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Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle upon Tyne, often shortened to Newcastle, is a city City status in the United Kingdom

City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch [i] to a select gro ... 

 and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county [i] in the North East [i] ... 

 situated on the north bank of the River Tyne River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

, in North East England North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England [i] and comprises the combined area of ... 

. The city was founded in Roman Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman [i] civilization characterized by an autocratic [i] ... 

 times under the name Pons Aelius, with the current name being adopted from 1080 onwards. Historically it has been the county town of Northumberland Northumberland

Northumberland is a county [i] in northern England [i]. ... 

. The city is the 20th most populous in England and the Tyneside conurbation is the 5th most populous conurbation in England, and as such Newcastle is one of England's core cities.

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Encyclopedia

City of Newcastle upon Tyne
Geography
Status:Metropolitan borough, City
Region Regions of England

The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government [i] ... 

:
North East England North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England [i] and comprises the combined area of ... 

Ceremonial County:Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county [i] in the North East [i] ... 

Traditional County Historic counties of England

The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England [i] into around forty areas, which... 

:
Northumberland Northumberland

Northumberland is a county [i] in northern England [i]. ... 

Area Area

Area is a physical quantity [i] expressing the size of a part of a surface [i]. ... 

:
- Total
Ranked 229th
113.44 km²
Admin. HQ:Newcastle upon Tyne
ONS code:00CJ
Demographics
Population Population

In sociology [i] and biology [i], a population is the collection of people [i], or organism [i] ... 

:
- Total
- Density
Ranked

/ km²
Ethnicity:93.1% White
4.4% S.Asian
Politics

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council
http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/
Leadership Subdivisions of England

For local government purposes England [i] is divided into as many as four levels of subnational entities. ... 

:
Leader & Cabinet
Executive:
MPs MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 2005

This is a list of Members of Parliament [i] elected to the House of Commons [i] ... 

:
Nick Brown, David Clelland, Jim Cousins, Doug Henderson

For other places named "Newcastle" or "New Castle", see Newcastle .

Newcastle upon Tyne, often shortened to Newcastle, is a city City status in the United Kingdom

City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch [i] to a select gro ... 

 and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county [i] in the North East [i] ... 

 situated on the north bank of the River Tyne River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

, in North East England North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England [i] and comprises the combined area of ... 

. The city was founded in Roman Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman [i] civilization characterized by an autocratic [i] ... 

 times under the name Pons Aelius, with the current name being adopted from 1080 onwards. Historically it has been the county town of Northumberland Northumberland

Northumberland is a county [i] in northern England [i]. ... 

.

The city is the 20th most populous in England and the Tyneside conurbation is the 5th most populous conurbation in England, and as such Newcastle is one of England's core cities.

Technically, people from Newcastle are Novocastrians , although the term Geordie is now more commonly used.

History


Early development

Newcastle, known at the time as "Pons Aelius" was founded by the Roman Emperor Roman Emperor

"Roman Emperor" is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire [i], after the epoch c ... 

 Hadrian Hadrian

Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus , known as Hadrian in English [i], was Roman [i] ... 

, whose Wall Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall was a stone [i] and turf [i] fortification [i] built by the Roman Empire [i] acros ... 

 is still visible in parts of Newcastle, particularly along the West Road. The course of the "Roman Wall" can also be traced eastwards to Wallsend .

After the Roman withdrawal from Britain, Newcastle became part of the powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria

Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom [i] of Angles [i] which was formed in Great Britain [i] ... 

 and was known throughout this period as Monkchester. After a series of conflicts with the Danes Danish people

The term Dane may refer to:
... 

 and the devastation north of the River Tyne River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

 inflicted by Odo Odon of Conteville

[i]
[i]
... 

 after the 1080 rebellion against the Normans Normans

The Normans were a people who colonized Normandy [i], conquered England [i], and played a major politic ... 

, Monkchester was all but destroyed. Because of its strategic position, Robert Curthose Robert III, Duke of Normandy

Robert III was a Duke of Normandy [i] and an unsuccessful claimant to the throne of England [i].
... 

, son of the Conqueror William I of England

William of Normandy ruled as the Duke of Normandy [i] from 1035 [i] to 1087 [i] and as King of England [i] ... 

, erected a wooden castle there in 1080 and the town was henceforth known as Novum Castellum or Newcastle.

Throughout the Middle Ages Middle Ages

The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history [i] ... 

