Hills Street, Station Hotel

2 storey public house fitted into space between road and railways.
It is constructed of painted brick with stone lintels and cills. A shallow pitched felt(?) roof has a brick chimney. The later 19th century pub front has panelled stall risers, 2 large windows and a new fascia to the ground floor. Also 2 pairs of double doors and 1 older window opening are situated at the southern end. 4 Plastic windows with drip vents have replaced the 1st floor windows. 2 large lamps on brackets are fixed to the front of the building. Additions: floodlights, small covered vent. MATERIALS Brick, stone DATES c1850, frontage 1884 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This public house was built around the time of the construction of the High Level Bridge (in 1848), when the whole of the area in which it lies was transformed and Hills Street was ‘christened’ (in 1849). It was originally called the Railway Station Hotel, and was constructed on an unusually shaped plot to make the most of the space, which adds to its interest. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION The first owner appears to have been George Miller in 1851, who is recorded as owning commercial premises in Half Moon Lane a year earlier. Thomas Ridley was the next recorded landlord in 1858, but an advertisement in the Gateshead Observer in 1867 reads ‘If you want a glass of good ‘grog’ call at Michael Johnson’s Station Hotel, Hill St, Gateshead’! Prior to 1849 Hills Street was known as Slant Street. LOCAL LIST