Activity on site since 11th century. Timber hall built by William Bolbec c.1165, part of the barony of Bolbec. The barony and Benwell 'tower' passed to the Delava, Whitchester, Burchester and then to Robert de Rhodes. In 1472 Robert Rodes, the Newcastle merchant, gave his property in Benwell to Tynemouth Priory who retained it until the Dissolution in 1538. It was held by the crown, and leased out, until - in the first half of the C17 - it was split up and sold. The manor contained 1159 acres, and a plan of 1637 records its layout. A post-Dissolution rental of 1538 records: "23s 4d for the rent of the manor with the tower and other buildings and a garden and a close called South Close...and a close called North Close...". A survey of crown lands in 1608 notes that "Robert Shafto holds the Stone Tower, being the manor house and other edifices thereto belonging, with a garden and a garth and a close…". Dated C15-16th.

In 1503 the mayor and commonalty granted to Thomas Penreth a water corn mill called barrers Mill, with an adjacent close on either side of the rivulet running down to the mill. The site of the mill was at the corner of Eldon Place and Percy Street, and at one time its foundations were still to be seen in the cellar of the shop on the corner. The close extended from Barras Bridge west to Castle Leazes, and contained the miller's house, 40-50 yards west of the mill. The burn was culverted and the mill pond (shown on Hutton's map of 1770 and Cole's map of 1805) filled up for the construction of Eldon Place, and the house was demolished c. 1890. Dated C16th.

A survey of Benwell in 1578/9 includes "a stone quarry in the tenure of Toddericke and others 20s". In 1608 it is described thus: "A certain quarry of stones or slates, the ancient rent whereof was 20s in the occupation of one Toddericke and others heretofore, but now the jury present that certain slaters of Newcastle work the same, but what rent they pay or how they hold the jury cannot tell". A possible site (grid ref above) is that of the only quarry in Benwell shown on the 1st ed. 6" map, viz. on both sides of the West Road west of Fox and Hounds Lane.

Apparently alternatively known as Castle Field. Southernmost part of Newcastle's common (leaze pasture). Meadow land. Lay W of the houses on Gallowgate and Percy Street, south of Pandon (Bailey) Burn, and north of Barrack Road, perhaps the boundary with Elswick. W edge not clear. Reached from the town by Leazes Park Road. Origin of part was perhaps the same as the Town Moor, i.e. once nuns' land given to the burgesses in 1213. Some, however, was bought - in 1681, 1701. In 1873 part of Castle Leazes became Leazes Park. Today it consists of Leazes Park; Castle Leazes, open grassland; buildings, e.g. Leazes Terrace and Crescent, ?NUFC, RVI, Medical and Dental Schools, university halls of residence, houses e.g. Claremont Place. Dated C13th.

A clue to its general location lies in an award of 1519 when it was described as lying in the township of KENTON, adjoining Castell (Town) Moor. In 1489 it had been said to lie between Castell Moor E and S, field of Fenham W, Kenton N. This puts it at the extreme NW corner of the present Moor. Its corners had been marked with 4 white crosses. Date at which St. Bartholomew's nunnery acquired this ground is not yet known. In 1489 it was let to the town. It was granted at the Dissolution to John Broxholme from whom it passed to Robert Brandling of Newcastle. He continued to let it to the town who apparently bought the Moor from Charles Brandling in 1653, though argument about their title continued for some time thereafter. It is now indistinguishable from the Town Moor. Dated C15th.

