Skulferatu #98 - Dog Leap Stairs, Newcastle upon Tyne

 

There is a steep drop from the centre of Newcastle to the riverside area.  This means there are lots of steep roads and steep stairs.  In fact, there seem to be an endless number of stairs taking you up or down.  There is even a set of stairs that starts in the middle of nowhere and ends suddenly, having gone nowhere.  So, if you ever fancy going on a keep fit weekend, don’t waste your money on a gym or spa break, just come to Newcastle and run up and down the stairs.

 

Set of stairs leading nowhere

 

Dog Leap Stairs are one of the most well known in Newcastle and lead from the Side, near the Quayside, to the Castle Garth, an open area by the Black Gate, which was part of Newcastle Castle.  Though the name of the stairs conjures up images of dogs leaping and made me think there had to be some exciting story of bravery and courage by some scrawny mutt, it appears the origin of the name is not that exciting.  It probably came from the term ‘dog-loup’ which referred to the way the stairs curve around, making them resemble the shape of a dog’s hind leg.

 

Entrance to Dog Leap Stairs

 

Street sign for Dog Leap Stairs

 

Dog Leap Stairs

 

Dog Leap Stairs was once the scene of a dramatic chase.  In the late eighteenth century, Bessie Surtees, the daughter of a wealthy Newcastle banker, met and fell in love with a young trainee cleric called John Scott.  However, Bessie’s father didn’t think much of John, or his prospects, so forbade them from meeting in an effort to kill off their romance.  But of course, love doesn’t work like that, and Bessie and John secretly planned to run off together.  On the night of November 18, 1772, Bessie climbed out of her bedroom window and met John, who was waiting outside.  As they made their escape on horseback, legend has it that they were spotted, and chase was given.  With a bit of encouragement, John managed to persuade their horse that a gallop up Dog Leap Stairs was just what it needed, and up it went, leaving their pursuers behind.  The couple then made their way to Scotland, where they were married.  They later reconciled with Bessie’s family and had a long and happy marriage.  Despite Bessie’s father’s doubts about John and his prospects, John proved him wrong by going on to become the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and the Earl of Eldon.

 

View from halfway up the stairs

 

View from Dog Leap Stairs

 

View of the Black Gate from the top of Dog Leap Stairs

 

Unlike John Scott’s horse, I didn’t gallop up the steps, rather, with my old and somewhat knackered knees, I managed to stumble my way up to the top of the stairs.  Then I stumbled my way back down again.  On my way back down, I left a Skulferatu in a conveniently sized hole in the brick wall running up by the steps.

 

Skulferatu #98

 

Skulferatu #98 in a conveniently sized hole in the brick wall

 

Skulferatu #98 in a conveniently sized hole in the brick wall

 

Map showing location of Skulferatu #98

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 54.969343

Longitude -1.610039

 

what3words: gallons.shins.worker

 

I used the following sources for information on Dog Leap Stairs –

 

Sunniside Local History Society - Newcastle Place Names

 

Sitelines - Dog Leap Stairs, Newcastle

 

Wikipedia - John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon

Skulferatu #97 - High Level Bridge, Newcastle Upon Tyne

 

Newcastle has always been a part of my life.  I used to have a lot of family down there, so visited often.  I still like to head down two or three times a year and have a wander around. 

 

For those unfamiliar with the city of Newcastle, it sits on the north bank of the River Tyne in the north east of England and is considered to be the capital of the area.  It grew up, around and over the Roman settlement of Pons Aellius, flourished and expanded during the fourteenth century as an important site in the wool trade, and then played an important role in the UK’s coal industry.  With the decline of its docks and the coal industry the city suffered like many other northern towns and cities, though through various regeneration projects it now has a diverse and thriving economy.

 

When I’m in Newcastle, one of the walks I like to do takes me over the High level Bridge, a double decker bridge with a railway running over the upper level.  From this bridge there are amazing views over the River Tyne to the iconic Tyne Bridge and several other bridges across the river.  There are also great views of the riverside areas of Newcastle and Gateshead.

 

View over the rooftops to the High Level Bridge

 

View of the High Level Bridge

 

View of the High Level Bridge

 

View from the High Level Bridge to the Tyne Bridge and beyond

 

The view over Newcastle from the bridge always reminds me of a story Grandpa Nosferatu told me, probably because it is not that far from the area where he once lived.  Grandpa Nosferatu was born and brought up in the slums of Newcastle in the early part of the Twentieth Century, and as a young boy he lived with his family in a dingy, cramped house in the terraces by the docks.

