south of central station character statement of... · the boundary of the existing central...

SOUTH OF CENTRAL STATION

CHARACTER STATEMENT

South of Central Station Character Statement

1South of Central Station Character Statement

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 3

1.1 Terms of reference: conservation areas evaluation 3

1.2 South of Central Station – purpose of designation, principles of character

and boundaries 8

2. CONTEXT OF SOUTH OF CENTRAL STATION 11

2.1 Historical development 11

2.2 Recent changes and developments 12

3. CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE 20

3.1 Accessibility 20

3.2 Built Environment 20

3.3 Landscape 28

3.4 Views 29

Acknowledgements 30

2 South of Central Station Character Statement


1.1 Terms of ReferenceThis character appraisal has beenprepared in response to Governmentadvice.

Conservation Areas

Conservation Areas were introduced bythe Civic Amenities Act 1967, anddefined as being “areas of specialarchitectural or historic interest thecharacter or appearance of which it isdesirable to preserve or enhance”. Theydepend on much more than the qualityof individual buildings, and take intoaccount features such as building layout,open spaces, boundaries, thoroughfares,the mix of uses, use of materials andstreet furniture. It is common for aconservation area to include a number ofbuildings which are designated as ‘ListedBuildings’ because of their individualarchitectural or historic value.

Conservation Area Appraisals

The approach to conservation areadesignation has altered dramatically inrecent years and it is now recognisedthat development plan policies,development control decisions,proposals for preservation orenhancement and the ‘management’ ofconservation areas can be best achievedwhen there is a clear and soundunderstanding of the special interest ofthe conservation area. PPG 15 –“Planning and the Historic Environment”urges Local Authorities to preparedetailed assessments of theirconservation areas and states that “themore clearly the special architectural orhistoric interest that justifies designationis defined and recorded, the sounder willbe the basis for local plan policies anddevelopment control decisions, as wellas for the preservation and

enhancement of the character orappearance of an area”.

Value of the Appraisal

The 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 likelyto be encouraged. Secondly, it willenable Newcastle City Council toimprove its strategies, policies andattitude towards the conservation anddevelopment opportunities and prioritieswithin the conservation area. Theappraisal will form a sound basis forestablishing effective conservation areapolicies; support the effectivedetermination of planning and listedbuilding applications, and form relevantevidence in planning appeals withspecific emphasis on those relating tothe demolition of unlisted buildings.

Evaluation criteria-buildings andDevelopment Sites

• existence of/proximity to listedbuildings, scheduled ancientmonuments, protected trees,features of interest.

• grouping cohesiveness, linkage/relationships to other buildings

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

• uniqueness, distinctiveness,consistency, inventiveness

• local, regional or nationalimportance

• completeness, condition,construction

• cultural, historical or ‘folk/popular’associations

• archaeological and industrial

1 INTRODUCTION


archaeological value

• orientation, access, form, height,plot shape

• relationship to topography andurban grain

• density/proximity to other buildings

• historical or planning precedents

• opportunity for creativecontemporary solutions

• threat from unsympatheticdevelopment

Streetscape

• historic pattern

• effect of proportion, alignment andtopography on enclosure

• street furniture, signs and features

• landscaping and surfacing

• shopfronts and commercialtreatment

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

• relationship to urban grain

• relationship and hierarchy withconnecting spaces

• cohesiveness and relationship withbuildings

• local, regional or nationalimportance

• completeness, condition,construction

• cultural, historical or ‘folk/popular’associations

• archaeological and industrialarchaeological value

• uniqueness, distinctiveness,consistency, inventiveness

• visual and physical activity

• traffic and access

• effects of differing lightingconditions


• Central Conservation Area map©Crown Copyright Reserved


• Central Conservation Area showing South of Central Station extension

©Crown Copyright Reserved


• South of Central Station©Crown Copyright Reserved


Purpose of Designation

The boundary of the CentralConservation Area has come underscrutiny due to increasing pressure forthe regeneration of the area which liesbetween the River Tyne and CentralStation. At present the boundary of theConservation Area follows an ambiguousline through the centre of the Stationbuildings and heads southwards throughClavering Place and the centre of TuthillStairs. The proposed extension willinclude the area now referred to as“South of Central Station”, a small areawith a rich heritage and character. Inaddition, the area played an importantrole in both the development of the Cityduring the Industrial Revolution and thedevelopment of locomotive engines andrailways. The overall character of thisarea relates well to that of ClaveringPlace, Tuthill Stairs and the adjacentTurnbulls Warehouse.

