'L'-shaped terrace of houses and flats. 1974-6 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Shepherd Construction Limited. Pale brick and brown weatherboarding, on timber frame with yellow and red eaves. Blue metal roofs with plywood box beams purlins. Two storeys with weatherboarded attic storey to corner over nos. 21 Headlam Street and nos. 21-22 Spires Lane, with projecting single-storey community room at corner of Headlam Street and Spires Lane. Carriage arch under nos. 21-22 Spires Lane. Nos. 7-17 Headlam Street and nos. 21-22 Spires Lane are flats. Distinctive yellow weatherboarded eaves to Headlam Street, with red vertical struts between first-floor windows. Brown weatherboarding to nos. 4, 5 and 6 Grace Street, which have plastic door hoods and blue doors and windows to rear. 7-19 have brown weatherboarded projecting porches with metal roofs. Community room with green weatherboarding and steep-pitched roof with broad timber entrance porch to rear; Nos. 18-20 Spires Lane with green weatherboarded fronts to projecting porches under blue metal roofs. Brown timber windows except where noted above, in timber subframes and with aluminium opening lights; red and blue doors with glazed panel, some renewed in hardwood. Interiors not inspected but understood not to be of special interest. Attached brick garages to the rear of nos. 18-21 Spires Lane. Short spur fences between the houses and pairs of flats. This is a complex and pivotal group at the corner of the Grace Lee development.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.'The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, LISTED GRADE 2*

Terrace of three houses. 1974-6 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Shepherd Construction Limited. Pale brick and red weatherboarding on timber frame with yellow eaves struts. Blue metal roofs with plywood box beam purlins. Two storeys. Big brown timber windows, timber doors. Interiors not inspected but understood not to be of special interest. Attached garden fences to front.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

`Stilt' block of flats. 1974-6 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Shepherd Construction Limited. Pale brick and red weatherboarding on concrete blockwork cross-wall frame over reinforced concrete open ground floor with exposed concrete stilts. Blue metal roof with plywood box beam purlins. Three storeys including open ground floor. Some yellow weatherboard struts to eaves, red balconies under plastic sheet roofs, that to right of two storeys. Entrance stairs under similar roofs reached in Grace Street; the balconies and living rooms however overlook Headlam Street. Interiors not inspected but understood not to be of special interest.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Detached house. 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Fairclough Building Limited. Grey brick with brown weatherboarding to entrance front and black weatherboarding to garden front, monopitch blue metal roof. Square plan, three storeys with first-floor living room. Projecting single-storey entrance porch with timber door under blue metal sloping roof; blue door hood to garden front. Timber windows; those to garden front larger and with aluminium opening lights. End black bird box. Timber doors. Interiors not inspected but not considered to be of special interest. Green fence to side. Stone walling to front retained from development previously on the site. Interiors not inspected but understood not to be of special interest. A prominent house on the brow of the hill.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Three terraces of houses, one pair of houses and one `stilt' block of flats. 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Fairclough Building Limited.. Pale metric modular brick cladding to concrete blockwork cross-wall construction, with concrete Marley Modern tiled roof save to flats (nos 10-14 even). Two storeys, save for stilt block of flats of three storeys raised over open ground floor.

Nos. 1-5 (odd) have blue weatherboarding to front, with brown and blue at first floor level; green fences to rear. The gap between nos. 5 and 7 is filled by bird boxes, heating link and pergola. Nos. 7-17 (odd) with brown weatherboarding to front, with blue spurs between first-floor windows; projecting brick porches with fronts clad in weatherboarding. Nos. 2-8 have blue and brown first-floor weatherboarding to front set between windows, and red brick retaining walls to front. Nos. 2-4 (even) have green weatherboarding and brick fences to rear. Nos. 10-14 (even) are three-storey flats entered via open stairs to left. Green balcony, and green fencing underneath. South-facing front overlooking dramatic fall in hillside, has blue balconies. Red brick retaining walls and brown fences a part of the composition.

Nos. 16-30 (even) are fully weatherboarded, with red to nos. 16-22 and 26, brown to no. 24 and blue to nos. 28 and 30. Bird box to no. 16, projecting porches to nos. 20 and 22, 26-30; nos. 16, 18 and 24 with blue metal door hoods. Bird box to no. 30. Red brick retaining walls with brown fences. Windows of timber in timber subframes with aluminium opening lights, save to no. 17 which have been renewed in upvc. Timber doors, some renewed in hardwood. Interiors not inspected but not considered to be of special interest.

