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Exploring Hadrian’s Way The Lower Ouseburn Valley & Jesmond Vale Up to 4 1 /2 miles / 7km Newcastle’s Historic Valley In terms of its history, the Ouseburn Valley is one of the gems of northern England. Along the steep valley sides you will find evidence of the industries for which Newcastle was famous even before the days of railways and shipbuilding. Lead products, ironware, glass, pottery, lime and soaps were all manufactured along the Ouseburn. The Lower Ouseburn is tidal up to Crawford’s Bridge, and so small boats could transfer their cargoes directly to and from the warehouses which lined the river. Most of these industries used the river as a drain to carry away their waste products. Because of this pollution, 200 years ago the Lower Ouseburn Valley would not have been a healthy place to live and work. However, many people did live in the Lower Ouseburn. In the 19th century terraced streets clung to the valley sides and houses clustered along the river itself. Many of these survived until the 1960s when much of the area was cleared for redevelopment. Bridges over Bridges The River Tyne is renowned for its bridges, but the Ouseburn Valley has some magnificent examples of its own. The Lower Valley is dominated by three huge structures. The Ouseburn Viaduct carries the railway and was originally built partly of timber. It was later widened and rebuilt in cast-iron. The Byker Road Bridge is supported on impressive brick- arched piers. It was originally used to carry the tram-lines from the city out to Byker and beyond and now carries cars. The Metro Bridge, 4 opened 20 years ago, has a box concrete construction which is immensely strong but relatively light. Crawford’s Bridge 4 sits beneath these huge structures. It was built in the18th century and is now one of the oldest bridges in Newcastle. At the mouth of the Ouseburn is Glasshouse Bridge. An earlier packhouse bridge was demolished when the Quayside Railway was extended in 1908. Victoria Tunnel In 1839 work started on a tunnel that would carry coal from the Spital Tongues colliery in the North West of Newcastle, down to the river Tyne. The tunnel was built to avoid coal being transported through the busy city streets. Victoria Tunnel was opened in 1842. It was 2 miles long and the total descent of the tunnel from the colliery to the Tyne was 68m/222ft. The tunnel was an efficient way of transporting coal. Wagons travelled down to the Tyne under the force of gravity and a steam engine at the colliery pulled the empty trucks back up to Spital Tongues. The tunnel was closed in 1860. During the Second World War the tunnel was reopened as an air-raid shelter. A Lost Village The old village of Jesmond Vale used to sit amongst fields in the bottom of the Ouseburn Valley, a tranquil haven away from the bustle of the city. The village had three pubs, a farm and a mill beside the river. The remains of the mill 5 can still be seen, and the leat which fed it can be traced back to the mill dam at Greenwater Pool 6 . Originally a corn mill, it was later adapted to grind flint for use as glaze in the pottery industry. Flint was brought into the Tyne as ballast on cargo ships and was then carted up to the mills on the Ouseburn, hence Ballast Hills 7 . The bulk of the old village was demolished in the 1960’s when the Vale was earmarked for redevelopment. Of the three pubs only the Bluebell Inn survived. Designed by Ad Infinitum, Rothbury. Published by Newcastle City Council © 2002 Front cover: Lower Ouseburn – Ad Infinitum Discover one of Newcastle’s lesser known corners on this varied and fascinating 4 1 /2 mile / 7 km walk in the Lower Ouseburn Valley. From the colourful boats at the mouth of the Ouseburn to the quiet tranquillity of Jesmond Vale, this is a walk with something for everyone. The route can be joined at any point and can be followed in either direction. Frequent bus services run to Byker Bridge and Benton Bank, and the walk can also be reached from the Metro stations at Manors and Byker. Designated parking areas are indicated on the map. Contact details: Traveline Tel: 0870 608 2608 www.traveline.org.uk Hadrian's Wall Information Line Tel: 01434 322002 www.hadrians-wall.org Newcastle Tourist Information Centre Tel: 0191 2778000 To give feedback on these & other strategic routes in and around Newcastle, please contact: John Robertson, Newcastle City Council Planning & Transportation Tel: 0191 232 8520 ıııııı ıı ıı ııı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıııı ı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıııı ııı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııııııııııııı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııııııııııı ı ııııı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ıı ııııııııııııııııı ı ııııııı ı ıı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ıı ı ı ı ııı ı ı ı ıı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııı ııııııı ııııııııııııııııııı ıı ı ıı ı ıı ı ı ı ı ı ı ııııııııııııııı ıııııııııııııııııııııııııı ııııııııııııııı ı M M M M M M Newcastle Jesmond Heaton Gosforth M M M A191 A1058 COAST ROAD GREAT NORTH ROAD TYNE BRIDGE A167 TOWN MOOR A186 A1058 FREEMAN HOSPITAL ST. JAMES’ PARK A186 WEST ROAD A1 WESTERN BY-PASS A191 Location of walk Based upon the 2000 Ordnance Survey map with permission of the Controller of H.M.S.O Crown Copyright Reserved LA 076244 N
