Fresh photos provide Newcastle Grade II listed development update

Newcastle's new Pilgrim's Quarter has undergone significant development over the past year.

Replacing STACK, it was announced in November 2021 that the top corner of Pilgrim Street would become Pilgrim's Quarter, a new state-of-the-art regional centre for HM Revenue and Customs. The office will provide space for approximately 9,000 staff.

The development is being constructed around the Grade II Listed Carliol House, with the historic facade being incorporated into the building.

The demolition of the majority of the building was hotly contested at the time by heritage groups. Built between 1924 and 1927 by the same architects behind the British Museum, Historic Buildings & Places claimed leaving only the Art Deco facade would result 'in an extremely unsatisfactory relationship between the old and the new, destroying the architectural integrity of the building.'

Paul Anderson, contracts manager at the developments main contractor, Bowmer and and Kirkland, said: "2023 saw an unbelievable transformation of the Pilgrim's Quarter site. At the turn of the year, we were still constructing around the Grade II Listed Carliol House, with only one of the stair cores just peeping above the site hording.

"Fast forward 12 months and all demolition works are now complete and the highest point of the main structure now towers above the skyline. The two main cores are at full height and great progress is being made in the ground behind Carliol House to pave the way for connecting the old structure to the new."

The building work still has a way to go yet, with completion not scheduled until the end of 2025.

Marc Gill, HMRC senior sponsor for the North East, said: "We've seen significant progress over the last 12 months on the build of our Pilgrim's Quarter development and we can already see that it will be a hugely impressive addition to Newcastle city centre and the HMRC estate.

"We are delighted to be providing some of the best facilities HMRC has to offer, co-locating thousands of high-quality government careers here in the heart of Newcastle, as well as boosting the local economy."