Lightfoot Sports Stadium, Wharrier Street

HER Number:
9793

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Lightfoot Sports Stadium, Wharrier Street

Place:
Walker

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Recreational

Site Type: Broad:
Sports Building

Site Type: Specific:
Sports Centre

General Period:
20TH CENTURY

Specific Period:
Mid 20th Century 1933 to 1966

Form of Evidence:
Extant Building

Description:
1963-5 by Williamson, Faulkner Brown & Partners for Newcastle City Council. The Lightfoot Centre was conceived in the wake of the Wolfenden Report of 1960, which promoted the construction of multi purpose sports centres. When it opened in 1965 its 61m diameter 'flying saucer' dome was the largest in Europe. Its laminated timber ribs were covered in prefabricated reinforced fibreglass panels, cladding that had never been used before on this scale. Beneath the 14m high dome is an expanse of 2,300 square metres. There are two tennis courts and eight badminton courts. Refurbished 1990.

Easting:
428520

Northing:
563870

Grid Reference:
NZ428520563870

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
N. Pevsner and I. Richmond (second edition revised by J. Grundy, G. McCombie, P. Ryder, H. Welfare), 1992, The Buildings of England - Northumberland, page 498; Lynn Pearson, 2010, Played in Tyne and Wear, charting the heritage of people at play, p 24; Tyne and Wear Museums, 2008, Heart of Walker Regeneration Area, Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne - Archaeological Assessment