News

Newcastle's Medieval ‘Black Gate' brought back to life thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund investment

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has today awarded a confirmed grant¹ of £1.4m to The Heart of the City Partnership for an exciting restoration project. Old Newcastle: ‘Where the Story Begins'.

HLF's investment will completely revitalise the City's 13th-century, Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade I listed ‘Black Gate', bringing this currently vacant building back into public use as a fully accessible heritage, education and community resource.

The project will reconnect the striking Black Gate with its medieval neighbours, the Castle Keep and Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, creating a heritage hub in the heart of the city. New innovative digital exhibitions and learning activities will help tell the story of the remarkable history of Newcastle and the people who lived there.

Once completed, the project will recruit local volunteers to help with delivering the vast events and activities on offer, encouraging people to get hands on experience. Valuable training and work placement opportunities will also be offered as part of the project to students studying heritage, tourism and learning. They will be able to get first-hand experience with this heritage gem and learn about the creative ways that the Heart of the City Partnership are bringing it into the 21st-century whilst conserving the medieval character of this important place.

Built by Henry III in the mid-13th century as a major addition to the defences of the royal fortress in Newcastle, the Black Gate used the latest thinking on military defence and has subsequently had an interesting and varied history both as a defensive building, with additional defences added during the Civil War, then later as merchant's residence which, in the 19th century, became a slum tenement.

Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, Ivor Crowther said:

"The Black Gate represents the fascinating medieval history of Newcastle and its residents. This project will bring this historic place back to life and give it back to the local community. This is the perfect way to spend Lottery money - combining ancient history with new technology - ensuring everyone can learn from and enjoy our unique heritage."

Chi Onwurah is the Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, said:

"The city of Newcastle has a long history of work, faith and armed service. By restoring the Black Gate to its place in Newcastle's medieval heart, this Heritage Lottery Fund grant will help connect the Newcastle of the 21st Century with that of the 13th. In addition by supporting local work placements and students, volunteers and tourists, the funding will help ensure the city's great heritage is a living and working part our economy."

Newcastle City Council's Cabinet Member for Quality of Life, Councillor Henri Murison said:

"This is fantastic news for the city and the Old Newcastle Partnership, and means not just preservation of our heritage, but real benefits for the city's economy and jobs. Opening up these treasures will bring even more people to our city."

Chair of the Old Newcastle partnership and The Dean of Newcastle Chris Dalliston said:

"This award is good news not just for the project but the whole city. It not only represents a rediscovery of our roots and our historic identity but in bringing alive the past can make a rich contribution to the present."

Notes to Editors:

  • ¹ A confirmed award means that money had already been earmarked by HLF for the project in question and that the full amount has now been secured. 
  • Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported 33,900 projects, allocating £4.4billion across the UK including £214million to the North East. Website: www.hlf.org.uk

Further information

Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Days in 'Old Newcastle' - Sep 2011

Plenty of things to see and do in Old Newcastle and Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Days (Thurs 8 - Sun 11 September 2011) is no exception.

  • The Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas are putting on FREE tours of the building and of the lantern tower. [more details]
  • The Castle Keep are waving the usual admission fee so it is FREE to get in. The York City Levy and The Time Bandits will be performing [more details]
  • A tour of 'Old Newcastle - where the story begins' is available on Thursday from 14:00 - 15:30 (Pre-booking is essential) [more details]

You can also download the full event brochure detailing all events or you can visit the dedicated website for further information, listings, stop press additions and amendments.

Newcastle’s grade I listed Black Gate one step closer to HLF funding boost

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given the green light to The Heart of the City Partnership to work up plans for Old Newcastle: ‘Where the Story Begins’ a major heritage project aimed at revitalising the City’s 13th-century, grade I listed ‘Black Gate’, bringing it back into public use as a heritage, education and community resource.

