south jesmond conservation area character statement

SOUTH JESMOND

CONSERVATION AREA

CHARACTER STATEMENT

South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement

1South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2

1.1 Terms of reference: conservation areas evaluation 2

1.2 South Jesmond - purpose of designation, principles of character and boundaries,

the sub-division of the conservation area 3

2. CONTEXT OF SOUTH JESMOND 7

2.1 Historical development 7

2.2 Recent changes -present situation 8

2.3 Landscape context 9

3. SETTLEMENT ASSESSMENT 10

Landscape and built character assessment

3.1 Sub-area 1: Victorian villas and terraces north of Jesmond Road 10

Osborne Avenue, Osborne Road, Clayton Road, Fernwood Road,

Akenside Terrace, Granville Road and Jesmond Road (north side)

3.2 Sub-area 2: Victorian terraces between Jesmond Road and Sandyford Road,

Bus Station and Portland Park 27

Jesmond Road (south side), Osborne Road, Portland Terrace,

Hutton Terrace, Benton Terrace, Sandyford Road (north side).

3.3 Sub-area 3: Victorian crescent at Chester Crescent (west side) 33

3.4 Sub-area 4: The Punch Bowl Public House and the Minories 35

3.5 Sub-area 5: Open Spaces 37

Newcastle General Cemetery, All Saints Cemetery, and the

County Cricket Ground.

Acknowledgements 44

2 South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement

1. INTRODUCTION

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

Conservation AreasConservation Areas were introduced bythe Civic Amenities Act 1967, and definedas being “areas of special architectural orhistoric interest the character orappearance of which it is desirable topreserve or enhance”. They depend onmuch more than the quality of individualbuildings, and take into account featuressuch as building layout, open spaces,boundaries, thoroughfares, the mix ofuses, use of materials and street furniture.It is common for a conservation area toinclude a number of buildings which aredesignated as ‘Listed Buildings’ becauseof their individual architectural or historicvalue.

Conservation Area AppraisalsThe approach to conservation areadesignation has altered dramatically inrecent years and it is now recognised thatdevelopment plan policies, 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. 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 designation isdefined and recorded, the sounder will bethe basis for local plan policies anddevelopment control decisions, as well asfor the preservation and enhancement ofthe character or 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, and potentialdevelopers with clearer guidance onplanning matters and the types ofdevelopment, which are likely to beencouraged. Secondly, it will enableNewcastle City Council to improve itsstrategies, policies and attitude towardsthe conservation and developmentopportunities and priorities within theconservation area. The appraisal will forma sound basis for establishing effectiveconservation area policies; support theeffective determination of planning andlisted building applications, and formrelevant evidence in planning appeals withspecific emphasis on those relating to thedemolition of unlisted buildings.

Evaluation CriteriaBuildings and Development Sites• existence of/proximity to listed

buildings, 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 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 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 national importance

• 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 lighting conditions

1.2 South JesmondPurpose of designation, principles ofcharacter, boundaries and sub-division ofthe conservation area.

Purpose of DesignationThe South Jesmond Conservation Area,designated in 1987, lies approximately

one mile north east of Newcastle CityCentre, between the residential areas ofBrandling Village and Sandyford. Itessentially comprises late Victorianresidential development within a maturelandscape setting. The large gardens,surrounding properties in the north of theconservation area and the substantialopen spaces, including two cemeteriesand a cricket ground make thelandscaped environment of particularsignificance. Within the area there areGrade II* and 11 Grade II listed buildings.Additionally, Newcastle General Cemeteryis included in the English HeritageRegister of Historic Parks and Gardens,receiving Grade II status.

The reasons for designation were first toreinforce existing local plan policies andprotect the concept of the local sceneespecially the demolition of unlistedbuildings. Secondly to exercise additionalcontrol over new development and the useof urban space to achieve a higherstandard of design in alterations and newbuildings.

Principles of CharacterThis conservation area essentiallycomprises four elements. Large detachedor semi-detached Victorian villas set inlarge gardens, C20th replacementdevelopment on villa plots, Victorianterraces and open space.

The Victorian villas and C20th infilldevelopment on villa plots are located tothe north west of the conservation area.This area contains a mixture of uses, bothresidential and commercial, contributing toits distinctive character. Osborne Avenue,to the north, contains large, double frontedterraced and large semi-detachedhousing, set back from the road, withsubstantial front gardens. Clayton,Fernwood and Granville Roads containlarger residential villas set in maturelandscaped gardens; a considerablenumber have been converted intocommercial or multiple occupancy


residential use. The area is characterisedby wide roads backed by mature treesand large properties of varyingarchitectural styles from mid Victorian tolate C20th all in mature landscapedgardens.

The Victorian residential terraces arelocated within the sub-areas 3.1 to 3.3.Their special character is derived from theformality and uniformity of the materialsand detailing and the variation in design ofeach individual terrace. These terracesnow fall into two distinct groups: thoseretained in residential use and thosepredominantly in commercial use.Osborne Avenue (north side), AkensideTerrace (east side), Granville Road andChester Crescent have remained inresidential use which is evident by theretention of the landscape setting andrespect for the original building character.The terraces predominantly now incommercial use include Osborne Roadeither side of Jesmond Road, PortlandTerrace, Hutton Terrace (south side) andBenton Terrace. These latter propertieshave witnessed the most damage to theiroriginal character, mostly as a result of thechange of use and additionally due to thehigh traffic volumes passing through thislocation.

The open spaces consists of All SaintsCemetery and the County Cricket Groundto the north and Newcastle GeneralCemetery to the south. In total theycomprise almost half of this conservationarea. They provide extensive open spaceand historic continuity to this suburbanlocation.

BoundariesThe boundary is defined by OsborneAvenue to the north; Osborne Road andthe Metro line to the west; SandyfordRoad to the south and Newcastle GeneralCemetery boundary to the east. Thenorthern boundary includes only the north-western section of Osborne Avenue where

the change in building styles is clear. Thenorth-western section of Osborne Avenueconsists of large, double fronted terracedproperties with substantial front gardens.However, the properties on the north-eastern section are not included as theyare markedly smaller with smaller frontgardens. Accordingly, the boundaryfollows the line of the County CricketGround. The properties on Holly Avenue,like those on the north-eastern section ofOsborne Avenue, are smaller hence thejustification for their exclusion.

The western boundary follows the centre ofOsborne Road, from Osborne Avenue toSandyford Road to the south. Unlike theadjacent Brandling Village conservationarea boundary it excludes the Metro lineembankment, therefore leaving this narrowstrip of land between the two conservationareas. The high random rubble stone walland mature trees of this embankmentpositively contribute to the character of thisconservation area. The majority ofproperties within the conservation areanorth of Jesmond Road have only a sideelevation onto Osborne Road, theexception being the small parade of shopsat the junction of Osborne Avenue andOsborne Road. The mid Victorian terraceof Osborne Road to the south of JesmondRoad provides a strong frontage to thissection of the conservation area.

The southern boundary largely follows theline of Sandyford Road from OsborneRoad in the west to Jesmond Road to theeast. However, there is a small deviation,with the inclusion of Chester Crescent tothe south. The special character of thisterrace is consistent with the quality of theconservation area as a whole. The wallsof Newcastle General Cemetery dictatethe south-eastern boundary.

The eastern boundary is principallydefined by the extent of NewcastleGeneral Cemetery and All SaintsCemetery. It also includes the former


• South Jesmond Conservation Area

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.Newcastle City Council, 100019569, 2004.


• Sub-Divisions of the Conservation Area

© Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.Newcastle City Council, 100019569, 2006.


2. CONTEXT OFSOUTH JESMOND

2.1 Historical DevelopmentJesmond was within the Castle Warddivision of Northumberland until 1835when it was included in the Borough andCounty of Newcastle upon Tyne as asuburb of the City. At the beginning of theC19th Jesmond was an agricultural areawith a few operating coal mines. Near theMinories at the east end of theconservation area was an old coal shaftwhich was reopened in 1828.

From 1741 to 1821, the Warwick Familyowned the land that now includes theconservation area. As a result ofbankruptcy in 1821, the family disposed ofthe estate. Thomas Burdon purchased thenorthern section and James Archbold,along with others, purchased the mostsoutherly portion.

Thomas Oliver’s map of 1844 shows twoprincipal routes through the area, nowknown as Jesmond Road and SandyfordRoad. The only developments depictedon the 1844 map surviving today are; thePunch Bowl Public House, NewcastleGeneral Cemetery (1836) part of JesmondVillas, (now lost within the Swallow Hotelcomplex) and Burdon Place (1811).