The character and historic interest of thisarea may come under threat fromcomprehensive development proposalsand guidance to enable more sensitiveregeneration is urgently required. Anumber of cleared sites have been leftas waste ground whilst others have beenhard surfaced for use as car parking orleft to become green spaces. Theoverall result is that these sites are un-managed and detract from the quality ofthe built environment. It is crucial thatthe redevelopment of these sites, andthe area as a whole, should reflect thecharacter of the conservation area andcontributes to this in a positive fashion.In addition there is the threat of existing,unlisted historic buildings beingdemolished to make way for newdevelopment. The loss of such buildingsis likely to have a detrimental impact onthe character of the conservation area,

as physical links to the historicdevelopment of the area are lost.

The future of the conservation area willbe affected considerably by theregeneration of the area and policies tomitigate the harmful effects of suchregeneration should be considered. Thethreat of demolition should beconsidered in relation to the proposeduse of the cleared site and the value ofretaining the historic building. Thisshould be contrasted with the positiveand negative values of the proposedredevelopment scheme and in the firstinstance the presumption should be infavour of retaining the historic building.

1.2 SOUTH OF CENTRALSTATION


• South of Central Station aerial©Cities Revealed


Principles of Character

The principles of character for this area,which directly impact on its appearance,are these essential elements; the townwall and its setting, the landscape andsoutherly slope of the land towards theRiver Tyne, north-south street pattern,and the dense industrial building blocksinterspersed with Georgian residentialdevelopments.

Whilst the land uses have changed, withmanufacturing and heavy industry givingway to lighter uses such as storage andresidential dwellings becomingcommercial offices, the character andoverall appearance of the area has notbeen adversely affected. Historically, themajority of this area lay outside the townwalls and was largely given over to fieldsand undeveloped land whilst qualityresidential dwellings were establishedinside the walls, in Clavering Place andHanover Square. Later, during theC19th, the area became included withinthe City and developed into an industrialenvironment (changing types of industryfrom glasshouses to chemical plants toheavy engineering). Demands for labourled to the establishment of workerscottages on Leslie Terrace, which ranparallel with Forth Banks. Despite thedecline of the area in the C20th the areastill retains this sustaining character andability to adapt to new uses anddemands. The proposed regeneration ofthis area should maximise this potentialand allow the character to continue toevolve in a positive and sustainablefashion without losing the key elementsof its character, which are steeped in thehistory of the area.

There is no predominance of any onebuilding material in this area, in turn thiscontributes to the overall diversity of itscharacter. The floorscape is a pleasantmix of traditional setts and paviers, offsetonly by the increasing use of moderntreatments such as tarmac. Building

materials vary from the coursed rubblestone of the town walls to the courseddressed sandstone of the water tower.Brick features throughout the area, fromthe polite houses of Clavering Place andHanover Square to the bondedwarehouses and Robert Stephensonworkshops. The former Goods Station onForth Banks differs and is constructed ofpatent ferro-concrete with a steel framedroof. Slate does however, featureconsistently as a roofing material.

Boundaries

The boundary of the existing centralConservation Area will be amended torun south between the Central Stationbuildings and Centre for Life. At thejunction with Forth Street the boundarywill follow the western edge of therailway as far as Pottery Lane where itwill return east to Forth Banks.Following Forth Banks as far as theMetro line the boundary will then takethe line of the Metro to the centre of theRiver Tyne. At this point it will returneast to meet the existing boundary of theCentral Conservation Area.

• View showing Queen Elizabeth IIand King Edward VII bridges


2.1 Historical DevelopmentThe principle feature of this area, prior tothe C18th was the town wall. The C13thwalls became redundant as a defensivemechanism in the C16th but wereretained due to the relative proximity ofNewcastle to Scotland. However, by thelate C18th the town had outgrown theboundary established by the walls. Themajority of the wall was then demolishedto aid the improvement/expansion of thetown. The tallest stretch of wall whichremains runs down the east side ofOrchard Street to the River Tyne,crossing Hanover Square and HangingGardens (now represented byBreakneck Stairs). Pevsner (1995), inBuildings of Northumberland, describedthe walls of Newcastle as beingcomparable to those in Chester,Chichester, York and Southampton.

