At the foot of the lane, on the east side, there is an old mansion, which is now divided into tenements, the lower part being a butcher's shop, and that adjoining, the residence of Miss Hindhaugh. The mansion was occupied by Robert Surtees more than 200 years ago. Like a great many of the houses built at that time, the rooms are low, and panelled with oak; the stairs are also of oak, having the balusters beautifully carved. There is inscribed on a mantel in one of the rooms R.S.K. 1682 (Robert and Katherine Surtees), and on a stone in the front wall of the house R.S.K. 1669. The following is scratched on a pane in one of the windows:- "Peggy Weatherly, 1772, aged 5 years 16 weeks & 5 days". The principal entrance seems at one time to have been at the east side of the house, as the pillars of the old gateway are still standing {1}. House dated 1669 RSK on quoin at left. Sandstone rubble with large irregular quoins; low-pitched roof of Welsh slate with flat gable coping. Robert Surtees, great grandfather of the historian of Durham occupied this house in the C17 {2}.

A plan of Coomb Hills Farm at Woodside from 1795 shows a wagonway with 2 pits along its length. A late branch of the Crawcrook Way, the Ryton Woodside Way. Joined with the Crawcrook Way at Barmoor {1}. The Grand Lease Colliery continued to be important to the Bishopric at the end of the 17th century. In 1700, operations were extended into the area of Ryton Woodside and a new generation of partners saw the opening of a new era in the history of Tyne coal. The rebuilt Stella waggonway joined the Crawcrook Way in Bar Moor, sharing a joint track as far as Holburn Dene. In return, by being given access to Stella staiths, the Crawcrook owners were freed from the navigation of the Crummell Ford and a new way was built to join the Stella Grand Lease Way at Hedgefield. This fusion of the two waggonways may explain the omission of the Crawcrook Way from the 1728 plan. Stella Grand Lease continued as a major colliery for another 25 years, maintaining its quota of 1400T until at least 1713. In the second quarter of the 18th century Ryton was deliberately run down and abandoned to lesser producers. The waggonway disappeared until the whole area was redeveloped in the age of the iron rail.

Aerial photographs of the area clearly show ridge and furrow ploughing extending in places right to the banks of the River Don. The ridge and furrow in the Don valley is likely to be 14th or 15th century in date {1}. Dated C14-15th.

A boat found in Mile End Road; verbal information only from Mr Donkin, sometime Librarian, South Shields {1}. "The University of Newcastle's archaeological unit is to excavate a South Shields site which is believed to contain a Viking boat. Reports of the boat have been circulating in the area for many years. In June, however, a local magistrate, Mr Harry Donkin, said that he knew it was there, 15 feet below a lane between two South Shields streets. His information came from a librarian who has since died who claimed to have seen the timbers of the boat when a trench was opened for a sewer early this century. There is no evidence to support Mr Donkin's story but research in the borough engineer's records has confirmed that a sewer was laid in the early 1900s. His story could be a confused version of a find made in 1840 (SMR 943) and reported at the turn of the century, but Mr Donkin is convinced that the boat will be found. A property firm which is developing the site has agreed to do the mechanical excavation work for the university and a group of archaeologists will take over" {2}.

"Denehead" is shown on Fryer's map of 1820. By Greenwell's map of 1828, the farm is called "Bank Top". The farm is shown on the tithe map of 1848 with a complex of small fields. The land is listed as "Inclosure (sic) part of Dene House Farm. Landowner: His grace the Duke of Northumberland. Occupier: James Hantley". The farm is also shown on Ordnance Survey first and second edition maps.

Arthur's Hill Brewery on Bell Street, Westgate Road was built by a Mr. James Burdess in 1868, and in 1870 passed into the hands of Mr. John Meikle. The brewery premises were comprised in a compact building fronting on Bell Street, Westagte Road. Described as "modern" fitted in 1890 by the famous house of Hodgson & Co., Edinburgh. The right hand portion of the first floor was taken up by the brewer's office, mash tun, brewing copper, grist case and hop stores. To the left was the fermenting room. As well as beer, Mr. Meikle was a merchant in wines, spirits and cigars. Glenlevit whisky was one his specialities. He established central offices at 14 Bigg Market, with branches at Gateshead, North and South Shields, Jarrow, Howden, Walker, Blyth and Sunderland {1}. The brewery was absorbed by Scottish brewer Archibald Arrol in 1895 and later became a confectionary factory.

The buildings are not shown on Oliver's plan of Newcastle of 1851. The complete range is shown on the first edition OS 1859. The buildings were apparently built for Carver & Co., carriers, as their stables. In 1847 the company was in Manor Street but in 1852 had moved to Trafalgar Street. Their entry in the 1853 Newcastle Directory reads: "Carver & Co agents to the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway Co. Trafalgar Street goods station (which opened in 1850) and cert proprietors Quay". There was at least one house in the stables (the present no. 9 Stepney Lane) and the 1861 census, taken on the 15th April records "Carvers Stables: 1 House: occupied by Geo Drummond veterinary surgeon, his daughter and a grandson, all from Co. Durham". In 1871 Carvers submitted a plan for the erection of a range of loose boxes in the yard to the west of the building. In 1879/80 Reuben Gregory corn miller, hay and corn merchant appears in Stepney Lane and by 1884 the name Stepney Corn and Spice Mill spears in the directories. It was thus known as a corn mill from then on. In 1897 the owner of the property T.G. Gibson submitted plans for alterations to the Stableman's House (No. 9). This showed the existing plan of the house and indicated the first floors as lofts. The drawing shows the west part of the front elevation. There is a large inn shown, one of a pair over entrance. Gregory Bros occupied the premises until 1925 when J.H. Arthur, corn miller took over.
Former Listed building description:
Warehouse and offices built in circa 1854 for Carver & Co. carriers, and later used as a corn mill. English bond brick with ashlar plinth, quoins and dressings; Welsh slate roof. 3 storeys. Symmetrical 5-bay main block and narrower 3-bay right extension. Segment-headed central wagon entrance with glinters and keystone. Round-arched loading bay through 2 upper storeys, set in round-arched recess with hoist beam in outer recess above. Doors with rusticated surrounds. Some decorative glazing.
Was listed Grade II but was demolished in 1996 after a fire and delisted.