The Newcastle General CemeteryCompany was formed in 1834. JohnDobson was commissioned to design thebuildings, and on his death he was buriedin the cemetery. Two chapels were built atthe northern end by Jesmond Road. Eachhas a mortuary vault underneath, where thecoffins could be stored before burial. Atthe southern end there are two large gatepiers and a lodge. The site is surroundedby a 2½ m high stone wall.

All Saints Cemetery was laid out in 1853.

Shiners Antiques property, the Punch BowlPublic House and half of a modernapartment development on JesmondRoad. The inclusion of a section of thenew development was not intentional but aresult of the conservation area boundarybeing drawn up prior to its construction.This eastern boundary of the conservationarea has special qualities, notably thePunch Bowl Public House and the historiclocation known as the Minories.

The Sub-Division of theConservation AreaWithin South Jesmond conservation areathere are five identifiable sub-areas withdistinctive character and appearance.These sub-areas have been determinedby: the nature of land use; Historical andArchitectural character; and the landscapesetting.

These are:

i. Victorian Villas and Terraces north ofJesmond Road.

Osborne Avenue, Osborne Road,Clayton Road, Fernwood Road,Akenside Terrace, Granville Roadand Jesmond Road (north side).

ii. Victorian Terraces betweenJesmond Road and SandyfordRoad, Bus Station and PortlandPark.

Jesmond Road (south side),Osborne Road, Portland Terrace,Hutton Terrace, Benton Terrace,Sandyford Road (north side).

iii. Victorian Crescent at ChesterCrescent.

Chester Crescent.

iv. The Punch Bowl Public House andthe Minories

Jesmond Road and back JesmondRoad.

v. Open Spaces: Newcastle GeneralCemetery, All Saints Cemetery andCounty Cricket Ground.


The majority of development whichshaped this conservation area waspredominantly residential and took placebetween 1858 and 1898. Between 1863and 1875, Pears Archbold (nephew ofJames) constructed the section ofOsborne Road between Jesmond Roadand Clayton Road, Portland Terrace,Hutton Terrace, Percy Terrace, OsborneTerrace, Akenside Terrace and the villason Clayton Road. The remainder of theArchbold land was sold for building sites(Dendy, 1904).

During the mid nineteenth century thisarea of Jesmond became the home ofshipbuilders, shipowners and othercaptains of industry. Amongst theneighbouring residents of these largehouses were: T H Bainbridge of theNewcastle department store, G B Hunterof Swan and Hunter shipbuilders and theshipbuilder William Dobson. Shipowners;J J Forster lived at Woodslea and WalterRunciman at Fernwood House. From the1870’s these palatial homes wereprogressively surrounded by more modestsuburban terrace houses for the middleclasses. These spread northwards eitherside of Osborne Road. From 1880Osborne Road was serviced by horse-drawn tram as far as Mistletoe Road. Thiswas later replaced by electric trams in1901 and trolley buses from 1938 to 1965.

2.2 Recent ChangesDuring the mid twentieth century there hasbeen a change in land use within theconservation area, particularly in the south,from residential to commercial. Thischange in land use, and its associatedincremental development, has eroded thecharacter of the area. This is particularlyacute on Portland Terrace, Benton Terraceand Osborne Road where the onceuniform terraces are defaced by numerousinappropriate roof extensions, loss of frontgardens to hard standing for parking, and

intrusive business signage. Further largeproperties to the north of the conservationarea have suffered from developmentpressures, particularly from the desire todemolish properties and replace withmodern apartment blocks, or frompressure for subdivision into apartments.A number of former large residentialproperties were also converted intocommercial premises. The harmful effectof commercial developments andresidential conversions is very evident,affecting both the appearance of unlistedbuildings and the character of theconservation area. Since January 1998the adopted Unitary Development Planhas provided a new policy basis forrectifying unsympathetic changes withinconservation areas and protectingresidential amenity. There has also beena recent trend for urban living returningterrace housing to residential use fromcommercial use. Planning permissionshave been granted for residential reconversion.

The proximity of this conservation area tothe City Centre has influenced presentcharacter and use. Traffic volumes withinthe southern part of the conservation area,are very high - especially along JesmondRoad which is a link from the Coast Roadto the Central Motorway. In addition,parking charges within the city centre havecreated parking problems within the area.Streets become congested as cars parkfree of charge and drivers either walk orcatch the Metro into the city centre. Thisproblem is particularly serious within subarea 1 to the north of Jesmond Road. OnGranville Road there is a permit parkingscheme.

South Jesmond Conservation area can besummarised as one of recognisablecontrast:

i. Verdant, peaceful streets and openspaces filled with audible bird song,with a sense of place to linger andenjoy. The Villas and Terraces north


of Jesmond Road, the cemeteriesand recreational grounds.

Harsh, hard surfaced, noisy, trafficdominated streets where sense ofplace is destroyed and aggressivelyseparated by constant fast traffic flowand building frontages cluttered withparked cars; Jesmond Road,Sandyford Road and PortlandTerrace.

ii. Impressive examples of Victorianresidential architecture, a sense ofuniformity provided by both scaleand materials but also a wealth ofvariety in the detailing; the VictorianVillas and Terraces throughout theconservation area.

Banal C20th architecture andinsensitive later alterations causingincremental loss to the designedVictorian uniformity; OsborneAvenue (south side), PortlandTerrace and Benton Terrace.

iii. Concealed delights; Victoriancobbles and coach houses, PortlandBowls Green, the footpath linkingOsborne Avenue and Clayton Road.

Exposed spaces with total loss oforiginal setting and insensitivemodern development; JesmondRoad, Portland Terrace andSandyford Road.

South Jesmond Conservation Areahas lost any sense of homogeneity inthe last century and now has a senseof disparate elements separated bythe traffic network.

2.3 Landscape ContextWhilst the northern part of theConservation area along Osborne Avenueand Clayton Road is generally flat, south ofhere the land slopes very gently to thesouth and east, south towards the Tynevalley and east towards the Ouseburn and

Jesmond Dene. As with much of the Citythe underlying Sandstone and CoalMeasures are masked by Glacial drift buthere it is mostly the upper stony clay ofsoutheast Northumberland.

The earliest significant development of thearea, the Newcastle General Cemetery, isstill today one of the most significantlandscape elements. Today its high stonewalls provide quite an effective barrier tothe noisy traffic on Jesmond Road andSandyford Road and the rather unkemptnature of the planting within the informallayout has led to the creation of a wildlifehaven. The cemetery forms part of theshort wildlife corridor that links JesmondDene, through the grounds of NazarethHouse and the Cemeteries, through thewell treed gardens of the conservationarea to the Metro line on its western edge.All Saints Cemetery to the north ofJesmond Road is a strong contrast with itsmore traditional formal layout and its clearvisibility but it nonetheless is an importantgreen and open space with mature treeson the edge of the conservation area.

Mature trees provide a strong and unifyinglandscape element throughout much of theconservation area particularly within thegardens of the larger properties alongOsborne Road, Osborne Avenue, ClaytonRoad and Fernwood Road. They fingerdown the terraces to Jesmond Road butare largely absent from the terraceproperties south of Jesmond Road withthe exception of Osborne Terrace andChester Crescent. Many of these maturetrees are also protected by PreservationOrders but they are still a vulnerableresource. Most obvious has been the lossof many of the mature Elm trees due toDutch Elm disease particularly from withinthe cemeteries and the grounds of theMansion House. Some mature trees havebeen lost in the C20th developments andthe replacement planting has yet to makean impact. The size and maturity of someof the trees within the smaller terraceproperties is a problem in some cases.


The adjacent terrace of three houses hasbeen replaced by the Swallow hotel carpark. Only the lodge house ofJesmondfieldhouse public house remainsadjacent to Fernwood Road which at thattime was an established foot road toJesmond.

The present road layout and plot sub-divisions directly relates to the early fieldboundaries and patterns of landownershipas shown on TW Bell’s Map of 1847.Between 1863 and 1875 Pears Archibolddeveloped the impressive Clayton RoadVillas and Akenside Terrace together withhis other residential developments in subarea 3.2. Richard Burdon Sandersondeveloped the semi detached OsborneVillas immediately to the north and theterrace housing on Osborne Avenue. Theremaining land to the south was in theownership of the Mary MagdaleneHospital and the corporation.

The second edition Ordnance Survey of1898 shows the completed Victoriandevelopment which has little changed withthe exception of some larger scaled C20thinfill developments.

• The Nuffield Hospital occupying thesite of West Jesmond House andTyneholme

• Wordsworth House a residentialnursing home occupying the semi-detached villa site of Woodslea andEskbank.

• The 1930’s flatted developments ofOsborne Court and Granville Courtwithin the grounds of JesmondfieldHouse Public House.