The area inside the line of the town wallsis rich in archaeology, from as early asthe Roman period and as a result is very

2 CONTEXT OF SOUTH OF CENTRAL STATION

sensitive to new development andregeneration. It is known that a Romancemetery exists in this area and someinvestigative work has already takenplace. However, the extent of thecemetery is not yet known. A number ofburial grounds are thought to exist in thislocality.

The industrialisation of the area beganfollowing the demolition of the walls andexpansion of the Town. By the C18thNewcastle had, through coastal tradesand the coal industry, achievedprosperity which brought with it physical,economic and social changes. Alongwith the Lower Ouseburn Valley and theGallowgate area, this was identified asan area where expansion could beaccommodated. Forth Banks followedthe line of the Skinner Burn and wasdominated in the C18th by glasshouses,potteries, lime and brewing industries.By the C19th the principle streets – ForthStreet, Sussex Street, South Street, andOrchard Street were established(c.1812) and surrounded by large factorybuildings. Leslie Terrace was establishedby 1825 to provide workers cottages.

The area is best known for its pioneeringrole in the development of thelocomotive engine. In 1824 RobertStephenson opened the StephensonEngine Works on South Street. Theworkshop and offices still exist and arelisted grade II*. Stephensonsuccessfully developed the existingsteam engine into an efficient workhorseof the industrial revolution andcontributed directly to the developmentof rail. Complementing Stephenson’sworkshops on South Street are theHawthorne engineering works on ForthStreet who supplied engines for both therailways and ships. The railway influencein this area is not restricted to thedevelopment of steam engines. The firstrailway station (pre-1849), serving theNewcastle-Carlisle line, was located• Town Wall, Orchard Street


immediately west of Forth Banks and onthe corner of Forth Banks and PotteryLane survives the former North EasternRailway Co. Goods Station Warehousebuilt c.1910 and grade II listed.

As a result of the way in which this areahas developed there is a strongindustrial archaeological interest in theland to the west of the town wall,complementing the archaeologicalinterest of the land to the east of thewall.

who need a base in the centre but areunable to find the accommodation theyrequire or the rent they can afford in thecentre. In addition, it provides carparking to support the limited supply ofspaces in the City Centre withapproximately 700 spaces not includingthose attached to Central Station.

A number of industrial buildings havebeen cleared, along with the workershousing on Leslie Terrace. Thosebuildings which have survived are nolonger in their original or intended use.Noticeable, recent changes haveincluded the successful conversion ofthe former Post Office Sorting Office intoCentral Square office development andthe construction of the Casino at thesouthern end of Orchard Street.

• Central Square, winner of LordMayors Design Award 2001,Refurbishment category

• Forth Banks Warehouse, Grade IIlisted

2.2 Recent Changes andDevelopments – South ofCentral Station in the20th century

The industrial nature of the area hasdeclined and the area now acts as abackland to the City Centre. A lack ofinvestment and management hasallowed the area to develop as a lowcost, secondary location for companies


Bourne’s map of 1736


Beilby’s map of 1788


Reid’s map of 1863


Extract from Map of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle & Gateshead 1802


1st Edition O.S. map c1859


2nd Edition O.S. map c1898


3rd Edition O.S. map c1919


3.1 AccessibilityThe site is dominated by the railway, itsbridges, and the Central Station, whichsevers the area from the City Centre.This is further exacerbated by the lack ofa station entrance from the south. Atpresent, integration of the area with therest of the City is limited to threegateways from the north. Two entranceslead off Westgate Road, the ellipticaltunnel which runs to Clavering Place andthe Orchard Street Tunnel, the third is aroad entrance along Forth Street at thetop of Forth Banks. The entrances donot announce the area which lies aheadand equally, are not welcoming topedestrians. Alternative entrances arefrom the Quayside along the Close. TheQuayside entrance is the most pleasant,with a landscaped riverside walkway,which runs along the riverside of theCopthorne Hotel and adjacent office

3 CHARACTER ANDAPPEARANCE

block. A number of stairs climb up fromthe Quayside, including Tuthill Stairs andBreakneck Stairs as well as routes upthrough Hanging Gardens. Tuthill Stairsare poorly lit and managed, at night-timecreating an unattractive darkenedthrough route. Likewise HangingGardens is ill maintained as a throughroute and suffers from poor lighting.