Blue timber pergola with plastic sheet roof an integral part of the design. A good late group on the top of the hill.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Two parallel terraces forming a mirrored pair across Jane Street. 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Fairclough Building Limited. Pale metric modular brick cladding to concrete blockwork cross-wall construction, with concrete Marley Modern tiled roof. Nos. 1 and 2 of three storeys, the rest of two. Blue weatherboarding to nos. 1-7, with brick porches, and first-floor windows treated as a continuous strip with blue weatherboarded vertical punctuations. Nos. 2-8 with brick porches and brown weatherboarding; no. 2 with green door hood instead of a porch. Windows of timber in timber subframes with aluminium opening lights. Timber doors. Interiors not inspected but not considered to be of special interest. The two terraces are linked by a fence, with a central timber arch, and have green fences to their rears. An unusual and distinctive group on the brow of the hill.
The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp LISTED GRADE 2*

Single house, linking Mount Pleasant House (q.v.) to Hare and Hounds public house next door (not included). 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Fairclough Building Limited. Pale metric modular brick cladding to concrete blockwork cross-wall construction, with brown vertical weatherboarding and tiled roof. Two storeys. Windows of timber in timber subframes with aluminium opening lights. Timber doors. Interiors not inspected but not considered to be of special interest.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Sheltered housing. 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor Fairclough Building Limited. Pale metric modular brick cladding to concrete blockwork cross-wall construction, with some exposed steelwork and precast cantilevers for balconies; flat roof. Two storeys. Entrance to east with full-height glazed triangular window lighting principal stair. Exposed brown steel sections to this entrance. Brown weatherboarded eaves and projecting red-brown balcony. Windows of timber in timber subframes with aluminium opening lights. Timber door. Interiors not inspected but not considered to be of special interest. A good example of the high provision for the elderly and disabled in the Byker redevelopment.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Nos. 1-43 Long Headlam, 1-81 Felton Walk, RC St. Lawrence Church, church hall, 1-28 Byker Crescent, 1-8 Headlam House (including shop), 1-12 Felton House. Perimeter block of maisonettes, with two link blocks and attached church and church hall. 1972-5 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor, Stanley Miller Ltd. Church of c.1895, architect not known. In situ concrete cross wall construction, with concrete strip foundations and ground beams, clad in strong brown, red, orange and buff patterned metric modular brick patterning to road elevations, red and buff brick to inner face, with white eternit panels to upper floors and elaborate timber detailing at all levels. Concrete block construction clad in pale metric modular brick for link blocks (Headlam House and Felton House). Pre-cast cantilever brackets cast into cross walls. Pale blue sheet metal roofs, with projecting lift and stair towers rising to metal-clad points and forming important townscape features. Five-eight storeys, with carriageway openings on to main road (Conyers Road), and one-and two-storey infill linking Felton Walk, St Lawrence's church and Byker Crescent. Two-storey family maisonettes at ground-floor level, set within walled gardens on inner face, with smaller maisonettes above accessed from balconies on every third level. These balconies are semi-independent structures to reduce noise, with a seat or planting box covering the gap between the balcony and the building. Living rooms and bedrooms are set above or below the entrance level, which has kitchen-diners with entrance doors set in pairs. Balconies to bedrooms double as fire escape routes. All windows of timber in timber sub-frames, with aluminium opening lights, mainly sliding. Double-glazed units to the tiny north side windows (kitchens, stairs and bathrooms only), with yellow and red projecting ventilators a prominent feature.

Long Headlam has brown balconies and built-in seats, with red enclosed projecting balconies at ends where the access galleries meet the lifts and stairs. Felton Walk of five storeys, with brown balconies and access galleries. The maisonettes on the ground floor have blue metal door hoods, green fences and built-in seats. Retaining wall abuts St Lawrence's Church, with community rooms in infill space. The exterior face with particularly large-scale and bold patterns. Blue fences to ground floor and pergolas on this face.

St Lawrence's (RC) Church of roughly dressed sandstone, slate roof. Four and a half bays, with broad entrance front facing compass east having corner spirelet. Lancet windows and arcade under broad hoods. Heavily dentiled eaves cornice to side. Entrance between inset half columns and roll mouldings under pointed hood, with cross, as there is to gable end. Rear vestry with little buttresses. Interior not inspected. The retention of the old public buildings, including churches, was a key feature of Erskine's concept for Byker, but St Lawrence's, being built into the wall, demonstrates this concept exceptionally and forms a strong group and visual contrast. Community rooms to side entered from Byker Crescent, with red timber pergola denoting entrance and giving striking accent to church, and stepped blue metal roofs incorporating dormers within red timber eaves. The interiors of the community rooms (inspected) are not of special interest.

Byker Crescent is of five storeys and forms a prominent semi-circle at the north-east corner of the estate. Brown balconies and access galleries with red-brown enclosures at ends of access galleries by lifts and stairs. Red timber part infill to top of carriage entrance in centre of crescent.