• The mid C20th flatted developmentsof Blythswood replacing the midVictorian semi-detached BlythswoodVillas, Fernwood Apartments set

3. SETTLEMENT ASSESSMENT - BUILTCHARACTER AND LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT

3.1 Sub-area 1:

Victorian Villas and TerracesNorth of Jesmond RoadOsborne Avenue, Osborne Road, ClaytonRoad, Fernwood Road, Akenside Terrace,Granville Road and Jesmond Road (northside).

This sub-area is akin to a large andprestigious cul-de-sac of Victorianresidential development constructedpredominantly between 1858 and 1898. Itis bounded by Jesmond Road formed bythe Corporation of Newcastle upon Tyne in1840 and Osborne Road constructed upto Clayton Road between 1860 and 1870by Mr Pears Archbold and continued toJesmond Dene Road by Messrs RichardBurdon Sanderson from 1870 to 1880.

R J Charleton in 1885 describes itsdevelopment.

‘and where Jesmond fields used tolie to the north-east of it, another newsuburb has sprung up – WestJesmond; which is one of the mostpleasant parts of the town. Its streetsare wide, its houses are pretty, andits detached villas, surrounded byquickly growing trees, add to itsattractive appearance’. Thisdescription succinctly states thepresent special characteristics ofthis sub-area.

Thomas Oliver’s Map of 1844 shows theearliest developments. Burdon Place wasbuilt on land formerly owned by SirThomas Burdon and advertised for sale in1811. Dendy records in 1904 that ‘theend house next to Osborne Road hasrecently been converted into shops’. Thesemi-detached Jesmond Villas is nowsubsumed in the Swallow Hotel complex.


within the grounds of SingletonHouse and Brandling Court on thesite of the former Presbyterianchurch.

• The mid C20th YMCA replaced themid Victorian semi-detached villasadjacent to Fernwood House.

This area is characterised by large mid tolate Victorian dwelling houses, detached,semi-detached and terraced. There is amixture of architectural styles,incorporating a richness in materials anddetailing which adds visual interest to thesurroundings. The substantial open spacebetween the properties, the distance ofthese properties from the road, themature trees and landscaped settingtogether with the wide streets markedlydifferentiate this sub-area from the otherdevelopments in the Conservation Areaand the adjacent suburban developmentsof the same period. The completeness ofthe landscape setting provides an overallcoherence which assists to integrate themodern infill developments. Theygenerally have respected the Victorianpattern of development and consists oflarge single developments, predominatelyapartment blocks, set in extensivelandscaped plots.

Whilst the high levels of traffic on OsborneRoad and Jesmond Road create anunpleasant pedestrian environment, withina short distance of entering this sub-areathe ambience is arcadian, verdant, tranquiland full of bird song. The exception is thetraffic on Osborne Avenue which is theonly through road within this sub area.This is used as a rat-run. Recent trafficcalming appears to be of limited value asa deterrent.

Osborne Avenue is a leafy residentialstreet comprising of residential propertiesset back from the road with substantiallandscaped front gardens which give aspacious feel to the street. The northernside of Osborne Avenue is characterised

by two Victorian terraces, whilst itssouthern side is composed of larger semi-detached Victorian villas and modern infilldevelopment.

The northern side of the roadpredominately comprises a two storeyVictorian white glazed brick double-fronted terrace. There is uniformity inarchitectural detailing, creating acontinuous rhythm which contributes to thearticulation of the street façade. There arewindow bays at ground floor level andashlar dressings to the windows, panelledfront doors, continuous string courses andeaves dentil band. The sizeablelandscaped front gardens are animportant feature, distinguishing this streetfrom the same period terraced streets inJesmond as a whole.

Incremental change to the properties andtheir curtilages has resulted in a partialloss of uniformity, thus degrading thespecial characteristics of the terrace. Theaddition of inappropriate roof extensions,which ignore existing rooflines and laterfenestration patterns are a prime exampleof this change. The installation of veluxroof lights, although less detrimental,reinforces the loss of uniformity in theroofscape. The original sash windows arepredominantly intact, although UPVC

• North side of Osborne Avenue


• Red brick houses on Osborne Avenue

The semi-detached Victorian villas reflectthe architecture of the terrace housesopposite but on a grander scale. Twostorey, with attic accommodation, doublefronted with projecting bay windows, whiteglazed brick with ashlar surrounds. No. 5and 6 in contract is constructed in redbrick with recessed panels to the ashlarbay window dressings. These villasdisplay a variety of detailing addingrichness to the street scene. The westernend of the development has escaped theradical alterations and extensions whichseem to have occurred elsewhere onOsborne Avenue. Much of the originaldetailing remains and the individualarchitectural features, such as woodeneaves detailing, add interest to thestreetscape. A number of the villas to theeast have undergone substantialalterations of varying quality. The additionof inappropriate roof extensions andprominent fire escapes resulting fromconversion into flats, detract form theoriginal architectural qualities.

• Osborne Villas

replacements are apparent in a numberof cases. Replacement of the originallead down pipes and guttering and theaddition of a number of satellite disheshave also degraded the uniformity ofthe terrace.

The well kept landscaped front gardensmake a positive contribution to thesetting and many of the original stoneboundary posts still remain. However,the mixture of boundary treatments tothe gardens, including railings, hedges,walls and fences has resulted in adiscontinuous composition inferior tothe original uniformity created by thetraditional stone boundary posts,gateposts and iron railings. Some ofthe boundary treatments areinappropriate and detract from thestreet scene. Those that detract mostsignificantly are the opaque barriers,such as fences and walls, which areoften too high and thus restrict views ofthe terraces beyond.

At the junction with Osborne Road there isa short terrace of three red brick houses.The design is more elaborate withcontrasting sandstone dressings, ornatestained glass upper lights, key holeshaped front door surround with daintypillars and an offset bay windowintegrating an attic dormer window. Aninappropriate flat roofed dormer and whitepainted brickwork of the central propertydetracts from the group value of thisterrace.

The southern side is aptly named OsborneVillas. In contrast to the northern side, it ischaracterised by large semi-detachedVictorian villas combined with twentiethcentury infill development of varyingarchitectural quality. The properties arenow predominantly apartments, eitherc20th purpose built or villa conversions.The modern Nuffield Hospitaldevelopment stands at the western end ofthe street neighbouring Osborne Road.


A Grade II listed pillar-box lies north ofnumber 4 Osborne Villas. Built between1872 and 1879, it is of third penfold type.This is one of the few pillar-boxes of thistype to be found in the City. Its bright redcolour stands in contrast to the green leafybackdrop adding interest to the streetscene.

There is an unsightly modern infilldevelopment at number 9 Osborne Villas.There is little interest in the articulation ofthe façade, composed of blank brickworkand vertical white clad bays flush with thefaçade. The development is out of scalewith neighbouring properties and theminimal landscaping does little to blendthe development with the surroundings.

The Nuffield Hospital, at the western endof Osborne Avenue, is another moderndevelopment which detracts from thecarefully detailed architecture of theVictorian properties which characterisethe street. It is a flat roof construction andis built of brown brick incorporating ribbonwindows. The original gateposts andsome mature landscaping to the entranceof the property help to conceal itspresence.

Osborne Court, the Art Deco styleapartment block situated adjacent to theCounty Cricket Ground was the last plotwithin this sub-area to be developed. It isa period piece, the elegant symmetricalfaçade is neutral within the conservationarea. It is a red brick construction withwhite full height projecting baysincorporating curved glass, divided intosmall horizontal panes by mullions andtransoms. The hard standing at the frontof the property is used for parking andincorporates few landscaped elementswhich detracts from the maturelandscaped character of the street scene.

Osborne Road is a major road definingthe western boundary of the conservationarea. This sub area only incorporates asmall section of the road which includesthe side elevations of the mid c20threplacement developments of the NuffieldHospital and Blythswood. Much of thisstretch of Osborne Road is defined bybrick and stonewalls, delineating theVictorian boundaries of properties andgardens which back onto it. Developmentfacing Osborne Road includes the shortrow of late Victorian retail units,

• Art Deco style Osborne Court


The four red brick Georgian terracehouses of Burdon Place are screenedby mature trees set within the longfront gardens and beside theboundary wall. This wall is veryhandsome, articulated with recessedpanels. The three late Victorian shop

• Burdon Place

incorporated into the side elevation ofBurdon Place and the mid Victorianresidential developments of 1 to 9Osborne Road.

At the junction of Osborne Avenue thedetached two storey brick clad servicebuilding of the Nuffield Hospital is veryapparent set behind a low brick wall. Thismid c20th functional building has replacedthe lodge to West Jesmond House anddetracts from the appearance of theconservation area.

The second phase of the Nuffield Hospitaloccupies the site of Tyneholme. Theformer villa’s high sandstone boundarywall assists to screen this mid c20th

units are unsympathetically inserted intothe converted end property. The originalshop fronts remain, they are goodexamples of period design. Their group

value has been detracted by c20thsignage and security measures.