The existing road network is large-scaledand coarse, with Forth Street runningeast west along the rear of the stationand the Close running parallel to theRiver Tyne. Hanover Street and ForthBanks connect the two roads.

3.2 Built EnvironmentThe built environment is largelycharacterised by the scale of buildings inthe west and the domestic nature of thebuildings to the east. Throughout, theconservation area buildings areinterspersed with car parking on vacantsites.

Hanover Square is a pleasant contrastto the rest of the conservation area. Itleads off from Clavering Place, alreadywithin the boundary of the CentralConservation Area. The character ofHanover Square is similar to that ofClavering Place, which contains anumber of houses listed grade II and theformer Presbyterian Chapel, also gradeII listed.

• Car parking to the west of SouthStreet

• View through Orchard Tunnel

• Orchard Tunnel from ClaveringPlace


The three buildings in Hanover Squareare all of a domestic/commercial scalerather than an industrial scale and eachhas a slightly different character. On theWest Side the building follows the curveof the road, sitting on a plinth of coursed,dressed sandstone the brick building ischaracterised by the fenestration detailwith arched openings at ground floor andsashes on the upper floors. The visualquality of this building has been reducedthrough the installation of modern, metalframed mirrored windows in the upperfloors. This building stands on the siteof the 1720 Unitarian Chapel, remnantsof which can be found in the west wall.The Chapel formed part of the early C18development of Hanover Square.

• Hanover Square

• Strong curved frontage to HanoverSquare

Opposite, the first of the two brickbuildings sits directly on the road and isVictorian in character and built of astrong red brick. Like the buildingopposite its appearance has beenspoiled by the introduction of uPVC look-a-like sash windows at ground floor. The

southern building is Georgian with lateralterations including a mansard roofwhich is one of only two in this areawhere pitched roofs prevail. Despitechanges of use and alterations to its builtform the building has retained a simpleelegance.

The Square leads onto the newly builtcasino, a modern building which sits ontop of Hanover Street overlookingHanging Gardens. Whilst the curved roofof the building is interesting the generalappearance is particularly bland.Overall, the building lacks cohesion withthe character of the conservation areaand its setting. Whilst the design of thebuilding does not contribute positively tothe character or appearance of theconservation area the process of itsconstruction has enabled access to thetown walls to be enhanced, and hascreated an open setting, which hasimproved the permeability of this area.

The Town Wall, a scheduled ancientmonument, runs north south along theback line of Orchard Street and the plotoccupied by the new casino. The wallcrossed Hanover Street (this part ismissing) and continues south downthrough Hanging Gardens where itbecomes “Breakneck Stairs” due to thesteepness of the bank. The Town Wall isclearly visible and forms a prominentlandmark in this area of the City. Thesetting of the wall is also important and

• View of new casino from TheClose, above Hanging Gardens


features associated with the wall arecurrently below ground level.Archaeological investigations havediscovered the location of the ditch inplaces but to date this remainsunopened. Ideally, the setting of the wallwould be improved through thereopening of the ditch, similar to theGallowgate/Bath Lane area of the wall.At present the Town Wall is surroundedby hard standing and car parking on bothsides. The presence of the wall, as adividing feature is still very muchapparent. The scale of building size,density and use on the east side is verymuch domestic in comparison to that onthe west, reflecting the former boundaryof the city and use of the areasimmediately outside the walls forindustrial expansion. This difference inscale, borne out of historical land useand development is an importantcharacteristic of the area and should bereflected in proposals for newdevelopment/regeneration. Likewise,

• Breakneck Stairs, part of HangingGardens

new development must respect thearchaeology associated with thismonument and its surroundingenvironment.

