Elswick, Northumberland
| Elswick | |
| Northumberland | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to Elswick Park | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NZ228633 |
| Location: | 54°57’50"N, 1°38’42"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Newcastle Upon Tyne |
| Postcode: | NE2 |
| Dialling code: | 0191 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Newcastle upon Tyne Central |
Elswick is a village which has in effect been swallowed up in the suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the south-east of Northumberland. Elswick stands in the western part of the city's outgrowths, on the north bank of the River Tyne.
The usual resident population of the ward of Elswick in 2011 was 13,198.
History
In Roman times the Uallum, a defensive barrier behind Hadrian's Wall, reached its easternmost limit in Elswick. The Wall itself carried on as far as Wallsend.
The township of Elswick had originally formed part of the Barony of Bolam and was owned by Tynemouth Priory from 1120-1539, with a fishery present on the site.[1] One of the earliest references to the coal mining industry of Northumberland occurs in 1330, when it was recorded that the Prior of Tynemouth let a colliery, called Heygrove, at "Elstewyke" for a rent of £5 per year. Elswick Colliery had 3 pits working from 1860 onwards.[2] Elswick was owned by the Crown from the dissolution of the Priory in 1539 until 1628, when it was sold by King Charles I.
The Priors held a mansion in the middle of Elswick which was later occupied by Elswick Hall. Having been rebuilt a number of times, the last rebuild took place in 1810. The grounds of Elswick Hall became Elswick Park in 1881.[3] Elswick changed significantly in the late 19th Century with the extension of the railway from Carlisle to Newcastle in 1839 and the establishment of Armstrong's manufacturing works in 1847.[4] Population increased rapidly during this period with the construction of Tyneside flats from Scotswood Road to accommodate the workforce.
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The Elswick works was founded in 1847 by the engineer and entrepreneur William George Armstrong. It manufactured hydraulic machinery, cranes and bridges and, later, artillery. In 1882 the company merged with the shipbuilding firm of Charles Mitchell to form Armstrong, Mitchell & Company. Armstrong Mitchell merged again with the engineering firm of Joseph Whitworth in 1897, forming Armstrong, Whitworth & Co.[5]
Elswick station was opened in 1889 to serve the area. It was located at the western end of the Elswick Works, whose workforce made up a significant proportion of travellers. The area suffered as a result of the inter-war and subsequent depressions, culminating in the demolition of the Elswick works. The station was closed and then demolished in 1967.[6]
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Elswick was hit hard by the decline of Tyneside's shipbuilding industry during the second half of the 20th century, and by the 1990s was widely regarded as one of the worst parts of Tyneside, if not the whole of Britain. According to a report by The Independent newspaper, unemployment stood at nearly 30% and the area had a widespread problem with drug abuse and arson attacks.[7]
Elswick today
Present day Elswick consists of a number of distinct neighbourhoods including the Adelaide Terrace area, Bentinck Estate, Condercum and Denhill Park, Cruddas Park (part renamed Riverside Dene), Elswick Triangle, Gill Street and the Courts, Grainger Park, Jubilee Estate, North Benwell, and both the St John's and St Paul's areas. The local authority ward also incorporates South Central Station of Newcastle, Newcastle Business Park, Newcastle College, and the Metro Radio Arena Newcastle.[1]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Elswick, Northumberland) |
- Newcastle Council Wards: Elswick
- Ward boundary map: Elswick
- Know Newcastle ward profile for Elswick
- Elswick Local Performance Framework
- Kay's Geography Cruddas Park (Riverside Dene), Elswick
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Elswick 'Where I live'". Newcastle City Council. http://elswick.newcastle.gov.uk/. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ↑ "Elswick Colliery - DMM". http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/e023.htm.
- ↑ [1] Template:Webarchive
- ↑ http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/special-collections/exhibitions/current-and-past-exhibitions/armstrong/elswick/
- ↑ "Armstrong Mitchell Elswick Shipbuilder". Tynebuiltships.co.uk. http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/Armstrong-Mitch-Elswick.html. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ↑ "Elswick Station". Disused Stations. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/e/elswick/. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
- ↑ [2]