 

My Grandpa’s father was a brute of a man who ruled his family with extreme violence. A man who terrorised his wife and children and expected them to obey his every word.  Basically, he was a big, nasty, aggressive bully.  As a kid Grandpa Nosferatu had learnt quickly that you never went against what his father said, or there would be dire consequences.  One of the many rules and stipulations that his father had was that his children never played in the docks. However, this was one rule Grandpa Nosferatu couldn’t help breaking, there was just too much fun to be had down there.  The place was a playground heaven for kids, what with all the boxes to climb, reels of rope, and various bits of junk lying around that just cried out to be played with.

 

One evening, a six or seven year old Grandpa Nosferatu headed down to the docks to meet some friends, climb boxes and play at being sailors. However, his friends never turned up. This did not deter my grandpa, who sat on top of one of the many boxes pretending that it was his ship, and he was the captain. He was suddenly disturbed out of his play by the noise of an argument. He shimmied down from the box and sneaked round to see what was going on. From a safe vantage point, he saw three men. Two were arguing with the third.  As the argument escalated the two men began to push and punch the third man. Then one of the men pulled out a knife and stabbed the third man several times.  He collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.  For a while the two other men seemed at a loss as what to do.  After some discussion they dragged the third man’s body to the edge of the dock and rolled him over into the swirling, dark waters of the Tyne.  They then hurried away, looking nervously around as they went.  My grandpa ducked down and hid for what felt like hours, too terrified to move in case the men came back and saw him.  Eventually, when he had plucked up enough courage, he left.  For a while he walked the streets in shock and facing a huge dilemma, did he go and tell the police what he'd seen and risk the wrath of his father, or did he keep quiet? The thought of his father being in a rage was so terrifying that he decided to keep quiet about what he had seen and for many years he never told a soul about the murder he witnessed at the docks.  And he really only ever told the story to highlight just how scared he had been of his father.  A fear that drove him to walk out of the family home at the age of fourteen and never return.

 

Anyway, back to the bridge.  The High Level Bridge was commissioned in 1845 and Robert Stephenson, the renowned engineer and son of the famous inventor George Stephenson, came up with the design for it. The stipulations he was given for the bridge were that it was to carry a railway, roadway, and a pedestrian walkway.  In order to avoid having to build a very wide and very expensive bridge, he designed it to be on two levels.  The lower level consisted of a road and two walkways, one on either side of the road, while the upper level carried the railway.  Work then began on the construction of the bridge with houses on each side of the river being demolished.  Piles were then driven into the riverbed; the approach viaducts were constructed and the ironwork was cast and put in place.  In total over 5,050 tons of iron were used in the building of the bridge and around 1.5 million bricks.  The cost of its construction, including the costs of building the approaches to the bridge and compensation to the families whose houses had to be demolished to make way for it, was estimated to be around £491,000, which translates in today’s money as being around £46 million.

 

The bridge was opened in 1849 by Queen Victoria and was considered to be ‘one of the finest pieces of architectural ironwork in the world.’ 

 

‘The Busy Tyneside’ – Tuck’s Postcard

 

Over the years, the High Level Bridge has undergone several renovations and upgrades to ensure its continued use and safety. In 2008, the bridge was refurbished at a cost of £40 million, which included strengthening work and the replacement of several components.

 

Newcastle entrance to the High Level Bridge

 

Iron Pillars

 

Graffiti skull and suit on the bridge

 

My heart belongs to ...

 

A view along the pedestrian walkway

 

The High Level Bridge – Gateshead view

 

Today, in the howling wind, I walked over the bridge and took in the views.  I then left the Skulferatu that had accompanied me on my walk in a ledge in the ironwork, high above the Tyne.

 

Skulferatu #97

 

Skulferatu #97 on a ledge in the ironwork of the bridge

 

Skulferatu #97 on a ledge in the ironwork of the bridge

 

 

Map showing the location of Skulferatu #97

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are –

 

Latitude 54.967402

Longitude -1.609099

 

what3words: fact.grab.hotel

 

I used the following sources for information on the High Level Bridge –

 

Tourist Info at Site

 

Network Rail – The History of the High Level Bridge, Newcastle