The bonded warehouses of HanoverStreet were built in 1841-2 for AmosSpoor. Historically the warehouses linedthe length of the street, unfortunately, aseries of fires in the 1990’s destroyedmost of these buildings. Those thatremain are listed grade II and stilldominate the street scene. Their design,unique in this area, is characterised bytheir dense mass, vertical emphasis andgable roof detail. The verticalarrangement of the openings reflects theway the warehouses were intended towork. Also of note is the way in which theelevation steps down Hanover Streetwhilst the elevation onto The Closeremains of equal height and form for thelength of the development.Unfortunately, the warehouses havebeen neglected for a number of yearsand are now in a poor condition.

• Bonded Warehouses, elevation toThe Close


• Bonded Warehouses, elevation toHanover Street

The Close was historically the home of anumber of fine buildings, including theC17th Mansion House, which stoodopposite the base of Tuthill Stairs.However, very little of historic interestremains. The medieval street has beenwidened and modern developmentshave destroyed the medieval pattern ofburgage plots, overall, the area bearslittle relationship to the context of theupper areas of the conservation area.The modern office block, Bridge House,stands on the site of the Mansion Housealongside the Copthorne Hotel. Thedesign of each building has beendirected towards a public face lookingout over the river and a rear, service facelooking onto The Close. Whilst thisprovides good views from the Gatesheadriverside walkway, it gives theappearance of having turned their backsonto the north side of The Close.Although the scale and mass of eachbuilding does not detract from the overall

character of the conservation area, theirisolation does not enhance itsappearance.

• Rear elevation of the CopthorneHotel to The Close

• View of Copthorne Hotel frontingthe river


Forth Banks is one of the steepestsloping streets in the conservation area.The west side is dominated by the redbrick building, owned by Railtrack, andthe classical Former Goods Warehouse.The brick building (photo 1) has aninteresting roofline, broken by projectingdormers on the main elevation. Its scaleand street presence are prominent yetunderstated due to its pleasant,commercial frontage. The rear yardstretches under the King Edward RailBridge arches and retains a traditionalfloorscape of granite setts. In contrastthe Former Goods Warehouse,occupying a corner site with PotteryLane stands tall with a scale and masswhich overshadows the smaller, modern

buildings on the south side of PotteryLane. The simple lines of the buildingand its unique construction which hasproduced a stark “off white” appearancehave contributed to it becoming a focalpoint in this area. The ground floortreatment of signage and its deterioratingcondition are of concern. The east sidecontinues the simple character of thisarea, the Indian restaurant at the top,(photo 2) formerly the Hawthorn PublicHouse, is an anomaly but not offensively.Likewise the Chinese restaurant at thesouthern end is a modern building andfeatures ornate Chinese decoration(photo 3). The decoration and brightcolours of this building are not commonfeatures of this area but it does provide a

• View south down Forth Banks

321


focal point to the end of the Quayside.

Stretching south from the Indianrestaurant is a long stone building, theformer offices for HawthorneEngineering Works (photo 4).Interestingly, the building accommodatesthe steep slope at ground level whilstmaintaining a constant eaves level. Themodern roof detracts from the overallappearance of the building whilst thesimple fenestration and rendered upperfloors maintain the character of theconservation area. The lower half of thestreet is a cleared site on which stoodLeslie Terrace, some of the city’s earliestworkers cottages. There is stillconsiderable evidence of these cottages.The site has not been redeveloped andhas become untidy and overgrown(photos 5 and 6). There is opportunity toenhance the street scene through thedevelopment of this site. Whilst suchdevelopment should reflect the overallcharacter of the conservation area thereis scope for innovation in terms ofconstruction and architecture mirroringthe different styles which exist on ForthBanks already.

Forth Street effectively separates thestation from the rest of the area. Theblank elevation of the station acts almostas a barrier to the rest of the city, nothelped by the many security measuresattached to the top of the stoneboundary wall. Within the grounds of thestation stands the grade II listed watertower. This provides a focal point on

• View east along Forth Streetshowing railway arches

• Grade II listed Water Tower setwithin context of Central Station

approaching the conservation area andrelates well to the station buildings. Thestarkness of the station is contrasted bythe arches, which open onto ForthStreet. They provide interest by way oftheir simplicity and the treatment of theopenings.