Blythswood apartments are situated onthe south corner of Clayton Road, with anelevation facing onto Osborne Road. Thisis a modern austere looking five-storeyapartment block of red brick, black panelsand reflective glass, with a copper roof. Itdominates the streetscape. A brick wallwith replacement ‘heritage’ type railingsand some mature landscaping defines theboundary onto Osborne Road.

• Blythswood apartments

development from the road. Principallyits appearance is very similar to thefirst phase on Osborne Avenue exceptfor the copper clad roof. The massingand minimal architectural detailing isout of keeping with this mid Victoriansuburb.


No. 9 Osborne Road is set within thegrounds of the former southern half ofBlythswood villas. In summer it is almostscreened from the road by mature trees,only the gable can be glimpsed over thehigh brick boundary wall. On the road itspresence is indicated by stone gate piersand the change in colour and height of theof the brick wall.

A children’s nursery occupies the nowdetached white glazed brick Victorian villaof no. 8 Osborne Road. The luxuriant ivygrowth and mature trees reduce thevisibility of this property and also minimisethe loss of its northern half. The colouredrailings are an incongruous featurealthough they give colour to the street.

At the junction of Osborne Road andFernwood Road is South End, now no. 7Fernwood Road. This red brick Victorian

• 9 Osborne Road

• Osborne Road

On the other side of the road is the midVictorian crescent of uniform terracehouses which also returns onto JesmondRoad. No. 81 Jesmond Road and nos. 1to 6 Osborne Road and no. 10 FernwoodRoad are double fronted whilst nos. 1 to 8Fernwood Road are half the footprint widthwith paired entrances. The architecture isalmost identical to nos. 1 to 11 OsborneTerrace, the only apparent differences arethe projecting door canopies and thebracketed eaves cornice. Otherwise thedetailing of these red brick, ashlardressed terraces is identical. Thisattractively detailed crescent provides astrong and formal frontage onto this sub-area. The effect of the recent JesmondRoad road widening scheme has robbedthis crescent and Osborne Terrace of thestrong visual linkage of facing gables. Thetwo now appear visually detached. Thiscrescent is predominantly in commercial

villa has a strong presence on both ofthe streets. The house hasincrementally grown in severalphases, creating an eclecticappearance. The Victorian high redbrick wall provides strong enclosureand assists to screen a poor qualityflat roof c20th extension from OsborneRoad.


use, although at the junction withFernwood Road, four properties havebeen converted into residentialapartments (Holly Court). This has beendone to a high standard restoringarchitectural and landscape features. Thelandscaped gardens are of high qualityand the boundary treatment incorporatesthe original stone gateposts with newappropriate railings.

Incremental development has resulted in aloss of the special character of the terracethrough: the addition of inappropriatedormer roof extensions; loss of frontgardens and boundary treatment; loss ofsome original sash windows replaced withUPVC; inconsistent painting;inappropriate business signage andcurtilage parking.

Clayton Road, Fernwood Road andGranville Road form the main componentof this sub-area. It is characterised bylarge detached and semi detachedVictorian Villas, set back from the road,providing the appearance of grand countryresidences. They are accessed by longdriveways and surrounded by maturelandscaped gardens. The establishedtrees and shrubs conceal much of theproperties from view and softens the

• Osborne Road junction with Jesmond Road

recent hard surfaced parking areas in frontof some of the properties. Theseproperties belong principally to twophases of Victorian architecture and areeither constructed in sandstone or buffbrick with Italianate style or restrainedclassical elevations or in the later red brickQueen Anne style. Originally they wereoccupied as family homes, but now themajority are used for commercial

purposes due to their substantial size andtheir proximity to the centre of Newcastle.The c20th replacement developments arepredominantly apartment blocks, whilstthey respect the Victorian pattern of asingle development in a generoussuburban plot, their massing is greater,their architectural style more diverse, andthey dominate their setting rather thanbeing set-in.

Clayton Road is a continuation fromBrandling Village, the road is wide andstraight with a gentle incline towardsAkenside Terrace. The Victorian brick orstone front boundary walls provide privacyand formality.


• Nuffield Hospital, Clayton Road

The main entrance to the Nuffield Hospitalis located on the north side of ClaytonRoad, at the Osborne Road end. Hedgesand landscaping at the boundary andwithin the grounds soften the car parkingprovision. Jesmond House YWCA is

not visible from the street.This mid c20th replacementdevelopment would appearto closely follow the footprintof the previous detachedvillas, the overall scale is notdissimilar to the Willow andHolmwood. Built in buffbrick, with a slate cladmansard roof and blackframed windows with verticalemphasis, it sympatheticallyrelates to the neighbouringVictorian developments in acontemporary style.

towers provide romantic skyline features.Differences in maintenance andunsympathetic replacement roof dormerscreate visual discrepancy.

Next to the Nuffield Hospital standsWordsworth House, a modern, mockTudor pavilion purpose built as aresidential nursing home. The building isthree storeys with red brick at ground floorlevel and a mock Tudor effect abovebased on a square modular grid design.The third storey is contained within the

• Wordsworth House, Clayton Road

• Jesmond House YWCA

roof space and hassquare dormer windows.The design of thisproperty is alien to thesurrounding architecture,the wide expanse ofgrass and low heritagetype railings creating anopen frontage makingthe developmentparticularly prominent incomparison to otherproperties on the street.

The large semi-detached villas of TheWillows and Holmwoodbuilt in sandstone are anattractive example ofItaliante style midVictorian architecture.The end campanile

The detached villa of Fernwood Housebuilt in sandstone is constructed in thesame Italianate villa architectural style asThe Willows and Holmwood. The centralcampanile tower and tall chimney areprominent skyline features. The recent


Adjacent to Fernwood House is anattractive long tree-lined private avenuewhich provides access to two pairs ofsemi-detached villas: Denewood andThornleigh House, Elmbank and OakwoodLodge. Built in buff brick with slate roofstheir architecture is a modest classicalversion of their sandstone neighbours.The coach house to Oakwood Lodge is atthe junction of Clayton Road and the pathslinking Osborne Avenue to JesmondRoad. It is well preserved, with a daintylead cupola. This coach house and thesurviving Victorian setts is one of the fewareas in this Conservation Area where theVictorian streetscape remains.

• The Willows and Holmwood

creation of office car parking has beensensitively integrated from the maturelandscaped setting.

• Fernwood House, Clayton Road

• Tree-lined private avenue

• Coach house to Oakwood Lodge


The red brick Queen Anne semi detachedhouses of Ferndale and Priorsdale, Ashgilland Ennerdale are more modest in scaleand primarily belong in a group withneighbouring developments on FernwoodRoad and Akenside Terrace. AlthoughAshgill and Ennerdale are accessed fromClayton Road with coach houses abuttingthe pavement, their formal frontage is toFernwood Road.

Clayton House, formerly Deneholme isprominent in the streetscene due to lack ofany screening tree or shrub planting andpresent vacancy. It relates to thesurrounding period developments in termsof scale and materials but it is a peculiardesign for the period and lacksarchitectural finesse. The unsympathetic

• Elmbank and Oakwood

• Ferndale

• Clayton House

extension to the east and a prominentfire escape also detract from themain composition. It’s present semi-derelict state detracts from the qualityof the street.

Fernwood Apartments is a large fourstorey modern infil development ofred brick construction. It has a doubleaspect, with its opposite entrancefacing onto Fernwood Road. Itselevations are articulated by insetbalconies and wooden oriel windows.It is not of any significant architectural

quality and detracts from the surroundings.The hard landscaping setting contrastsunsympathetically to the surroundingmature gardens.

The remainder of the southern side ofClayton Road consists of a wall andhedge which form the boundary to theMansion House gardens, its frontagebeing located on Fernwood Road. Theseformerly were the grounds of ClaytonHouse. Glimpses of these attractive, well-kept gardens with a neat lawn andcultivated flowerbeds can be obtainedfrom Clayton Road. Along this frontageand within the grounds there has been anotable loss of mature elm trees althoughreplacement planting has been carriedout. Set within the grounds is the survivingClayton Cottage, a modest red brickQueen Anne style dwelling.


• Fernwood Apartments

The mid c20th apartment block ofBlythswood is at the junction of ClaytonRoad and Osborne Road. The steppedfaçade creates interest to an otherwiseaustere appearance. No. 38 ClaytonRoad the former villa lodge houseremains, nestling between high brick redwalls and the mature trees of the MansionHouse gardens. The roof is dominated bya large velux window.