, Newcastle was England's northern fortress. A 25 foot high stone wall was built around the town to defend it from invaders during the Border war against Scotland Scotland

Scotland is a nation [i] in northwest Europe [i] and one of the constituent [i] countries [i] ... 

. The Scots king William the Lion William I of Scotland

William I "the Lion" , reigned as King of Scots [i] from 1165 to 1214. ... 

 was imprisoned in Newcastle in 1174, and Edward I Edward I of England

Edward I , popularly known as "Longshanks" because of his 6 foot 2 inch frame and the "Hammer ... 

 brought the Stone of Scone Stone of Scone

The Stone of Scone, also commonly known as the Stone of Destiny or the Coronation Stone is... 

 and William Wallace William Wallace

Sir William Wallace was a Scottish [i] knight [i] who led a resistance [i] ... 

 south through the town. Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century and around this time became a county corporate.

King Charles Charles I of England

[i] [[1625]... 

 bestowed upon Newcastle the East of England coal trading rights. This monopoly helped Newcastle prosper, but it had its impact on the growth of near-neighbours Gateshead Gateshead

Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear [i] in north-east England [i] on the south side of the River Tyne [i] ... 

 and Sunderland Sunderland

Sunderland is a city and port in the City of Sunderland [i] metropolitan borough, in the county of Tyne and Wear [i] ... 

, causing a North of Tyne/South of Tyne and a Tyne-Wear rivalry Tyne-Wear Rivalry

The Tyne-Wear Rivalry is an historic animosity between the people of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] and Sunderland [i]... 

 that still exists. During the English Civil War English Civil War

The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place betwee... 

, Newcastle supported the king and in 1644 was stormed by Cromwell's Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell was an English [i] military and political leader, best known for making England ... 

 Scots allies, based in pro-Parliament Sunderland. The grateful King bestowed the motto "Fortiter Defendit Triumphans" upon the town. Ironically, Charles was imprisoned in Newcastle by the Scots in 1646-7.

For a short time in the 17th century, Newcastle exported large quantities of urine down the coast to Ravenscar, North Yorkshire, to be used in the production of alum Alum

Alum [aluminium potassium sulfate], in chemistry [i], is a term given to the crystallized double sulfate [i]... 

  for the textile industry Textile

A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial fibre [i]s often referr ... 

 . The urine was collected from public urinal Urinal

A urinal is a specialized toilet [i] designed to be used only for urination [i], not defecation [i], and... 

s or barrels in the city and it has been suggested that this may be the origin of the popular English phrase .

In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages predated the London Library by half a century. Newcastle also became the greatest glass producer in the world. Newcastle's development as a major city, however, owed most to its central role in the export of coal Coal

Coal is a fossil fuel [i] extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining . ... 

.The phrase taking coals to Newcastle was first recorded in 1538. In the nineteenth century, shipbuilding Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding is the construction of ship [i]s. ... 

 and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological [i], socioeconomic [i] a ... 

. Innovation in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the development of Safety lamps Davy lamp

The Davy lamp is a candle containing safety lamp [i] devised in 1815 [i] by Humphry Davy [i]. ... 

, Stephenson's Rocket Stephenson's Rocket

Stephenson's Rocket was an early steam locomotive [i] of 0-2-2 [i] wheel arrangement [i], built by George Stephenson [i] ... 

, Lord Armstrong William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong

William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong was an English [i] industrialist, the effective f ... 

's artillery, Joseph Swan Joseph Swan

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was an English [i] physicist [i] and chemist [i], most famous for the dev ... 

's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons Charles Algernon Parsons

Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, O.M.... 

' invention of the steam turbine Steam turbine

A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy [i] from pressurized steam [i], and ... 

, which led to the revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity Electrical generator

An electrical generator is a device that produces electrical [i] energy [i] from a mechanica... 

.

Heavy industries in Newcastle declined in the second half of the twentieth century 1900s

... 

; office and retail employment are now the city's staples.

Urban development


Notable architecture
The city has an extensive neoclassical Neoclassical architecture

The neoclassical movement [i] that produced Neoclassical architecture began in the mid-18th century [i] ... 

 centre, largely developed in the 1830s by Richard Grainger and John Dobson, and recently extensively restored. Grey Street, which curves down from Grey's Monument Grey's Monument

Grey's Monument is a monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey [i] built in 1838 in the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

 towards the valley of the River Tyne River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

, is often cited as England's finest street. A portion of Grainger Town was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the Eldon Square Eldon Square

Eldon Square is a shopping centre [i] in Newcastle upon Tyne [i] in the United Kingdom [i] ... 

 shopping centre Shopping mall

A shopping mall, shopping center, or shopping arcade is a building or set of buildings that ... 