654


The south side of the street is dominatedby the first phase of the Central Squaredevelopment, a refurbishment of theformer Post Office Sorting Office and thecurrent Post Office Building. TheTelegraph publichouse, which stands atthe top of Orchard Street, is of interest inits own right but is inevitably dwarfed byCentral Square. The Telegraph has aslate mansard roof and a strong redbrick façade. Central Square, phaseone, contributes to the character andappearance of the conservation area. Itis lively with an interesting landscaped“Square” combining parking and publicart. The focal point of the landscape isthe “Vulcan”, a towering sculpture byEdwardo Paolizzi. The scale and massof the building has been retained but hasbeen lightened through the use ofdifferent materials and textures. Therendered ground floor and glass detailingare complimentary yet modern. The roofdetail is of particular interest andprovides a focal point to many viewsacross the river or from the manybridges. The current Royal Mail buildingis of similar scale to Central Square interms of height and mass but has amuch darker appearance. Whilst thissimplicity is complimentary to itscharacter its lack of detail does little toliven the streetscene.

• Telegraph Public House and recentextension to rear

The land to the west of the Post Office islargely maintained as car parking. Thisdoes little to enhance the conservationarea or the streetscene. This presents

an opportunity for enhancing theappearance of the conservation areathrough the reflection of elements of theindustrial character of the area. The low-level buildings stretching down towardsthe river are of some interest, particularlythe most southern building. The brickwarehouse is characterised by thesimple brick arches, which are visiblefrom the Metro.

South Street is probably the most wellknown street of this area, being home tothe Stephenson Workshops. The streetis reasonably narrow and dark due to thedenseness of the buildings on eitherside. The East Side of the street isdominated by the first and secondphases of the Central Squaredevelopment. The second phase, underconstruction at present has repeated thebasic form of the first phase including

• View of Central Square and CentralSquare phase II from the Quaysideshowing the context of the buildingswithin the topography of the site.


the roofing detail. However, it does notreflect the basic characteristics of thisarea and, instead of stepping down thebank to the river and having a lowereaves level than the first phase orcontinuing the eaves level as on ForthBanks and accommodating the slope ofthe land at ground level, it is taller. Thiscontrasts with the character of theconservation area, and together with itsstep up in scale from the first phase,creates a dominant landmark.

Opposite, on the West Side stands thecurrent Post Office and the StephensonWorkshops, 20 South Street, listed gradeII*. The lower end of the street isenclosed by moderately scaledbuildings. The buildings to the east arerendered yellow. The buildings to thewest, including no.20, demonstrate theconcept of “stepping down” the land,along north-south lines, towardsHanover Street. These buildings are ofinterest for historical reasons and retainmuch of their townscape value throughtheir simple architectural style and closelinkage, contributing positively to thecharacter and appearance of theconservation area. In addition, thiscollection of workshops are of particularvalue for their industrial archaeology,which forms a strong element of theircharacter. As a result this collection of

• 20 South Street - grade II* listed,former offices of RobertStephenson and Company.

buildings is particularly sensitive andredevelopment should reflect this.

• Orchard Street car parking

• View down South Street east side

Orchard Street is largely given over tocar parking and hard landscaping. Alongthe East Side stands the town wall. LikeSouth Street it is perhaps dominated bythe scale of the second phase of CentralSquare. There is opportunity forenhancing the accessibility of the walland, potentially, for the recreation of thegrassed ditch similar to that along theBath Lane section of the wall.

• Rear of 20 South Street


A further characteristic of this area arethe rail bridges. The Queen Elizabeth IIbridge (Metro bridge) and King EdwardVII rail bridge (listed grade II) are bothfound in the western half of theconservation area. Whilst neither bridgematches the architectural quality of theother Tyne bridges they have a powerfulengineering presence which dominatesthat immediate area. This however,complements the character of the areawhere, as an industrial area, design isdictated by function rather thandecoration.

3.3 LandscapeSince the Industrial Revolution thissection of the Tyne waterfront and thesteep bank rising up to the City Centrehave presented a largely industrial faceto the rest of the City. Prior to that it hasprovided the market gardens for that partof medieval Newcastle. The topographyhas, in the past, dictated the buildingform. It has encouraged the north-southstreet pattern and design of buildingssloping and stepping down towards theriverside.