Fernwood Road is similar in character toClayton Road, with properties set backfrom the road surrounded by substantiallandscaped grounds to give an open, leafy

• Fernwood Road

• The Mansion House


tennis court. This, however, is partiallyhidden from sight by a high boundary wall.The absence of mature landscaping isobvious.

Granville Road is, at its western end,dominated by Granville Court, an art decostyle apartment block similar in characterto Osborne Court. The main entrance isarticulated by a projecting red brick centraltower which incorporates an interestingvertical window defining the stairwell. Twowings, either side of the central tower, aredecorated with metal framed windows ofhorizontal emphasis, typical of that era,with small panes. The development is agood example of Art Deco architectureand in itself provides an interestingcomposition which relates to theConservation Area as a consideredperiod piece.

feel to the environment. The set back isreduced for those properties accessedfrom this street. The roadside ischaracterised predominantly by stretchesof brick and stonewalls and maturelandscaping providing an importantcontribution to the composition of thestreet scene. In contrast to Clayton Road,Fernwood Road has retained moreresidential use. It runs at an angle toOsborne Road, almost interconnectingwith Clayton Road at its eastern endfollowing the route of the earlier footpath.

The Mansion House is very prominentclose to the junction of Fernwood Roadand Granville Road, set within the gardenbut close to the road and visible above alow stone wall and trimmed privet hedge.Built in rough hewn standstone blocks ithas the appearance of a Baronial Manorwith castellated entrance porch andeaves. The gables, decorative bandedslate roof and chimneys provide strongand attractive skyline features. Theextensive grounds are well kept.

The rest of the northern side of FernwoodRoad is made up of the propertiespreviously described on the south side ofClayton Road. The treatment of Fernwoodapartment is similar to that of its oppositeelevation. Although the landscapedsetting is improved, the angled drivewayand mature trees screen much of thedevelopment from view. The rear ofClayton House displays inappropriatesingle storey extensions and a disused

• Granville Court

• Granville Road lodge house

The picturesque lodge house of the formerVictorian villas remains within the groundsof Granville Court at the junction ofFernwood Road. The decorative slateroof and door canopy are just visible underthe adjacent mature tree canopy.

Within the apex of Fernwood Road andAkenside Terrace and immediatelyopposite are a group of nineteen moremodest sized family residences, detachedor semi detached. By virtue of similarcoloured brickwork, principally red or buff,slate roof, footprint, massing andarchitectural detailing, they have a strong


• Granville Road

group identity. The individual detailingdisplaying examples of either mid to lateVictorian style adds richness and variety.The white glazed brickwork of SilksworthHouse at the junction of Fernwood Roadlinks this group to the distinctive whiteglazed terrace properties on GranvilleRoad adjacent to Jesmond Road.

Akenside Terrace is a residentialstreet with properties set slightback from the road. Its easternside is characterisedpredominately by Victorian redbrick terraced dwellings. There isuniformity in detailing; ashlarwindows and door surrounds, baywindows at ground and basementlevels. The majority of propertieshave retained their original slidingsash windows and all have slateroofs. On the whole the propertiesare in a good state of repair, withwell maintained front gardens.

• Akenside Terrace


The group value of these villas isreinforced by their landscaped settings,moderately sized mature landscapedgardens with attractive formal boundarytreatments. The lush peaceful setting andthe similarities in architectural designseamlessly link these smaller residenceswith the grander residences on ClaytonRoad and Fernwood Road. All theproperties appear well cared for withminimal loss of original features.

The scale of the grain of this sub areafurther reduces on Akenside Terrace andGranville Road towards the junction withJesmond Road. The landscape setting,architectural style and detailing integratethese terrace houses with theneighbouring modest and grand villas.

Incremental change has resulted in someloss of uniformity, thus degrading thespecial characteristics of the terrace. Thisloss of uniformity is a result of the additionof inappropriate dormer roof extensions,varying boundary treatments, the loss oforiginal lead down pipes and guttering, theintroduction of security systems and thediffering colour paint to stonework. Manyof the properties have been convertedfrom single dwellings to flats, furtherremoving the regularity with the insertion of


additional doors at ground and basementlevels. A number of the properties havesecurity bars fitted to the basementwindows, further degrading the uniformity.


• Akenside Terrace east side

On the western side of the terrace the sixsemi-detached residences of nos. 24 and29 Akenside Terrace were built at the turnof the century. These were the last phaseof the Victorian development. Threestorey, built in red brick, nos. 24 and 25are built in the Queen Anne style whilst theother two pairs, with decorative railingsabove the front door canopies and

rendered central gables, are influenced bythe Picturesque style. The use of similararchitectural detailing and materialsprovides coherence to the group. There is

• No. 24 and 25 Akenside Terrace



evidence of incremental loss noticeably tothe front landscaped setting and originalwindow design.

Granville Road is a leafy residential streetwith properties set slightly back from theroad. Both sides are characterised bymid Victorian terraced properties. Theyare predominately three storey, whiteglazed brick construction with pitchedslate roofs, some having an additionalfloor created within the roof space. Themajority of the properties have beenconverted into apartments.

Both sides of the road demonstrateuniformity in detailing; cream colouredashlar surrounds to windows and doors,sash windows, ground floor bay windows,with tripartite windows above. Thedetailing has many similarities to the redand buff brick similar period

guttering and inconsistent painting.Although all of the original gardenboundaries are still intact their treatmentdiffers. Original character is furthereroded as some gardens have beenreplaced by hard standing and in someplaces the landscaping, particularly thehedges are very overgrown. The streetbenefits substantially from residentparking only controls.

The white glazed brick residential terracesof Granville Road return on to JesmondRoad. Here the architecture appearsaustere, as a result of the reduction ofwindows at the upper floor levels. Littleremains of the original front gardensettings. The gardens now providehardstanding for cars which is containedby a continuous low multi red brick wallwith heritage type railings set betweenartstone capped piers.

The most apparent aspect of JesmondRoad is the high volume of traffic whichpasses along it severing the ConservationArea in two. Land use to the north ofJesmond Road includes offices,residential apartments, a youth hostel anda hotel. Newcastle General Cemetery andthe side elevation of Portland Terrace busstation lie to its southern side.

The six red brick, three storey terracehouses beside the Swallow Hotel complexare a continuation of the adjacent mid

• Granville Road

• Granville Road

developments of the crescent facingOsborne Road and Fernwood Road andthe terraces in sub area 2. Nos. 12 and13 at the northern end of the road assist tointegrate these terraces with adjacentmodest sized villas. Their scale isreduced to two storeys they are doublefronted and are slightly set forward.

Incremental development has erodedsome of the important features of thestreet – inappropriate roof extensions,some replacement windows, loss oforiginal cast iron down piping and


Victorian Crescent. As with many of theterraces previously discussed,incremental development has severelyaltered the original character of theproperties. Most of the original sashwindows have been removed andreplaced with metal-framed double glazingand all but one of the properties has lostits original frontage to hard standing forparking. Each property has anunsympathetic dormer extension. This,together with intrusive signage and,inconsistent painting of stonework aroundwindows and doors has led to furtherdegradation of the environment.

• Jesmond Road viewed from Portland Terrace

• Jesmond Road opposite Newcastle General Cemetery

The largest section ofthe Swallow Hotel wasconstructed in the late1960’s and early1970’s it is anuninspiring moderndevelopment with animposing, box-likecantilevered structureprotruding over theexisting street line. Theunsympatheticintegration with the pre 1844 Jesmondvillas and the hardscaped treatment of thefront curtilage has resulted in yet a furtherdegradation of the streetscape.

Brandling Court is situated at JesmondRoad’s junction with Akenside Terrace. Itis a modern, four storey apartment blockwith UPVC bay windows. A high brick wallsurrounds it. To the east of BrandlingCourt, and on the opposite side ofAkenside Terrace, there are two terracedoffice properties of the same constructionto those on Akenside Terrace. Theircommercial office use has resulted in anumber of inappropriate developmentssuch as, dormer extensions, security barsand unkempt gardens.


• Swallow Hotel, Jesmond Road

Sub-area 1: SummarySpecial Characteristics• large detached and semi-detached

mid to late Victorian villas, mid tolate Victorian and Edwardianterraces and crescent

• quality, formality, variety anduniformity of materials and detailing

• deep set back of the properties fromthe road

• mature landscaped gardens andnumerous mature trees

• wide roads, distinctive and attractivestone and brick boundary treatmentsto the properties

• retention of historic network of paths,cobbles and Victorian coach houses

• quiet haven away from main arterialroads, with audible birdsong

Against the Grain• inappropriate modern infill

developments and extension toexisting properties

• loss of original features e.g. sashwindows, rainwater goods andinappropriate replacements

• incremental and inappropriatealterations; dormer roof extensions,painting of ashlar detailing andreplacement railings

• condition of Clayton House

• intrusive business signage

• loss of mature garden setting to hardstanding and poor quality boundaryreplacements

• high traffic volumes on OsborneRoad and Jesmond Road

• traffic rat-run on Osborne Avenue.