. The erroneous image of Newcastle as a grey, aesthetically displeasing city of the Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the major technological [i], socioeconomic [i] a ... 

 is finally disappearing. Visitors to Newcastle are often surprised by the wealth of beautiful architecture and history to be discovered in the 2000-year-old city.
Parks and open space
Immediately to the northwest of the city centre is Leazes Park, established in 1873 after a petition by 3,000 working men of the city for "ready access to some open ground for the purpose of health and recreation". Just outside one corner of this is St James' Park St James' Park

St James' Park is a 52,394 capacity all-seater [i] football [i] stadium [i] in Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

, the stadium home of Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English [i] professional football [i] team [i] ba ... 

 which dominates the view of the city from the south.

Another green space in Newcastle is the vast Town Moor, lying immediately north of the city centre. It is larger than Hyde Park Hyde Park, London

Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London [i] and one of the Royal Parks of London [i]. ... 

 and Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath is a public open space in the north of London [i].
... 

 put together and the freemen of the city Freedom of the City

Freedom of the City is an award made by some British [i] towns and cities, to esteemed me ... 

 have the right to graze cattle on it. Unlike other cities where similar rights exist, they often take advantage of this, leading to the somewhat bizarre sight of cattle grazing within yards of the city's town hall or "Civic Centre". The right incidentally extends to the pitch of St James' Park, Newcastle United Football Club's ground, though this is not exercised. Honorary freemen include Bob Geldof Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon 'Bob' Geldof, KBE [i] is an Irish [i] ... 

, Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela OM [i], CC [i], AC [i], QC [i] ... 

, Alan Shearer Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer OBE [i] is a retired English [i] footballer [i] ... 

 and the Royal Shakespeare Company Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a British theatre company, one of the most influential in the country.... 

. The Hoppings funfair Funfair

A funfair or simply fair is a small to medium sized travelling fair [i] primarily comprised of amusement ride [i] ... 

, said to be the largest travelling fair Fair

A fair is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals... 

 in Europe, is held here annually in June.

The wooded gorge of the Ouseburn in the east of the city is known as Jesmond Dene Jesmond Dene

[i]
... 

 and forms another popular recreation area, linked by Armstrong Park and Heaton Park to the Ouseburn Valley, where the river finally reaches the River Tyne River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

.

Recent developments

The development of the city in the 1960s and 1970s saw the demoliton of part of Graingertown as a prelude to the modernist rebuilding initiatives of T. Dan Smith T. Dan Smith

Thomas Daniel Smith was a British [i] politician [i] who was Leader of Newcastle upon Tyne [i]... 

, the leader of Newcastle City Council. A corruption scandal was uncovered involving Smith and John Poulson John Poulson

John Garlick Llewellyn Poulson was a British [i] architect [i] who caused a ... 

, a property developer, and both were jailed. Echoes of the scandal were revisited in the late 1990s in the BBC TV mini-series, Our Friends in the North Our Friends in the North

Our Friends in the North is a British [i] television [i] drama serial [i], produced b ... 

.

The Tyne gorge between Newcastle and Gateshead Gateshead

Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear [i] in north-east England [i] on the south side of the River Tyne [i] ... 

  on the south, is famous for a series of dramatic bridges, including the Tyne Bridge Tyne Bridge

The Tyne Bridge is a bridge over the River Tyne [i] in North East England [i], linki ... 

 of 1928 and Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson

Robert Stephenson FRS [i] was an English [i] civil engineer [i]. ... 

's High Level Bridge High Level Bridge

The High Level Bridge is a notable road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne [i] ... 

 of 1849, the first road/rail bridge in the world. Large-scale regeneration Urban renewal

Urban renewal is a function of urban planning [i] that in the United States [i] reached its peak from th... 

 has replaced former shipping premises with imposing new office developments; an innovative tilting bridge, the Gateshead Millennium Bridge Gateshead Millennium Bridge

The Gateshead [i] Millennium Bridge is a foot and cycle bridge spanning the River Tyne [i] ... 

 was commissioned by Gateshead Gateshead

Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear [i] in north-east England [i] on the south side of the River Tyne [i] ... 

 and has integrated the older Newcastle Quayside Quayside

The Quayside is the area along the banks of the River Tyne [i] between the cities [i] of Newcastle upon Tyne [i]... 

 more closely with major cultural developments in Gateshead, including the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art is an arts centre [i] located on the South Bank of the River Tyne [i] ... 

 and the Norman Foster Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank

Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM [i] is an English [i] architect [i] ... 