Newcastle's common. Originally 900 to 1000 acres. Though initially with no written title, the burgesses had been entitled to pasture a certain number of beasts and dig for coal on the Moor from 1213. This was noted in letters patent of Edward III of 1357 where it was written that the burgesses had enjoyed "the moor and lands called Castle-Feld and Castle-More" from the time they had had Newcastle at fee farm Brand interprets Castle Moor as the Town Moor, Castle Field as Castle Leazes. Oliver argued that the Town Moor and Castle Leazes originated thus: 2 carucates of demesne land, which had been granted to the nuns of St Bartholomew, were alienated by the Scots, Earl Henry or his father King David. In 1166 they escheated to Henry II, and were not recovered by the nuns. In 1213 John gave the burgesses 110s 6d rent of escheats which he had in Newcastle, and the lands became vested in the burgesses. "It seems probable that some part of the land is now represented by the Town Moor and Castle Leazes". In 1786 Ralph Heron was killed whilst helping Vincent Lunardi, the Daredevil Aeronaut, to raise a balloon on the town moor. Heron got entangled in the guy ropes and fell 200 feet to his death. In August 1792 the Bowmen of Chevy Chase held the first annual archery competition to win a silver quiver. One of its patrons was the Duke of Northumberland. In the mid C19 the Moor was the setting for foot races against the clock. In 1822 'pedestrian' George Wilson walked 90 miles around a half mile circuit in 24 hours. 40,000 people came to watch. In 1828 Peter MacMillan walked 110 miles in 24 hours. A fortnight later his mother Mary managed 92 miles in a day - a rare instance of a woman in early professional sport. This was 'peds' racing - against the clock. Another popular sport on the Town Moor was potshare bowling. It was popular with miners across the Northumberland and Durham Coalfields. Two men would compete to throw a small bowl the furthest distance along a roped off course known as 'the mile' (which was 875 yards long). The bowl was thrown underarm so it skimmed across the turf. Many men played the game in their underwear. Thousands of spectators would gather to watch and bet on the matches. In 1855, 1870 and 1880 there were calls to ban the sport from the Moor due to 'blasphemous language' having been used and after complaints from other sportsmen using the Moor. Potshare bowling's heyday was 1870 to 1914. It continued until the 1930s. The 1870 Town Moor Improvement Act set aside a section of the Moor for recreation. The Moor was sold to the Town Council in 1885 for £2,200. Widening of the surrounding roads has had a big impact on the Town Moor. Road works on the southern edge forced the golfers to move west in 1973. The 1988 Town Moor Act defines the joint management of the Moor by the City Council and the Freeman. The total moorland area now amounts to nearly 960 acres, 349 acres of which is the central town moor. Although there are larger urban green spaces in Britain (Richmond Park in London, Sutton Park in Birmingham and Pollok Park in Glasgow are bigger), Newcastle Town Moor is the largest green space so close to a city centre. It is double the size of Hyde Park in London. It is controlled by Newcastle City Council and the Freemen of the City who have grazing rights (herbage). The intake system allows the Freemen to designate up to 100 acres for purposes other than grazing on a lease no longer than 99 years. Since 1882 (when the racecourse moved to Gosforth) the Town Moor has hosted the annual Hoppings Temperance Festival. This is now a huge funfair located next to the Great North Road. Dated C13th.

There were coal mines in the park at Scotswood in 1375/6 when the tenants and their workmen were so frightened by the owner's neighbours that they dared not work them. In 1551 there is specific reference to the coal mines in Westmore (between Scotswood and the Wall) and Eastfield (east of Benwell village, north of Elswick Road), and a more general reference in 1578/9 to the existence of mines in the manor of Benwell. Dated C14th.

"In 1367, Richard, son of John Scot, obtained licence to enclose and make a park of his wood in Benwell called the West Wood containing 200 acres. This is no doubt the origin of the name of Scotswood for the west part of Benwell township". The enclosure led to quarrels with the neighbours who broke into the park at intervals in the C14 to cut down trees, dig up coal, carry off cattle and deer, corn and hay, and take herons from their nests. The park was bounded on its west side by Denton Burn, on the south by the Tyne, and on the south-east by a dyke. Dated C14th.

The site of this stone is in fact in the township of Heddon-on-the-Wall, Northumberland, but is included here because it marks the "point which since 1292 at least has been the limit up stream of the port of Newcastle, extending from thence to Sparhawk at the mouth of the Tyne. Formerly this was the point to which the tide ascended; it was marked by a shallow rapid in the river called Hedwin Streams". Since the dredging of the river by the TIC the rapid has disappeared and the tide rises as far as Wylam Bridge. The stone, an upright post, is set in concrete, and is carved with the Newcastle arms, of 3 castles. The OS map shows it as "Tide Stone marked 1783". Tradition says that when the Lord Mayor periodically patrolled the borough during the nineteenth century, he would kiss the prettiest girl at the tide stone, and she would receive a gold coin. The ritual was stopped when it became apparent that the mayor was choosing his own relatives for this honour!

Member of the barony of Whalton, first mentioned by name in 1242. Four taxpayers in 1312. Before 1346 Fawdon was acquired by William of Heselrig, and it remained in that family until 1763, being bought by Matthew Bell of Woolsington in 1768. Maps of 1730 and the early19th century show an irregular cluster of buildings around the bend in Fawdon lane, the road from Newcastle (S) towards Brunton Lane (W). They probably formed just two steadings, one on each side of the road. These, regularised, plus Fawdon House, made up the village in the mid C19. Dated C13th.