Authorised by Act of Parliament in 1946 to provide a crossing of the river some six miles downstream of the town of Newcastle. Initially two small tunnels were constructed, of 10' 6" and 12' diameter for pedestrians and cyclists respectively. They were completed in 1951. The civil engineering contractor for the tunnels was Charles Brand and Son Ltd of London. The approach escalators with 85ft (25.9m) vertical fall were the longest continuous escalators in the world at the time and the first to permit use by cyclists {Ayris & Linsley 1994}. Listing description - The two tunnels are 900 feet long with escalator tunnels of 200 feet each. There is an entrance building at each end, single storey in red brick on a blue brick plinth, with a shallow curved concrete shell dome with asphalt roof covering. The entrance has a double opening with central and side piers. To either side are tripartite windows with central doors giving access to machinery and service points. The entrance hall has six more windows and there are six at the rear, the central pair with louvred shutters. The lift houses at either end of the tunnels are square, of red brick with chamfered corners and flat concrete roof. Interior - the entrance halls have tiled floors and a tiled green dado. To either side of the escalators are rooms containing original machinery including two Waygood-Otis electric motors. Each entrance hall has a pair of very deep escalators which are original (1951 by Waygood-Otis) each with 306 wooden steps. They are the same type as those installed to serve the London Underground. The steps are metal-backed birch plywood board with 29 maple wood cleats, with a metal fire cleat and brush (fitted later) at each side of the step to prevent cigarette ends and matches falling down the clearance between steps and skirting board. The risers are metal-backed shaped American oak boards, a type of step patented by Otis in 1928. At either side of the step there is a plywood skirting board backed by a steel angle. The handrails are made of fabric bonded rubber with steel tape inserts, running on a metal handrail guide. The escalator's balustrading, decking and side-panels are covered with green marbled linoleum secured by aluminium framing. At each escalator entrance landing, the balustrading bulkheads are in brushed aluminium. The vertical ends incorporate the switch-off key escutcheons, barrier chains, number of the escalator and at the upper ends, colour enamel filled bronze County shields for Northumberland and Durham by Martyn & Co. Ltd. The landing balustrading is clad in brushed steel panelling, incorporating a Waygood-Otis circular logo badge. Tunnels - arched and clad in tiles, green at dado with a dark green strip, and cream above. The centre of the tunnels have tile signage 'COUNTY OF NORTHUMBERLAND' and 'COUNTY OF DURHAM'. Pedestrian, cycle and road tunnels beneath the River Tyne were first proposed in 1920, but it was 1937 before the scheme was seriously taken up by the two County Councils. The pedestrian and cyclist tunnels were constructed to provide access for the large numbers of people who worked at the shipyards, lead and chemical works along the river. An average of 17,000 people travelled through the tunnels each day to get to work. The steady decline of industry greatly reduced the usage of the tunnels. The tunnels were constructed to the designs of the County Council's Engineer's Departments. The ceramic tiling was by Carter & Co of Poole. The tunnels were opened by Alfred Barnes, Minister of Transport on 24 July 1951. They were promoted as Tyneside's contribution to the Festival of Britain 1951. At their opening, the tunnels were the longest subterranean passages and the first purpose-built cycle tunnel in the UK. They were the first to be used by both cyclists and pedestrians. Only four purpose built tunnels under rivers still operate in the UK [2011]. Similar to the St. Anna tunnel in Antwerp (1931-3). The Tyne Tunnels are the only pedestrian tunnels beneath a river provided with escalators (Greenwich, 1902, and Woolwich, 1912 rely on lifts and steps). A photographic recording was made of the tunnel entrance on Tyne Street in 2006 and a Conservation Plan was completed in 2010 to develop a long term strategy to ensure the future of the tunnel. A second phase of recording was carried out by The Archaeological Practice Ltd. In 2014 during the removal of the lifts and escalators.

Authorised by Act of Parliament in 1940 to provide a crossing of the river some six miles downstream of the town of Newcastle. Initially two small tunnels were constructed, of 10' 6" and 12' diameter for pedestrians and cyclists respectively. They were completed in 1951 (SMR 1799). Further Acts authorised the vehicle tunnel and this work was undertaken between 1961 and 1967. The tunnel is 5400ft in length with a 24ft wide roadway in the 31' 3" diameter bore; the tunnel is lined with cast iron segments and reaches a maximum depth of 80ft below Ordnance Datum. The designers were Mott Hay and Anderson; the contractor for the earlier tunnels was Charles Brand and Son Ltd and for the later work Edward Nuttall, Sons and Co. Ltd {1}.

Loopholed walled pillbox.