-designed Sage Sage Gateshead

The Sage Gateshead is a centre for musical education and performance, located in Gateshead [i] on the so ... 

 music centre. NewcastleGateshead Quayside is now a thriving, cosmopolitan area with an abundance of bars, restaurants and public spaces. As a tourist promotion, Newcastle and Gateshead have linked together under the banner "NewcastleGateshead", but otherwise remain separate.

Notable Newcastle housing developments include Ralph Erskine's the Byker Wall designed in the 1960s and now Grade II-listed Listed building

In the United Kingdom [i] the term 'listed building' refers to a building or other structure officially ... 

. It is on UNESCO UNESCO

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations [i] established in 1945. ... 

's list of outstanding 20th century buildings.

Newcastle's thriving Chinatown Chinatown

A Chinatown is a section an urban area associated with a large number of Chinese [i] re... 

 lies in the northwest of Grainger Town, centered on Stowell Street. A new Chinese Arch, or paifang, providing a landmark entrance, was handed over to the City with a ceremony in 2005.
Science city
The UK's first Biotechnology Village, the "Centre for Life Centre for Life

The Centre for Life is a "science village" in the heart of the English [i] city Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

" is located in the City Centre close to the Central Station Newcastle Central station

Newcastle Central Station is the principal railway station [i] in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

. The village is the first step in the City Council's plans to transform Newcastle into a Science city .

Geography

Newcastle is situated in the North East North East England

North East England is one of the nine official regions of England [i] and comprises the combined area of ... 

 of England England

England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

, in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county [i] in the North East [i] ... 

. The city itself is located on the northern bank of the Tyne Valley River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river [i] in England [i]. ... 

 at a latitude Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter f [i] , gives the location of a place on ... 

 of 54.97°N and a longitude of 1.62°W.

The geology Geology

Geology anetary geology]] [i] refers to the application of geologic principles to other bodies of the solar... 

 of the area is most famous for its large deposits of coal Coal

Coal is a fossil fuel [i] extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining . ... 

. Whilst the local bedrock consists mainly of carboniferous rocks, millstone grit Gritstone

Gritstone is a sedimentary rock [i] composed of coarse sand grains with inclusions of small stones. ... 

 and oolite Oolite

*Geology of the United Kingdom [i]
... 

 are also present.

Climate

The climate in Newcastle is temperate, although significantly warmer than some other locations at a similar latitude due to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, wa... 

 . Being in the rain shadow Rain shadow

A rain shadow is a dry region on the surface of the Earth [i] that is leeward [i] or behind a mountain [i] ... 

 of the North Pennines Pennines

The Pennines are a mountain range [i] in England [i]. ... 

, it is among the driest cities in the UK. The prevailing winds are south-westerly due to the North Atlantic Current.

Law and government

Newcastle is governed using the leader and cabinet system, and the executive is currently Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal [i] political party [i] ... 

, as they have 48 councillors against the Labour Party's 30. No other parties hold seats Legislature

A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly [i] with the power to adopt law [i]s. ... 

 on the city's council.

Administrative districts

Newcastle has 26 electoral wards.

  • Benwell and Scotswood
  • Blakelaw
  • Byker
  • Castle
  • Dene
  • Denton
  • Gosforth
  • Elswick
  • Fawdon
  • Fenham
  • Heaton
  • Jesmond
  • Kenton
  • Lemington
  • Newburn
  • Ouseburn
  • Parklands
  • Walker Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne

    Walker is a residential suburb and electoral ward [i] just east of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

  • Walkergate
  • Westerhope
  • Westgate
  • Wingrove
  • Woolsington


  • Demographics


    Population

    According to the UK Government Politics of the United Kingdom

    Politics of the United Kingdom [i] take place in the framework of a parliamentary [i] ... 

    's 2001 census United Kingdom Census 2001

    * Demographics of England from the 2001 United Kingdom census [i]
    ... 

     , the unitary authority of Newcastle has a population of around 259,500. However, the metropolitan boroughs of North Tyneside North Tyneside

    North Tyneside is a metropolitan borough [i] in the North East [i] of England [i], pa ... 