Hard landscape treatments consist ofmodern floor surfaces such as tarmacand concrete paviers and traditionalsurfaces of red granite setts. Smallpockets of granite setts exist throughoutthe conservation area whilst Hanover

• The Queen Elizabeth II (Metro) andKing Edward VII bridges

Square and Hanover Street arecomplete. Hanover Street is particularlyimportant as a streetscape for reasons ofits completeness and its design. Thegranite setts were laid out specifically totackle the problems faced by cartwheelsand horses with long slabs of granite laidon smaller granite setts to provide eventravel. There is considerable differencebetween the character and appearanceof the traditional floorscapes and themodern. The mass use of modernmaterials has created a series of blandand uninteresting floorscapes, which donot reflect the character or history of thearea. Street lighting, where it exists, isutilitarian and bears no relation to thecharacter of the area, nor does it benefitfrom quality modern design input.

Softer landscapes are found throughoutthe conservation area. A number ofsmall pockets of vegetation have sprungup without planning, a form of natural

• Early floorscape treatment onHanover Street


regeneration. The corner of Forth Banksand The Close is more substantial andwould benefit from management andenhancement proposals. At present thearea is underused as an amenity spacedue to poor access.

Hanging Gardens are irregular due tothe topography and informal in character.The gardens provide a pleasantbackdrop to the industrial character ofthis area and to the riversidedevelopments such as the CopthorneHotel. A principle feature of the gardensare the many paths which curve upwardstowards Hanover Street and BreakneckStairs, part of the town walls. Thegardens, underused as an amenityspace due to poor lighting and personalsecurity issues, generally have areputation for being an unpleasant placeto use.

In contrast to the informality of HangingGardens, the quayside walkway is aformal and planned landscape. It

combines hard and soft landscaping witha tree lined walkway and retains aregular character which may appearbland when faced with the nature of theHanging Gardens but which suits itsposition in front of the more recentdevelopments along the riverside.

3.4 ViewsThe area has a remarkable series ofsouth facing slopes, platforms, terracesand viewpoints. Noticeably the majorityof views are southwards, following theslope of the landscape towards the riverwith panoramic views of the Tynebridges, and of Newcastle andGateshead Quaysides. North southviews along Forth Banks illustrate someof the principle characteristics of thisarea, the steep south slope with thelarge, dense building blocks steppingdown the bank. The former goods stationdominates the western aspect by way ofits sheer scale and mass and thesimplicity of its design. Hanover Streetprovides a similar aspect, characterisedby the floorscape and bondedwarehouses stepping down The Close.North South views along Orchard Streetare characterised by the Town Wallsloping towards the River Tyne.

East west views are limited to ForthStreet and The Close. Forth Street ischaracterised by the rear elevation of thestation and the many arches. CentralSquare on the south side is a dominantfeature by means of its scale, mass andalso the modern interpretation of thebuildings inherent character andarchitecture. The Close provides viewseast to the Tyne bridges and centralquayside area. Whilst the HanoverStreet warehouses and HangingGardens provide a visual focus on thenorthern aspect, the southern isdominated by the mass of the CopthorneHotel and office block, rather than theirarchitecture or character.

• View of Hanging Gardens


A very different view can be found inHanover Square. Unlike the rest of theconservation area the view here is ofsimple, domestic scale Georgianbuildings which gently curve round intowhat was the top of Hanover Street.Unfortunately the view then loses itsspecial interest, faced by the hardsurfaced car park and starkly moderncasino.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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

Persons viewing this mapping wishing touse Ordnance Survey data shouldcontact Ordnance Survey Copyright.

Photographs used in this document arecopyright of Newcastle City Councilunless stated otherwise.

Aerial photographs are copyright of:

i) Cities Revealed® aerialphotography

©The Geoinformation Group

II) Getmapping/Bluesky International

iii) Air Images 1999

South of Central Station Character Statement

For further information contact:

Historic Environment Section

Urban Design & Conservation Group

Planning and Transportation Division

Regeneration Directorate

Tel. No. 0191 2777191

Fax. No. 0191 2114998

This document was approved asSupplementary Planning Guidance on4 May 2001

Printed April 2005

www.newcastle.gov.uk

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