• extensive roadside parking

Key Issues• retain residential use and

discourage sub-division

• resist loss of original architecturalfeatures

• control incremental development

• control business signage

• retention of mature landscapedgardens, trees and boundary walls

• parking control

Enhancement Potential• restore residential use

• restore original architectural featuresand control painting of ashlar

• Article 4 Direction to increase controlover incremental development

• control business signage

• reinstate and strengthen softlandscape setting and appropriateboundary treatments

• secure an appropriate use forClayton House


3.2 Sub-area 2: VictorianTerraces Between JesmondRoad and Sandyford Road,Bus Station and PortlandParkJesmond Road (South side), OsborneTerrace, Portland Terrace, Hutton Terrace,Benton Terrace, Sandyford Road (Northside).

Prior to 1840 this area was entirelyagricultural crossed by a network offootpaths except for Sandyford Lane andBenton Lane. Both these lanes are nowknown as Sandyford Road. Dendy records“Sandyford Lane ended and Benton Lanebegan at Sandyford Bridge, and theawkward turn which existed at this pointled to a series of three serious accidents,the first of which gave the name of‘Lambert’s Leap’ to the locality.” This isnow the junction of Sandyford Road,Portland Terrace and Portland Road.“Jesmond Road, which was at first calledCemetery Road, was planned by Mr JohnDobson and was formed by thecorporation of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in orabout the year 1840’ Dendy.

The former Cuttersfield House now thesite of Middleton Court was the onlydevelopment in this sub area shown onThomas Oliver’s Map of 1844. Thefootpath which is now Hutton Terracelinked Sandyford Bridge and JesmondRoad with Sandyford Road opposite thepre 1844 Sandyford Brewery. TheTynemouth and Newcastle Railway besideOsborne Terrace was opened by in 1864.

This sub-area of the conservation areawas principally developed by PearsArchbold between 1863 and 1875. Hewas responsible for the construction ofPortland Terrace, Hutton Terrace, PercyTerrace and Osborne Terrace. BentonTerrace and Portland Park are shown onthe second edition Ordnance Survey of1898. The Park was set out with a

network of paths, two tennis grounds anda Bowling Green. The map of 1919shows that Cuttersfield House has beendemolished and the new developments ofthe Park Keepers Cottage and the DrillHall have been built. The former UnitedBus Depot (Grade II), was built in 1930. Itfronts onto Jesmond Road and PortlandTerrace, in total occupying about two-thirds of the Park grounds.

The first impression of this sub-area is thedetrimental impact of road traffic. It isaggressively divided by Jesmond Roadand Sandyford Road from sub-areas 1and 3 and within by Portland Terrace. Theheavy volume of traffic on these roadsprovide physical and noise barriers. Alsothe demand for curtilage parking hasresulted in extensive loss of the frontgarden settings notably on PortlandTerrace, Percy Terrace and BentonTerrace. The rear of the Osborne Terraceand Portland Terrace has become a largeservice yard, hard surfaced with only a fewremnants of original brick boundary walls.

• Junction of Sandyford Road andOsborne Road

The mid 1970’s road widening ofJesmond Road at the junction of OsborneRoad and Osborne Terrace has resulted inthe loss of the original end house ofOsborne Terrace and the end two housesof Portland Terrace. It is reasonable toassume that the demolished endproperties would have been identical tothose at the junction with Sandyford Road,


No. 11 Osborne Terrace and No. 135Sandyford Road. These properties arevery similar in design and skilfully turn thecorner. Whilst the gable elevation of

No. 11 Osborne Terrace is simpler thanthe front elevation.

No. 135 Sandyford Road is set at rightangles to Portland Terrace with theprinciple bay fronted elevation facing ontoSandyford Road.

In marked contrast the rendered truncatedgables of No. 1 Osborne Terrace and No.2 Portland Terrace detract from thecharacter of the conservation area. Whilstthe civic landscape helps to soften theappearance of this busy traffic junction itonly partially obscures the rear view of thetwo terraces. Double yellow lines are nowall that separate the rear lane fromextensive rear yard parking. The originaluniformity of the rear terrace elevationshas been superseded by a variety of rearextensions, some of which are quiteunsympathetic and functional fire escapes.

This sub-area has little sense of arrivalfrom either Jesmond Road or SandyfordRoad. The Arriva Bus Depot is thedominant feature viewed from JesmondRoad. Although listed it is an incongruouselement in this sub-area. The footprintand massing is alien to the surroundingfine urban grain. Built in 1930 it is

constructed in concrete. A quasi GreekDoric style Portico in antis painted creamfronts the extensive bus sheds. The widevoids of the vehicle entrances contrastwith the projecting bay and solid frontedbrick residential terraces of PortlandTerrace. On Jesmond Road, a curious flatroofed concrete cabin with a deep band ofhorizontal glazing abuts the junction ofNewcastle General cemetery. It is in apoor state of repair other than the shinyperspex fascia band. The original stonewall of Portland Park and mature treeplanting behind helps to screen theserrated roof line of the sheds and theintervening staff car park.

• Arriva bus depot, Portland Terrace

Benton Terrace and the returned gablefrontages of Osborne Terrace, PortlandTerrace and Percy Terrace positivelyaddress Sandyford Road. The characterof this road and sense of place has beenseriously eroded by the conversion of frontgardens to hardstanding for cars and theconversion infill development betweenOsborne Terrace and Portland Terrace.Hanson’s Hotel is a converted lateVictorian Villa, but with mid C20th fullwidth flat roof dormer. The neighbouringcar related businesses have introducedthe standard functional mid C20tharchitecture associated with thesecommercial uses.


built for the same landowner PearsArchbold, within a twelve year span. Theexception is Benton Terrace which pre-dates the second edition OrdnanceSurvey of 1898. They are all brick facedwith ashlar dressings to the windows anddoors, with vertical sliding sash windowsand welsh slate pitched roofs. There isalso hierarchy and variation detail to theiruniform design, giving each terrace adistinct identity.

Osborne Terrace is the most impressive,the double fronted houses occupy thelargest plot width in the group and notablyalso the deepest front gardens. Theirsense of grandeur is enhanced by thewide front steps with ornate railings overthe semi basement to the front doorswhich are set in a heavily modelled‘Baronial’ style ashlar surround. Theelevations are quite eclectic; pinkish brickwith a distinctive polychromatic band ofred and yellow bricks below the ashlareaves cornice and a heavily modelledprojecting ashlar band over the groundfloor windows. Similar to TankervilleTerrace the scheme is asymmetrical with aprojecting bay window to one side of thefront door only.

Portland Terrace bisects the sub-area. Itis now a busy four lane highway with themajority of the front gardens converted tohardstanding for cars. No. 32 PercyTerrace has retained it’s front garden. Thesimple treatment of clipped lawn set withinthe original sandstone plinth of the gardenboundaries has effectively provided agreen oasis further enhanced by severalmature trees set both within the gardenand pavement.

Although Osborne Terrace witnesses ahigh traffic volume, the deep plot frontagesand the retention of the gardens creates apleasant environment. It is only here thatthere is an appreciation of how the sub-area used to appear. The variation ofshrubs and trees within the gardens isenhanced by a similar selection on themetro line embankment. The originalstone wall and cast-iron railings which areintact for the entire length beside theMetro line together with the maturelandscaped back drop make an importantcontribution to the character of theconservation area although they areoutside it by half the road width.

The architecture of the five mid-Victorianterraces have many similarities, four were

• Osborne Terrace


The design of the other terraces is simplerand they are all a similar buff colouredbrick. The three storey Portland Terrace isdominant, by virtue of scale, whilst theother three shorter length two storeyterraces appear quite domestic. PortlandTerrace like the similar perioddevelopment of Eslington Terrace haspaired front doors and two storeyprojecting bay windows.Percy Terrace has insetpanels of chequered creamand buff brickwork below theground floor bay windows anda ‘dentil’ band above thewindow lintels. Hutton Terraceand Benton Terrace aresimilar to each other exceptfor a subtle variation in brickcolour and the use of‘dentilled’ brickwork within thedoor surround and at eaveslevel on Hutton Terrace.

• Portland Terrace

• Percy Terrace

None of the Victorian terrace houses haveremained as family houses as designedbut are now predominantly in office use, afew in multi-occupancy and there is onerestaurant. The impact of this iswitnessed by an impersonal appearanceand the demand for extra space bothexternally and internally creating anarchitecture under ‘siege’.