     , South Tyneside South Tyneside

    !colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|Borough of South Tyneside
    ... 

      and Gateshead Gateshead

    Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear [i] in north-east England [i] on the south side of the River Tyne [i] ... 

      are also part of Newcastle's conurbation, giving the Newcastle-Gateshead metropolitan area a population of 799,000. According to the same statistics, the average age of people living in Newcastle is 37.8 . 93.1% of the population are of White ethnic background . Other ethnic groups in Newcastle, in order of population size, are Pakistani Demographics of Pakistan

    Pakistan [i] has an estimated population of over 166 million inhabitants in 2006 [i]. ... 

     at 1.9% and India India

    India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

    ns at 1.2%. There are also small but significant Chinese and Jewish populations.

    Religion


    The city is largely Christian at 70.6%, with Islam Islam

    Islam is a monotheistic [i] religion [i] based upon the Qur'an [i], which adherents believe w ... 

      the only other significantly practised religion Religion

    Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of belief [i]s or attitudes concerning ... 

    . A large number have no religion.
    Christianity
    Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
    Newcastle has two cathedral Cathedral

    A cathedral is a Christian [i] church [i] building, specifically of a denomination with an... 

    s, the Anglican Anglicanism

    The term Anglican is used to describe the people, institutions, and churches as well as the liturgi... 

     St. Nicholas Newcastle Cathedral

    Newcastle Cathedral is a Church of England [i] cathedral [i] in Newcastle-upon-Tyne [i], Tyne and Wear [i]... 

    , with its elegant lantern tower of 1474, and the Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Church

    The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church is the Christian [i] Church [i] ... 

     St. Mary's St Mary's Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne

    St Mary's Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral [i] in Newcastle upon Tyne [i], England [i], the mot ... 

    , designed by Augustus Welby Pugin. Both cathedrals began their lives as parish churches. St Mary's became a cathedral in 1850 and St Nicholas' in 1882. Cardinal Basil Hume Basil Cardinal Hume

    Basil Cardinal Hume OM [i] OSB [i] was an English prelate, the Archbishop of Westminster [i] ... 

    , Archbishop of Westminster Archbishop of Westminster

    The Archbishop [i] of Westminster [i] heads the Catholic [i] Archdiocese of Westminster [i], England. ... 

      was born in the city in 1923. A statue of the Cardinal, , stands outside St Mary's Cathedral in a memorial garden dedicated to the religious leader.
    Judaism

    No records exist of Jew Jew

    Jews are followers of Judaism [i] or, more generally, members of the Jewish people , an ethno [i]... 

    s being resident in Newcastle before 1830 although there is a tradition that the community dates from 1775. It is thought, however, that over 500 years prior to this Jews resided in Silver Street . Sir Israel Brodie, the first Chief Rabbi to be knighted, was born in Newcastle in 1895.

    Health

    Of the population, 11.8% described themselves as "not healthy" in the 12 months before the 2001 census, compared to a national average of 9.2%. Additionally, 21.6% of the inhabitants said they had a long-term illness, as against 18.2% nationally.

    Newcastle Hospitals Trust One has one of the lowest mortality rates in the country and is ranked second in the country for confidence in doctors. Staffing levels are high - in the top 70 in England for doctors and the top ten for nurses. Newcastle has three large teaching hospitals: the Royal Victoria Infirmary, whose organ donor system has been featured on television; the Newcastle General Hospital and the Freeman Hospital, which is Britain's best transplant centre .

    Transport and infrastructure


    Air

    Located on the northern outskirts of the city, near Ponteland, is Newcastle Airport, which has recently been rebranded as Newcastle International. The airport currently handles over five million passengers per year, and is the one of the fastest growing airports in the UK. As of 2006, more than 80 destinations are available world-wide. It is currently the UK's ninth biggest airport. A large scale development in unused land near the edge of the city close to the airport should help growth further. The development is called Newcastle Great Park. If Newcastle's super casino bid is a success then that should also contribute to growth.

    Bus

    Newcastle and the surrounding area has an extensive bus network that is coordinated by , the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

    The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, using the brandname of Nexus, is the Passenger Transport Executive [i]... 

    . Buses are operated mainly by Go North East Go-Ahead Group

    The Go-Ahead Group is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the liberalisation of ... 

    , Arriva Arriva

    Arriva plc is a UK [i]-based international public transport operator, headquartered in Sunderland [i]... 

     and Stagecoach North East Stagecoach North East

    Stagecoach North East is a major operator of bus [i] services in North East England [i]. ... 

    .