Development funding of £43,400 has been awarded to the Partnership to help progress the project that will see the restored ancient Black Gate, providing a new portal to the City’s rich history, culture and character.  The project aims to combine the Black Gate with its medieval neighbours - the Castle Keep and St. Nicholas Cathedral - to provide an outstanding and dynamic heritage asset that will tell the story of the remarkable history of the Newcastle and its countless generations of residents.

The HLF first-round pass* means that the City Council can now progress to the second round of the HLF application process and has up to two years to submit more detailed plans and apply for the £1.17 million of HLF support that it is seeking for the project.

Cllr John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given its initial support for our project. The Black Gate, along with Castle Keep and St Nicholas Cathedral, form the medieval nucleus to Newcastle. This project will open up Old Newcastle to future generations, so they can understand and enjoy the fascinating history of their home city.”

Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, Ivor Crowther said: "The Heritage Lottery Fund is pleased to be giving its initial support to this project which, if it goes on to secure a full grant, will not only rejuvenate Newcastle’s fascinating medieval heart, but will also provide Newcastle and its local communities with a fantastic new resource in which to explore its rich and diverse heritage.”

Heritage Lottery Fund invests £10.6m in four places of historic significance

Today, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced confirmed funding¹ for four projects in Scotland, Wales and England: Sir Walter Scott’s home, ‘Abbotsford’, in the Borders; Newbridge Memorial Hall in Caerphilly; a Tudor dwelling house known as ‘The Walronds’ in Devon; and the 18th-century Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.  Initial support² has also been awarded for projects in Staffordshire, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Suffolk and Worcestershire.

Carole Souter, Chief Executive of HLF, said:

“The range of places that the Heritage Lottery Fund supports is tremendously varied – from the grandeur of Abbotsford in the Borders to the historic gem of The Walronds in the South West.  What’s exciting about these four projects is not just that they are all in wonderful places of historic importance, but that they will make a significant contribution to their local economies and to the quality of life of their local communities.”    

“Heritage can play an important role in economic recovery and we are anticipating an increased share³ of Lottery income from next year.  We know how welcome this investment will be during the tough times ahead.” 

Old Newcastle: ‘Where the Story Begins’, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – initial support for a £1.17m HLF bid, including £43,400 development funding
The Black Gate, Castle Keep and St Nicholas Cathedral form the medieval nucleus of modern Newcastle and a massive landmark in the city.  The project aims to revitalise the 13th-century Black Gate and bring it back into public use as a heritage, education and community resource.  

¹ A confirmed award means that money had already been earmarked by HLF for the project in question and that the full amount has now been secured. 

² A first-round pass means the project meets our criteria for funding and we believe it has potential to deliver high-quality benefits and value for Lottery money. The application was in competition with other supportable projects, so a first-round pass is an endorsement of outline proposals.  Having been awarded a first-round pass, the project now has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to compete for a firm award.

The full HLF national press release can be downloaded from here.

Old Newcastle leaflet

A visitor information leaflet for Old Newcastle has now been published and is available FREE OF CHARGE from all Newcastle Libraries, Tourist Information Centres and Customer Service Centres. You can also download a copy of the leaflet from the Old Newcastle website homepage.

Moving Old Newcastle into the Digital Age - May 2010

Representatives working on the digital interpetation for Old Newcastle including Newcastle City Council and The University of Newcastle's CultureLab hosted a partner-led discussion on engaging communities with the historic built environment through digital and other new technologies.

Application to Heritage Lottery Fund Lodged - April 2010

An application for funding to enable us to deliver the Heart of the City Project has been lodged with the Heritage Lottery Fund. We are awaiting a decision.

Moving Old Newcastle into the Digital Age - April 2010

Representatives working on the digital interpetation for Old Newcastle including Newcastle City Council and The University of Newcastle's CultureLab will host a partner-led discussion on engaging communities with the historic built environment through digital and other new technologies. Cuenca, an historic city in Spain will co-host the session as part of a bid to share information between the two city's that want to push boundaries in interpretive provision. The discussion will take place on 11th May at the Culture-led regeneration: Inclusive Design & Creative Engagement European Conference.

Part of the Heart of the City Project