All these terraces suffer from loss oforiginal setting to car parking andincremental erosion of the originalfeatures – principally: loss of the originaltimber sash windows and inappropriatereplacement designs; painting thestonework in varied pastel colours;inappropriate and bulky dormer roofextensions, large velux windows;unsympathetic rear extensions; UPVC

rainwater goods instead of cast iron;visible metal security grilles to windowsand air conditioning extracts. Theuniformity of these terraces, which is theirfundament characteristic has beenseriously eroded by these alterations. Theintrusion of the dormer roof extensions iscompounded by the variation in design,type of materials and colour.


Business signage is generally discreet;name boards beside the front door orapplied lettering to the ground floorwindows. On Osborne Terrace there aresome large sign boards set within thegardens which are obtrusive and detractfrom the setting. The restaurant has yellowdecorative canvas canopies over theground floor windows and fluorescent

gablets. But the sympathetic brick colour,artstone bands and modelled façade helpto meld the scheme successfully into thesub-area. The attention to the landscapesetting has made an importantcontribution. To the street, small softlandscaped gardens set behind ironrailings and brick piers successfullyemulate the design of the victorian

• Benton Terrace, Sandyford Road

• Hutton Terrace

• Middleton Court, Hutton Terrace

lettering on the gable. Whilst theyboth are historically inappropriatethey do indicate a ‘pride of place’and a desire to invest which isobviously absent in much of this sub-area.

The reduced traffic levels in HuttonTerrace are very noticeable.Sandyford Brewery which is shownon Thomas Olivers Map of 1844creates a strong and historic stop-end toHutton Terrace although it is outside theconservation area. The small rear yard tothe Terrace has quite a Dickensian feel toit created by the setts and austere

terraces. To the rear the large car parkhas been softened, apparently reduced bylarge planting beds. The planting schemeis interesting with the additional benefit ofbeing scented.

The former Drill Hall has undergoneconversion to residential use. It is quite arestrained, built in the Queen Anne stylewith red brick and Georgian stylewindows.

The Park Keeper’s House guards theentrance to the Portland Bowling green offHutton Terrace. It is very dainty with ornatebarge boards reminiscent of a railwaycottage with a pretty flowering garden

‘Scottish tenement’ typeoriginal offshoots.

The late C20th threestorey residentialapartments of MiddletonCourt has successfullyre-introduced purposebuilt housing into thissub-area. It is a veryBritish type of pastichescheme with smallUPVC sash stylewindows and projecting


enclosed by low picket fencing. It is incontrast to its setting; a car park and theexpansive grey rendered rear elevationsof the Bus Station, which are industrial inappearance and in a poor state ofmaintenance. The bowling green ishidden from view by a green, closeboarded timber fence, with the maturetrees of Newcastle General Cemeterybeyond. This is a very lush and peacefullocation.

• Park Keeper’s House

Sub-area 2: SummarySpecial characteristics• Formality and uniformity of the late

Victorian terraces; Osborne Terrace,Portland Terrace, Percy Terrace,Hutton Terrace and Benton Terrace.

• The Classical frontage of the BusStation.

• Portland Bowls Green andcaretaker’s cottage.

• Soft landscaped front gardens.

• Original stone wall and metal railingsadjacent to the metro line.

Against the grain• Nature of commercial usage within

this sub-area.

• Loss of front gardens and originalboundary treatment.

• Extensive hard surfacing and poorquality boundary treatments.

• Intrusive Parking.

• Loss of original architectural featuresand poor maintenance, i.e. sashwindows, rainwater goods, paintingof stonework.

• Inappropriate dormer roof extensionsand velux windows.

• Unattractive rear extensions.

• Intrusive business signage andsecurity measures.

• The later extension to the bus station.

Key issues• Encourage uses that are more

sympathetic to the character of thebuildings and the area.

• Restoration of front gardens, originalboundary treatment and appropriatetree planting.

• Control of intrusive parking.

• Control of intrusive businesssignage.

• Consider class order to re-instateresidential use.

Enhancement Potential• Reinstate front gardens and original

boundary treatment

• Traffic Management and parkingcontrols.

• Establish uniform B.S. colour for thestonework.

• Re-establish residential use.


3.3 Sub-area 3: VictorianCrescent at ChesterCrescent (West Side)The mid Victorian Chester Crescent is anisolated feature separated from theconservation area as a whole by the wideand heavily trafficked Sandyford Road.Visual linkage is provided by the gableelevation of the Crescent and the strongfront boundary treatment seen at a tangentreceding into the distance. The originalsandstone plinths, gate piers and ironrailings all remain backed by shrubs andmature trees which gives the appearanceof a small woodland. The lush plantingeffectively screen almost any view of thearchitecture from Portland Road.Principally all that is visible is the curvedshaped roofline as the land gradientincreases with distance from the road. Atriangular shaped municipal brick planterat the junction of Sandyford Road andPortland Road is a token gesture to theloss of the Victorian domestic setting andthe dominant connecting feature with sub-area 3.2.

Nos 113 to 117 Shield Street, 179 and181 Portland Road in contrast havenarrow front gardens and are notablydifferent for the absence of planting. Herethe architecture is apparent. The Terraceand Crescent comprises of two storey buff

brick and slate roof residences withsimple detailing typical of the period;Ashlar dressings to the door and windowsurrounds; ground floor projecting baywindows; a continuous ashlar stringcourses at first floor window cill level andeaves level; sash windows and dainty halfmoon dormer windows. These propertiesare very similar to the earlier constructedterraces across Sandyford Road atPortland Terrace, Percy Terrace andBenton Terrace. The terrace havesuffered with incremental erosion of thebuilding fabric which has also effected theCrescent. Notably inappropriatereplacement windows and the ashlardressing have been painted in variousshades of white, cream and buff. Theuniformity of the appearance of the roofhas been lost by the insertion of largevelux rooflights, wide flat roofed dormerwindows and the slates replaced in someinstances with brown concrete tiles.

The long front gardens and lush woodlandplanting of Chester Crescent make animportant contribution to the character ofthe Crescent. Privacy is given to thesegardens by the screen planting and theorientation of the garden path. The frontgates are placed centrally within each plotwhilst the front doors are off set. Thesection of angled path directly behind thegate is generally densely planted, this

• Shield Street/Portland Road


Sub-area 3: SummarySpecial Characteristics• Victorian residential Crescent with

long front gardens.

• Angled front paths, mature protectedtrees and woodland type plantingproviding secrecy and privacy.

plant screen obscures a direct view of thehouse. Sometimes this has beenreinforced by timber fences set within thegardens presumably as a wish forincreased privacy by the resident. Thewoodland nature of the planting alsoprovides delight and continuity.

Chester Crescent is a good example ofVictorian residential development, one ofthe remaining few Crescents within theCity boundaries. The retention of theseproperties as family homes has protectedmany features that represent the specialcharacteristics of this Crescent. Theretention of this designed occupancy andrespect for the particular landscapesetting are essential to protect and retainthis sub-area.

• Front gardens, Chester Crescent

• Continuous front boundary treatmentof ashlar plinths and pillars with ironrailings.

• Architecture of the Crescent almostscreened from the street by matureshrubs and trees.

Against the Grain• Visible wooden fencing in the front

gardens.

• Loss of sash windows, insertion ofvelux windows and flat roofeddormers.

• Painting of the stonework in variousshades of white, cream and buff.

Key Issues• Retention of residential use.

• Threat of inappropriate gardentreatment.

• Replacement of mature TPO trees.

Enhancement Potential• Article 4 Direction or design guide.


3.4 Sub-area 4: The PunchBowl Public House and theMinoriesThe Minories is a location of historicimportance within South JesmondConservation area as it is one of theearliest developed sites. It is at themeeting point of Jesmond Road,Sandyford Road and Benton Lane.

R J Charleton in his ‘History of Newcastle-on-Tyne’ records this location in the MaryMagdalene Hospital audits. In Parson andWhite’s ‘Directory of Durham andNorthumberland’ published in 1828 itstates ‘near to Sandyford Bridge were afew old houses which were called theMinories’. It is reasonable to assume thatthese properties were the ones shown onT Oliver’s Map of Newcastle in 1844.

The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey of 1858shows the Punch Bowl Public House, witha small dwelling behind called Ivy Cottageand across a narrow lane to the west asquare plan property, which is calledMinories house on the 2nd EditionOrdnance Survey of 1898. To the northand included within the conservation area

is the site of the former County ModelLaundry built at the beginning of theC20th, this site was later used as aGovernment Depot.

S Middlebrook in ‘Newcastle upon Tyne –Its growth and achievement’ chroniclesthe suburban development of the City. “Asimilar building burst took placesimultaneously in south Jesmond towardsthe Ouseburn: and from the Minories toLansdowne Gardens in the yearsimmediately before 1914.”