    Quayside Transit, a £5m bus scheme using ultra low emission hybrid diesel-electric vehicles Hybrid vehicle

    A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle using an on-board rechargeable energy storage system [i] and a fuelled pow... 

     was launched in July 2005. Transport planners have been disappointed by slow take-up of the service.

    Metro

    In 1904, the North Eastern Railway built an electric suburban railway serving both banks of the Tyne, and the northern suburbs. The system was transformed into the Tyne and Wear Metro Tyne and Wear Metro

    The Tyne and Wear Metro is a light rail metro [i] system based around Newcastle upon Tyne [i] and Sunderland [i] ... 

     which opened in 1980, and extends as far as Newcastle Airport Newcastle Airport

    Newcastle Airport is the ninth largest airport [i] in the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

    , Tynemouth Tynemouth

    Tynemouth is a village and historic resort in Tyne and Wear [i], England [i], situated at the mouth of t ... 

     and South Hylton in Sunderland Sunderland

    Sunderland is a city and port in the City of Sunderland [i] metropolitan borough, in the county of Tyne and Wear [i] ... 

    . The system is one of only four underground systems Rapid transit

    A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) sy... 

     in the United Kingdom United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

    .

    The Metro is usually described as Britain's first modern light rail Light rail

    Light rail or light rapid transit is a form of urban rail transit [i] that typically uses less ma ... 

     system. It carries approximately 40 million passenger journeys per year, and is co-ordinated by the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive

    The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive, using the brandname of Nexus, is the Passenger Transport Executive [i]... 

    . It is the second biggest metropolitan train system in the UK.

    Rail



    Newcastle is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line East Coast Main Line

    The East Coast Main Line is a major railway [i] line in the United Kingdom [i], linking London [i] and Edinburgh [i] ... 

     and Cross Country Route.
    The central station Newcastle Central station

    Newcastle Central Station is the principal railway station [i] in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

     was the first covered railway station in the world and was much copied across the UK. It has a fine neoclassical frontage originally designed by the architect John Dobson and was constructed in collaboration with Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson

    Robert Stephenson FRS [i] was an English [i] civil engineer [i]. ... 

    . The station was opened in 1850 by Queen Victoria Victoria of the United Kingdom

    Victoria was the Queen [i] of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland [i] ... 

    , with the first services being operated by the North Eastern Railway company.

    Today, train operator GNER Great North Eastern Railway

    Great North Eastern Railway is a British [i] train operating company, owned by Sea Containers Ltd [i] ... 

     provides a half-hourly frequency of trains to London London

    London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

    , with a journey time of a little less than three hours. Virgin Trains Virgin Trains

    Virgin Trains is a train operating company [i] ... 

    , Northern Rail and Transpennine Express First TransPennine Express

    First TransPennine Express is a train operating company [i] ... 

     operate regular services to many other destinations including Birmingham Birmingham

    Birmingham is a city [i] and metropolitan borough [i] in the West Midlands [i] ... 

    , Bristol Bristol

    Bristol is a city [i], unitary authority [i] and ceremonial county [i] ... 

    , Cardiff Cardiff

    Cardiff is the capital [i] of Wales [i] and its largest city [i]. ... 

    , Carlisle Carlisle

    Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England [i], some 16 km from the border with Scotland [i] ... 

    , Edinburgh Edinburgh

    Edinburgh is the capital [i] of Scotland [i] and its second-largest city [i] ... 

    , Glasgow Glasgow

    The city was formerly a royal burgh [i], and was known as the "Second City [i] of the British Empire [i] ... 

    , Leeds Leeds

    Leeds is a major city in the northern English [i] county of Yorkshire [i] and the urban ... 

    , Liverpool Liverpool

    Liverpool is a city [i] and metropolitan borough [i] in North West England [i]... 

     and Sheffield Sheffield

    !colspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"|City of Sheffield
    ... 

    .

    The city's other mainline station, Manors, is situated to the north east of the city centre.

    Road

    Major roads in the area include:
    • A1 A1 road

      The A1 is the longest numbered road [i] in the UK at 409 mile [i]s long.... 

       , stretching north/south between London London

      London is the capital [i] city of England [i] and of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

       and Edinburgh Edinburgh

      Edinburgh is the capital [i] of Scotland [i] and its second-largest city [i] ... 

