Template:FP-Newcastle upon Tyne

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Bridges on the Tyne at Newcastle, Northumberland

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city in Northumberland standing on the north bank of the River Tyne. It is one of Britain's major cities and the centre of a conurbation streading across much of south-eastern Northumberland and the north-east of County Durham.

Though the city as we see it today is a child of the Industrial Revolution, it is more ancient; here stood the Roman town Pons Aelius, and in 1080 Robert II Duke of Normandy built a new castle here, which gives the city its name. The city grew as an important centre for the wool trade and it later became a major coal mining area. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the shipyards lower down the river, was amongst the world's largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. These industries have since experienced severe decline and closure, and the city today is largely a business and cultural centre, with a particular reputation for nightlife. (Read more)