himself. Both this house and the one where Thomas Bewick had
his workshop, near the Cathedral, have gone to make room for new
buildings.
At the foot of this street, where it curves to the river front, is
the Sandhill, facing the Swing Bridge. Here are several old houses
remaining, with many-windowed fronts, looking out on the river. One
of these was the house of Aubone Surtees, the banker, whose
daughter Bessie, in 1772, stole out of one of those little windows,
and gave herself into the keeping of young Jack Scott, who was
waiting for her below. The adventurous youth became Lord Chancellor
of England, and is best known as Lord Eldon; his brother William
became Lord Stowell, and was for many years Judge of the High Court
of Admiralty.
Opposite the old houses of the Sandhill, close to the river bank,
is the old Guildhall, greatly altered in appearance from the time
when John Wesley preached from its steps to the keelmen and
fishermen of the town. It was here that a sturdy fishwife put her
arms round him, when some boisterous spirits in the crowd
threatened him with ill-usage, and, shaking her fist in their
faces, swore to “floor them” if they touched her “canny man.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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