The New Castle was just around the corner and up a steep hill from my hotel. The location was used by the Romans as a fortification and in 1080 Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror had a motte and bailey style castle built on the old Roman site after retuning from a campaign against Malcom III of Scotland.
The stone Castle Keep was built between 1172 and 1177 by Henry II on the site of Curthose’s castle. The Black Gate was added between 1247 and 1250 by Henry III. All that is left is the castle keep and Black Gate house but what is left is pretty impressive.
There is a wee museum within.
And great views of Newcastle from the roof.
From pictures I’ve seen I think this was once the largest and busiest rail terminal in Britain extending beyond the parking lot
And a loo. At the time the castle was built, indoor toilets were a new invention. They were call “garderobes” because people would hang their clothes in the entrance hoping the smell would keep off fleas!! From this we get the name “wardrobe”. I’ll let you look up how they actually worked. The Royal one was portable
By now I was feeling peckish so I stopped in the Bridge Hotel for an Ale & Steak pie and a couple of pints. Two hours of great crac later..
… And feeling refreshed, I’m off to the Laing Gallery
Albert Taft – Spirit of Contemplation and Joshua Reynolds’ Portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Riddell
John Marsh was the NorthEast’s #1 Historical Painter these 2 are Alpheus & Arethusa And The Bard
The Catapult is by Edward Pointer and Charles Wm Mitchell’s Hypatin
John Charles Dollman – Study for ‘The Unknown’ The use of light in Harold Knight’s In the SpringTime caught my eye
And from Dame Laura Knight – The Beach & The Dark Pool
And her Two O’ Gusts and two Lions And ‘On the Tyne – Shipbuilding 1929 by Thomas Fallison
Newcastle upon Tyne 1896 from Gateshead by Niels Lund and from the woodcarver Gerrard Robinson
Barred Out (29th May) 1896, Seeking Solutions (we would say jobs)
and The Sail Loft all byRalph Hedley And lastly – Shipping in the Open Sea by John Wilson Carmichael
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