Headlam House (link block) has corner shop on ground floor and eighteen flats or maisonettes. Pale modular metric brick with brown timber balconies on concrete block cross-wall construction with precast cantilevers for balconies, blue metal roofs. Three-four storeys. Brown balconies, including south-facing balconies under eaves where block drops in height. Brown access gallery at second floor links to Long Headlam, and brown too are the metal door hoods to flats.

Felton House (link block) of three and four storeys. The top flat is reached up concrete external stairs under plastic sheet shelter, and has south-facing windows over the roofs. Green balconies, and brown and green timber linking walkway at second-storey links with Felton Walk. Red doors, and brown end balcony facing south. Brown fences to ground-floor units.

The interiors of the maisonettes simple, some with built-in counters separating kitchen and dining areas.

The Byker area first extensively developed in the 1890s was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area from a proposed inner motorway to be built along the line of the present relief road and the metro, and this was revised by May 1968 after a Conservative majority had come to power. In 1969 Ralph Erskine was recommended by the Housing Design and Programme Working Group to undertake responsibility for the Byker Redevelopment, initially to reappraise the proposals made by the Housing Architect's Department the previous year. He endorsed the building of a barrier block, and based his design on that for his uncompleted mining town of Svappavaara, Sweden (1963), where a barrier block was conceived as way of creating a microclimate in its south-facing lee. Something of the same effect is achieved here, and the south-facing balconies and flats also make the most of the remarkable views. `Lack of windows on the outer side, and the forest of red and yellow ventilators, make it look very strong, yet the decorative style appears casual ... If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333). The modular metric brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The design of the wall reflected Newcastle's policy by the late 1960s of not placing family units above the ground floor, while the small upper maisonettes reflected the large need for one-bedroomed accommodation to serve the high proportion of elderly people then forming the Byker community. This was the second phase of the wall to be built, and abuts Shipley Rise (q.v.) and Bamburgh Terrace (q.v.)

Sources
Progressive Architecture, vol.60, no.8, August 1979, pp.68-73
Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333-8
Northern Architect, no. 3, January 1975, pp.30-3
Ralph Erskine's Arkitecktkontor, Summary of Architectural and Planning Aspects of the Byker Development, n.d. c.1976
Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, no. 187, October/November 1976, pp.51-5
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*

Terrace of nine houses. 1978-80 by Ralph Erskine's Arkitektkontor; site architect Vernon Gracie; structural engineer, White, Young and Partners; main contractor, Fairclough Building Limited. Red modular metric brick to entrance front, pale modular metric brick to garden fronts, with stone to no. 66; concrete Marley Modern tiled roofs. Two storeys. Green weatherboarded eaves to garden front. Brown rear porch to no. 68. Red metal hoods to front. Timber windows in timber surrounds with aluminium opening lights. Timber doors with glazed panel, some renewed in hardwood. Interiors not inspected but understood not to be of special interest. This is a prominent group overlooking an open space.

The Byker area, first extensively developed in the 1890s, was earmarked for redevelopment from the late 1950s, with a new motorway to the north. In March 1967 the Housing Architect's Department proposed the building of a barrier block to shelter the area, and this idea was supported by Ralph Erskine, who was invited to develop the area for Newcastle Corporation in 1969. His Plan of Intent, published in 1970, promised a complete redevelopment programme of housing and landscaping with cost yardsticks, while maintaining the traditions and character of the neighbourhood, and to rehouse the residents without breaking family and social ties. His achievement in rehousing 40% of the original residents on the original site was exceptional, as were his methods of keeping the community informed of development and seeking their support and suggestions for the low-rise housing. In achieving these goals Erskine sought to exploit the south-facing sloping site, to develop a system of pedestrian routes through the estate and to provide a `specific "local" individuality to each group of houses.' The estate was redeveloped in a rolling programme of no more than 250 units at a time, to try to maintain the community's infrastructure. The idea was a sheltering perimeter block, which protects the estate from traffic noise and creates a micro climate, with low-rise housing in its lee. The modular metric facing brick of 290mm x 90mm x 65mm was developed by Crossley and Sons in County Durham, in collaboration with the City of Newcastle. When mortared, it forms a 12" by 4" by 3" unit. The inventiveness of the decoration, developed following the relatively muted `pilot scheme' at Janet Square, marks Byker out from other post-war housing for bringing the humane concepts of `romantic pragmatism' with its neo-vernacular details and materials to public housing in a unique way. It is probably also the greatest achievement of this important and idiosyncratic international architect. `If there is something marvellously lighthearted about the design, this I would say is the topographical keynote of the new Byker' (Architectural Design, June 1975, p.333).

Sources
Tyne and Wear Archives
Architectural Review, December 1974, pp.346-62
Mats Egelius, Ralph Erskine, Architect, Stockholm 1990, pp.148-60 LISTED GRADE 2*