The historical background of the Minoriesprovides an explanation for the shared‘curved’ boundary with All Saints Cemeterywhich otherwise has rectilinearboundaries set out from Jesmond Roadand Osborne Avenue. Minories Houseand the ‘Punch Bowl’ Public House nowappear subsumed into the later suburbangrowth with All Saints Cemeteryseparating it from the remainder of theresidential areas in this conservation area.

Minories House, (formerly Shiners); is veryprominent at the junction of SandyfordRoad and Jesmond Road. It is restrainedand a good example of Victoriandomestic architecture, the double fronted

• Minories House and the adjacent Punch Bowl Public House


façade and ashlarfacing now paintedcream indicating aresidence of status.The west and northsides has attached alater two storeywarehouse,constructed in brickwith arch headedopenings andGeorgian stylewindows.

The Punch BowlPublic House incontrast is eclectic,exemplifying High

Depot site is only visible fromAll Saints Cemetery. Thefour storey scale creates astop-end. The design is lateC20th pastiche, red brick,cream rendered panels,artstone dressings andUPVC victorian stylewindows. Regency Courtand the accompanyingdevelopment, SovereignCourt on Benton Bank makevery powerful statementswithin the immediate locationcreating a new identity to thisprinciple route intoNewcastle.

• Sovereign Court

• Punch Bowl Public House

Sub-area 4: SummarySpecial Characteristics• Site of the land historically known as

the Minories.

• The Punch Bowl Public House andMinories House (formerly Shiners).

Victorian taste. Built in sandstone theindividual blocks have a rough hewnappearance. A mixture of a slate cladfrench chateaux style roof, projecting anddiminished third floor with small turrets ateach corner and deep moulded corniceand tall gothic style windows on the firstfloor. It is very distinctive both by virtue ofdesign and location at the rise of BentonBank.

The recent residential development ofRegency Court on the former government


3.5 Sub-area 5: Open SpacesNewcastle General Cemetery, All SaintsCemetery and the County Cricket Ground.

This sub area consists of All SaintsCemetery and the County Cricket Groundto the north and Newcastle GeneralCemetery to the south. It provides a vastopen space in an otherwise developedarea. The area is severed andsurrounded by the busy traffic arteries ofJesmond Road and Sandyford Road.

R J Charleton in his History of Newcastleupon Tyne 1885 affectionately wrote:

‘then there was only the OldCemetery along Jesmond Road;afterwards came the new one, whichfor a long time looked bare and bald,with its newly planted saplings,through which the cold whitetombstones were so distinctly seen;so different from the old one over theway – a beautiful place,overshadowed by luxuriant foliage,and now more beautiful than ever; fortime, which elsewhere has destroyedthe rural features of the outskirts ofNewcastle, has been all in favour ofthis retired city of the dead. And so

with the new its trees will grow, andtime will mellow its newness, butnothing can increase its sacredassociation in the hearts ofthousands of Newcastle people, athome in the old town, and scatteredover the face of the earth’.

Newcastle General Cemetery wasdesigned in 1836 by the prominent localarchitect John Dobson. It is located southof Jesmond Road, opposite All SaintsCemetery, and is included in the EnglishHeritage Register of Parks and Gardensof Special Historic Interest. The mainentrance archway, located on JesmondRoad, is of austere classical composition,dominated by colossal sandstone ashlargate piers. Loudon wrote of it in 1843 thatit was ‘“the most appropriate cemeterylodge that he knew, because it can neverbe mistaken for an entrance to a publicpark or to a country residence”. Thisarchway, along with the gates, chapels,walls and southern lodge and gateway, areall Grade II* listed. Additionally, there area total of seven Grade II listed tombstoneswithin the cemetery. These are listed forreasons of both historic interest andarchitectural merit. One such tomb is aptlyJohn Dobson’s.

• Newcastle General Cemetery


The main driveway cuts through the centreof the cemetery, connecting the entrancearchway, on Jesmond Road, to thesouthern entrance on Sandyford Road. Atthis southern end there is a lodge and apair of symmetrical chapels of sandstoneashlar construction. The Cemetery issurrounded by a two and a half meter highwall which acts as a visual and a noisebarrier to the heavy traffic arteries whichsurround the site. Road salt is causingerosion at the lower level facing the roads.

The buildings, layout and planting wasdesigned by John Dobson. The intimate,organic layout of Newcastle GeneralCemetery is in sharp contrast to theformal, municipal design of All SaintsCemetery. Newcastle General Cemeteryhas two informal areas of open space,both given seclusion by trees and shrubs,and negotiated by organic serpentinepaths. The main drive runs through thecentre of the site and a broad walk runsparallel to the north and south walls. Avariety of mature tree species and

shrubbery is carefully planted to create anintimate atmosphere, which is furtherenhanced by the unevenness of theground. The varied collection of tombsand tombstones add interest,demonstrating the talents of localcraftsmen.

Newcastle General Cemetery is less wellmaintained than All Saints Cemetery,predominantly because it has ceased tobe used as a municipal burial ground.This has resulted in poor path surfacing anovergrowing of weeds, shrubs and treeswhich obstruct paths and hidetombstones. This overgrown naturecontributes to the cemetery’s characterand increases its range of habitats forwildlife.

All Saints Cemetery was developed in1853, with a later extension to the north. Itis located to the north of Jesmond Roadand stretches as far as Osborne Avenue.The main entrance on Jesmond Road is aListed Grade II gothic style archedentrance, with ornamental wrought iron

• All Saints Cemetery


work gates, designed by Benjamin Green.Stone piers and iron railings, also Grade IIlisted, define the boundary to JesmondRoad. The remainder of the cemetery isenclosed by a sandstone wall with theexception of the northern extension whichis a mixture of brick wall, privet hedgingand timber board. In contrast toNewcastle General Cemetery it has awelcoming appearance, the wide entrancebeing reminiscent of a lych gate in theshape of praying hands and the adjacentrailings providing openness andtransparency to the site.

The layout of the cemetery is formal andfunctional with a design based on a gridpattern of paths. The entrance gatewaysets up a formal central axis which isflanked by symmetrical pair of mortuarychapels, also designed by BenjaminGreen and listed Grade II. The layout issoftened by rounded corners on thenorthern perimeter and a rondpoint at theintersection between the chapels and themain drive. Originally this rond-pointfeatured an impressive elm tree whichunfortunately died of Dutch Elm Disease,leaving a vacant space and thusdiminishing the impact of the entrance.The gravestones are set out in grassedwards, between the gridded paths; theseareas are further defined by avenues oftrees. The grander memorials are locatedin the wards adjacent to the main routes.There are a number of dead Elm treeswithin the cemetery but replacement treeplanting is also evident, throughout.

The noise of traffic from the neighbouringJesmond Road is significant,compromising the desired peacefulatmosphere of the cemetery, particularly atthe southern side. An unsympathetic brickutility building to the south-east of the sitedetracts from the setting of the entrance.

The County Cricket Ground is situated onthe south side of Osborne Avenue, next toAll Saints Cemetery. It is, understandably,surrounded by a high fence which acts as

a visual barrier onto the large open cricketfield. The brown timber fence, topped bynetting, on the Osborne Avenue side of theground detracts from the character of thestreet. The modern cricket pavilion ismost visible from the eastern side.

Sub -area 5: SummarySpecial Characteristics• Contribution of open space within a

built up environment

• Formal gateways, chapels andboundary treatment of cemeteries

• Contrasting cemetery designs – theformal functional design of All Saintsversus the informal, intimate designof Newcastle General Cemetery

• Landscape design and mature trees,particularly of Newcastle GeneralCemetery

• Large impressive tomb stones,including 7 grade II listed tombs inNewcastle General Cemetery

Against the Grain• Busy traffic arteries sever and

surround the site

• Fence surrounding the CountyCricket Ground

Key Issues• Maintenance of open space

• Management of Newcastle GeneralCemetery

Enhancement Potential• Re-introduction of a tree on the rond-

point in All Saints Cemetery

• Carefully monitored maintenance ofNewcastle General Cemetery

• Replacement or maintenance offence and netting on OsborneAvenue


• Oliver’s map of 1844


• 1st Edition O.S. map 1858


• 2nd Edition O.S. map 1898


• 3rd Edition O.S. map 1916


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 International

South Jesmond Conservation Area Character Statement

For further information contact:Historic Environment SectionUrban Design & Conservation GroupPlanning and Transportation DivisionRegeneration DirectorateTel. No. 0191 2115625Fax. No. 0191 2114998

This document was approved asSupplementary Planning Guidanceon 21/12/2001Updated: March 2007www.newcastle.gov.uk

© Getmapping/Bluesky International 2003

south jesmond conservation area character statement

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