Church Street / Church Walk, Gateshead

Title:  2-10 Church Street, Gateshead, c.1932
Photographer:  Unknown
Date:  C.1932
Reference Number:  GL002832
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Church Street was completed in 1790 in order to accommodate traffic traveling to and from the recently built Tyne Bridge. Church Street ran off Bridge Street in an arc past St. Mary's Churchyard and led back onto Bottle Bank. It was not named until 1826 and for many years was simply referred to as 'the New Street'. (Manders, 1973).

Church Walk was situated to the north of St. Mary's Church on the steep bank leading to the River Tyne. Under the Housing Act of 1930, the Council was given much greater legal power to deal with slum housing. The worst housing was around the High Street and Quayside areas of the town. Four and five storey tenements in the Pipewellgate and Hillgate areas housed muiltiple families and huddled narrowed courts provided accomodation in the High Street and Oakwellgate areas. The Housing Act meant that whole areas of housing could be demolished and between 1932 and 1935 Barn Close, Pipewellgate, Hillgate, Bridge Street, Church Street and Walk, Old Fold and many of the High Street courts were acquired by compulsory purchase order and demolished. (Manders, 1973)

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Church Street from back stairs of St. Mary's Church, Gateshead
Photographer:  Unknown
Date:  C.1925
Reference Number:  GL002816
  Looking towards Mr Oxley/Mr Booth Cycle Dealers at 29-33 Bottle Bank. This photograph show Church Street looking towards Bottle Bank from the gates of St. Mary's churchyard. This photograph shows Church Street before the construction of the Tyne Bridge. To the left of the photograph is pictured the original Church Street entrance to St. Mary's Churchyard. To the left of the gates is the entrance to Cannon Street which ran along the south side of St. Mary's Church.

Tyne Bridge Construction, Gateshead
Date:  C.1930
Reference Number:  GL002825
This photograph shows Bottle Bank leading on to Church Street during the construction of the Tyne Bridge, showing the Full Moon pub.  Much of the street was demolished to make way for the Tyne Bridge tower and approach roads in the 1920s.

Church Street from Tyne Bridge, Gateshead
Photographer:  Kell, G
Date:  Date Unknown
Reference Number:  GL002804
Item Description:  This photograph shows Church Street looking north towards Gateshead High Street from the Tyne Bridge. Originally Church Street ran off Bridge Street in an arc past St. Mary's Churchyard and led back onto Bottle Bank. It was not named until 1826 and for many years was simply referred to as 'the New Street'. (Manders, 1973). Much of the street, along with a section of St. Mary's churchyard was demolished in the early 1920s to make way for the Tyne Bridge south tower and approach roads. Note Snowball's Dept Store, in what was called Kent House which later was Shephard's when they had a fire in their Ellison Street store, which they moved back to, when the premises were rebuilt

Church Street looking towards Bridge Street, Gateshead
Photographer:  Unknown
Date:  C.1925
Reference Number:  GL002829
This photograph shows Church Street before the construction of the Tyne Bridge. To the right of the photograph is pictured the wall of St. Mary's Churchyard. This part of the churchyard was removed along with the Steamboat Inn (pictured background centre) and other buildings on this section of the street shortly after the photograph was taken to make way for the Tyne Bridge tower and approach roads.

Church Street/Church Walk brought to you by

            The Felling Heritage Group