Byker Wall
Sat. 2nd Dec., 2000

The Roman Emperor Hadrian built one at the turn of the last millennium; in Newcastle during the late 1960s it was a bright idea.

The eastern suburb of Byker, separated from the city centre by the Ouseburn valley, grew as a 19th century domicile for the burgeoning workforce required by shipbuilding and other heavy industries centred on the River Tyne at the foot of its steep banks.

The thriving community that existed here  was relocated whilst the "Byker Wall" was erected. Later, residents were injected back into the new development as if nothing had changed. This was rather optimistic and naive.

Heading south from the wall, the new housing is arranged in a seeming haphazard pattern of small squares bordered by these small curtain blocks with deck access. The motor car is almost completely eliminated from this district. Parking areas are strategically placed at the edges of the complex.

The balconies and large windows face south, commanding sunshine and an unrivalled view across the Tyne valley.

A variety of shapes and materials have been used in the construction to instil feelings of individuality and belonging in the residents.

The wall varies between five and nine storeys high, but this stand alone block, Tom Collins House, stands amid the lower housing in the middle of the development.

It looks like the blueprints were badly folded and jumbled up with a garden shed! I think it is very striking, and this estate was a showpiece of 20th century urban development. Visitors from around the world came to see the marvellous and daring architecture.

Although much consultation took place, the community never really recovered from the destruction of its built environment. The lesson had yet to be learned that a community is not just the people, but is their interaction with their surroundings.

The mainstay of housing was the Tyneside Flat. Two separate dwellings were built one above the other. The front door nearest the lower floor window lead to the ground floor, and the adjacent door lead directly to stairs leading to the upper and usually larger flat.

Here is Avondale Road in 1972. At the foot of the street is Raby Street, and beyond is remainder of Byker ending in Brinkburn Street, at the edge of the Ouseburn valley running right to left, joining the River Tyne beyond to the Left. The River Tyne can be seen directly ahead.

This picture was taken on a cold October Sunday morning and the haze is probably the result of all of those early morning coal fires being stoked up.

The Clean Air Act was widely ignored in this area until the new housing was built.

Below is the same scene today and the clarity of the air is obvious, as is the changing landscape.

Photo copyright W. A. Camwell

This is Walker Road, at the south end of Raby Street in 1935. The tram has just finished its journey and is about to start up again, and will turn left up Raby Street opposite the telephone kiosk. The trolleybus in the background will have to wait for the tram to clear the wires before carrying on it journey to the city.

To the right is what remains of Janet Street, its cobbles showing through the thin asphalt covering intended to "modernise" the area.

Here the original housing has been replaced by neighbourhood squares, and no road actually leads anywhere.

Nearby Ayton Street looks relatively untouched in this westward view, but it is quite different on the opposite side.

Below is a view of Balmoral Court, a rather up market development. High gates, security cameras and grilles, and a private haven hedged against those nasty natives just poised to steal your hard earned goodies.

There is further evidence of this "stockade" mentality to housing. Locking out the great unwashed is hardly the route towards building an integrated and happy community.