Streets of Newcastle: The history behind 15 of Tyneside's most famous place names and streets

Whether you are a native to the city or visiting for a short period of time, some of Newcastle’s well known streets and place names can have you thinking about where they got their names from.

Some of the places and streets on this list have a much deeper story to tell than you may think with events and figures of the past all playing a part in the Newcastle story.

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Grey’s Monument and Grey Street

The city’s central monument is a Grade I listed monument in recognition of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey. Born in Northumberland in 1764, he was Prime Minister of the UK for four years from 1830 - a period which passed the Great Reform Act of 1832, changing the nation's electoral system.

Grey is also known for being the Prime Minister when the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 was passed, which led to the abolition of slavery in most of the British Empire.

Bigg Market

Best known as a nightlife hotspot, the Bigg Market dates back to the middle ages and, as the name suggests, was a former marketplace. It is believed the market was named after a type of coarse barley, called bigg, that was sold from many of the stalls.

Grainger Street and Grainger Town

The city centre’s architecture is best known for the Georgian buildings of Grainger Town.

The area is named after Richard Grainger, a developer who built several classical streets between 1824 and 1841, including Grey Street, Grainger Street, and Clayton Street. Richard Grainger was said to have found Newcastle of bricks and timber and left it in stone.

He was born and educated within the city and also died in Newcastle in 1861.

Neville Street

This is another street which takes its name from medieval times. Although the name was only given to the road which runs in front of Central Station in the 19th century, the name is thought to come from the name of the powerful medieval magnates, the Nevilles, who were Earls of Westmorland.

Their townhouse, called Westmorland Place stood in this area in medieval times. It was just within the town walls close to the point where Neville Street now joins Westgate Road.

Westgate Road, Newgate Street and Gallowgate

These street names are very similar to many others in towns and cities traditionally surrounded by walls.

These walled areas would have had fortified gates around the circumference of the wall, all named different things, including Westgate (to the west of the city) and Newgate.

A New Gate was first mentioned in the 14th century. It has been suggested that it was named this because it replaced an earlier gate.

The Gallowgate area was actually situated just outside the old town walls and is named after the Gallows which criminals woudld head to before being executed.

Leazes Park

The Friends of Leazes Park claim the word Leazes comes from an old term for “meadowlands.” It is thought that the area on which the park is built has a history going back to the 13th century when King John gave the land to the people of Newcastle to be used for cattle grazing. 

Blackett Street

Running between the bottom of Northumberland Street and Gallowgate, Blackett Street was named after John Blackett who was Mayor of the city four times throughout the 18th century.

Pilgrim Street

Pilgrim Street, which runs south of Northumberland Street, is thought to be one of the oldest streets in the city. The name is connected with the pilgrims who passed along it and through the Pilgrim Gate in the town walls, to visit St. Mary's Chapel in Jesmond.

Sandhill

Situated next to the Quayside with its fairly obvious name, Sandhill also takes its name from the riverside location. It is thought low tides would leave a mound of sand where the street now lies.

Eldon Square

Away from the shopping centre, Old Eldon Square sits on Blackett Street and was named after the first Earl of Eldon John Scott who served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain in the early 18th century. He was born and educated in Newcastle before moving south to attend university in Oxford.

Percy Street

Another city centre road, Percy Street is named after the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland. As a medieval street it was called Sidgate or Sidegate in earlier times.