    • A19 heading south past Sunderland Sunderland

      Sunderland is a city and port in the City of Sunderland [i] metropolitan borough, in the county of Tyne and Wear [i] ... 

       and Middlesbrough Middlesbrough

      This is the article on the town, for the article on the football club see Middlesbrough F.C. [i]

    ... 

     to York York

    York is a city [i] in Northern [i] England [i], at th ... 

     and Doncaster Doncaster

    Doncaster is a town in the English [i] county of Yorkshire [i], and the principal settlement of ... 


    • A69 leading west to Carlisle Carlisle

      Carlisle is a city in the extreme northwest of England [i], some 16 km from the border with Scotland [i] ... 

    • A1058 "coast road" which runs from Jesmond to the east coast between Tynemouth Tynemouth

      Tynemouth is a village and historic resort in Tyne and Wear [i], England [i], situated at the mouth of t ... 

       and Cullercoats Cullercoats

      Cullercoats is an urban area of North East England [i], now absorbed into the Tyneside [i] conurbation, ... 



    Sea

    Newcastle also has access to an international Ferry Ferry

    A ferry is a form of transport, usually a boat [i] or ship [i], carrying passengers and sometimes their ... 

     Terminal, located at nearby North Shields, offering services to destinations including Amsterdam Amsterdam

    , the official capital [i] of the Netherlands [i], lies on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ bay [i] ... 

    , Kristiansand Kristiansand

    Kristiansand is a city and municipality [i], and the capital of the county [i] ... 

    , Gothenburg Gothenburg

    Gothenburg ) is a city [i] and municipality [i] in the p ... 

    , Stavanger Stavanger

    Stavanger is a city and municipality [i] in the county [i] o ... 

    , Haugesund Haugesund

    Haugesund is a city and municipality [i] in the county [i] o ... 

     and Bergen Bergen

    Bergen, in the county [i] of Hordaland [i], is the second largest city in Norway [i]. ... 

    .

    The ferry to Gothenburg, Sweden Sweden

    The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country [i] in Scandinavia [i]. ... 

     , will cease at the end of October 2006. The company cited high fuel price Oil price increases of 2004-2006

    The price of standard crude oil [i] on NYMEX [i] was under $25/barrel in September 2003. ... 

    s and new competition Competition

    Competition is the act of striving against another force for the purpose of achieving dominance or attai... 

     from low-cost air services Low-cost carrier

    A low-cost carrier or low cost airline is an airline [i] that offers generally low fares in exchan ... 

    , especially Ryanair Ryanair

    irline=Ryanair|
    logo=Ryanair_Logo.png|
    ... 

     , as being the cause. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, will continue to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, including Newcastle, and these have limited capacity for passengers, but not private vehicles. It is unclear if the Newcastle-Kristiansand route will continue.

    Sport

    The City has a strong sporting tradition, being home to Premiership FA Premier League

    The FA Premier League ', founded in 1992, is a league competition for football [i] clubs lo ... 

     football Football

    Football is the name given to a number of different, but related, team sport [i]s. ... 

     team Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C.

    Newcastle United Football Club is an English [i] professional football [i] team [i] ba ... 

    , and Guinness Premiership rugby union Rugby union

    Rugby union is a variant of rugby football [i]. ... 

     side Newcastle Falcons Newcastle Falcons

    The Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union [i] team currently playing in the Guinness Premiership [i]. ... 

    , for whom England player Jonny Wilkinson Jonny Wilkinson

    Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE [i] is an English [i] rugby union [i] ... 

     features.

    The city's Metro Radio Arena is home to Newcastle Vipers ice hockey Ice hockey

    Ice hockey, referred to simply as hockey in Canada [i] and the United States [i], is a team sport [i] ... 

     team, and Newcastle Eagles basketball Basketball

    Basketball is a sport [i] in which two teams of five players each try to score points on one another by ... 

     team. The City's Speedway Motorcycle speedway

    Motorcycle speedway, or more often just Speedway is a motor racing [i] sport [i] that uses special ... 

     team Newcastle Diamonds are based at Brough Park in Byker, a venue that is also home to greyhound racing Greyhound racing

    Greyhound racing is the sport [i] of racing [i] greyhound [i]s. ... 

    . The greatest Speedway rider of all time, Ivan Mauger, who hailed from New Zealand was World Champion six times and rode for the Diamonds in the 1960's. Newcastle Racecourse at High Gosforth Park holds regular meets, including the prestigious race for the Northumberland Plate, first run in 1838, which takes place in June each year.

    Newcastle also hosts the start of the annual BUPA BUPA

    BUPA is a healthcare [i] organisation with bases on four continents and more than eight million customer ... 

     Great North Run, the world's largest half-marathon Marathon

    The marathon is a long-distance road running [i] event of 42.195 km . ... 

     in which participants famously race over the Tyne Bridge into Gateshead Gateshead

    Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear [i] in north-east England [i] on the south side of the River Tyne [i] ... 

     and then towards the finish line 13.1 miles away on the coast at neighbouring South Shields South Shields

    South Shields is a coastal town in South Tyneside [i], Tyne and Wear [i], England [i] on the south bank ... 

    . Another famous athletic event is the 10k Blaydon Race, which has taken place annually in nearby Blaydon, since 1981, on June 9 to commemorate the celebrated Blaydon Races horse races.

    Education

    The city has two universities, Newcastle University University of Newcastle upon Tyne

    Newcastle University is a British university located in Newcastle upon Tyne [i] in the north of England [i] ... 

     which earned the coveted Sunday Times University of the Year award in 2000 and the newer Northumbria University Northumbria University

    ... 

     that was established in 1992 and was voted 'Best New University' by the Times Good University Guide 2005.

    There are eleven LEA-funded 11 to 18 schools and seven independent schools with sixth forms in Newcastle. The largest independent school is the Royal Grammar School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle

    Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Grammar School, known locally as The RGS, is a long-established independent school [i]... 

     located in Jesmond. There are a number of successful state schools, including Gosforth High School, Heaton Manor, St Cuthbert's, Kenton School and Sacred Heart. Newcastle College is the largest general further education college in the North East, and there are two smaller colleges in the Newcastle area. Newcastle College is also one of the select few beacon colleges in the United Kingdom.

    Some 45% of Newcastle's school pupils live in wards which are amongst the 10% most deprived in England.

    Culture


    Dialect

    The local Geordie dialect is a rich, living dialect that reflects the city's virtues and vices. The Geordie dialect is more than an alternative pronunciation of English English language

    English is a widely distributed language that originated in England [i] but is now the primary language ... 

    . There is a large amount of vocabulary that does not exist in other parts of England England

    England is the largest and most populous constituent country [i] of the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

    , and words often have different meanings. Much of the dialect can be traced back to the Old Norse Old Norse

    Old Norse is the Germanic language [i] spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia [i] a ... 

     and Old English Old English language

    Old English is an early form of the English language [i] that was spoken in parts of what is now England [i] ... 

     languages and certain words are very similar to their equivalents in modern Swedish.

    Entertainment


    Bars and clubs
    Newcastle has a reputation for being a fun-loving city with many bars, restaurants and nightclub Nightclub

    A nightclub is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark.... 

    s. More recently, Newcastle has become popular as a destination for Stag and Hen Hen party

    A hen party is a party held for a woman who is about to be married [i]. ... 

     parties. Newcastle was also given 7th place in the 'Worldwide best places for a Night-Out', in 2000. Also 'The Rough Guide to Britain' has placed the nightlife in Newcastle upon Tyne as the top attraction in Great Britain for tourists

    The majority of drinking venues in Newcastle are located in one of three main areas. The oldest of these is the Bigg Market, long-established as a favourite haunt for locals, followed by the trendy Quayside Quayside

    The Quayside is the area along the banks of the River Tyne [i] between the cities [i] of Newcastle upon Tyne [i]... 

     area, a spectacular mix of modern and traditional architecture which creates a fantastic backdrop for a sometimes frantic Saturday night. However over recent years these have become the haunts of Charvers Chav

    Chav is a slang [i] term in the United Kingdom [i] which appeared in mainstream dictionaries in 2005 [i] ... 

     and the visiting Stag and Hen parties. Many locals now prefer the bars along Collingwood Street, Neville Street and the Central Station Newcastle Central station

    Newcastle Central Station is the principal railway station [i] in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

     area as well as the bars and restaurants of Osborne Road in the Jesmond area of the city.

    Another new area is "The Gate", which is a new indoor complex consisting of bars, upmarket clubs, restaurants and a 12-screen Empire Empire Cinemas

    Empire Cinemas is a multiplex cinema [i] chain in the United Kingdom [i]. ... 

     multiplex cinema Movie theater

    A movie theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing movie [i]s. ... 

    .

    The city also boasts a vibrant and growing gay 'scene' located around the Centre for Life area west of Central Station Newcastle Central station

    Newcastle Central Station is the principal railway station [i] in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne [i] ... 

    .
    Outdoor pursuits
    The Hoppings, reputedly the largest t