Designated in 1975. The Conservation Area is based on the historic village of Washington (HER 352). At the heart of the village is The Green. Buildings of note include Washington Old Hall (HER 354), Dame Margaret Hall (HER 5667) and Holy Trinity Church (HER 7044). By the 1960s Spout Lane had become a busy through road, but the New Town works included the curtailment of the street. The Sunderland Highway dual carriageway now forms the northernmost boundary of the Conservation Area. The works prevented the village from being a through route, which was on balance a significant positive effect on the character of the village. The declaration of the CA in 1975 was partly in response to the designation of Washington as a New Town. The village became an oasis in the heart of a planned conurbation. The layout of the village has not changed significantly in the last 200 years. The streetscape has altered little, apart from recent residential development west of Spout Lane, and on the Borough Council site in the grounds of the former rectory. Infill developments in gap sites are somewhat unsympathetic. The majority of properties are sandstone with Welsh slate roofs and timber windows. A number of original windows have been replaced in uPVC. The oldest properties have red pantile roofs. Recent development has been in brick. Later 20th century houses on the edge of The Green and Spout Lane are a mixture of brick, pebble dash render and tile hung panels. Washington Village is set in the midst of intense mature greenery. There is a commercial core with small shops, pubs, a library, community centre and two churches.

A large and characterful design of the early 1960s by David Brown, with a reinforced concrete frame and brick cladding. The copper roof, fleche and canted side windows lend the exterior some distinction, and the interior is light, bright and airy.


In the 1950s and 1960s large council housing estates were built here by the City of Newcastle, on former agricultural land. A parish was erected in 1960 to serve this new population and in 1964 the present church was built, from designs by David Brown. In 1965 a new altar was designed by Brown, probably for the Lady Chapel.

The church has ritual east at the northwest. It is an elegant, low-key modern design, externally clad in brick, and with a reinforced concrete internal frame; the roof and spirelet are clad in copper. The ritual west entrance front has projecting eaves over a tall seven-light window with concrete mullions; below the projecting concrete window sill a double door is recessed in projecting jambs. The five-bay nave has tall, narrow windows in similar style, their shallow pointed tops breaking through the eaves. At the ritual southeast, a circular attached baptistery has a shallow copper dome and a row of small clerestory windows. The sanctuary has one tall wide window at each end.
Inside, painted reinforced concrete posts support the shallow principals, the beams turning slightly to form shallow pointed vaults. The sanctuary is raised on two steps and a wide projecting step which forms an extra platform. In 1965 a new altar was designed by David Brown and a statue was to accompany it; this was probably for the Lady Chapel, south of the sanctuary, which has a marble altar. The sanctuary and side chapels have terrazzo floors. Behind the altar is a fine new icon of Christ in Majesty by Sister Petra Clare, a Carmelite nun, replacing a crucifix.

Modern high school with striking design. Grounds include an extensive nature area, believed to be one of the largest in Europe attached to a college.

Brick substation. 1940s.

Striking design with elonged oval and circular windows.

Two former mine stores (Nos. 7 and 8) and two loading rooms (Nos. 7a and 8a) where the detonators for the mines were kept. The four buildings form a square. Built by the Tyne Divison Royal Engineers (Volunteers) Submarine Miners circa 1888. Clifford's Fort was at that time a facility for the deployment of underwater explosives to destroy enemy vessels approaching the Tyne. The explosive charges were moored at or beneath the water's surface, fired from the shore by electric cables. A narrow gauge railway track transported mines to the adjacent pier. The stores were later re-used as fish smoke houses. Currently (2006) being converted into commercial units unified with a glazed link.

Caley Fisheries Ship's Chandlers. Built in 1913 by John W. Meadows in reinforced concrete as a store for R. Hastie & Sons who were seeking to avoid a repeat of the fire that had destroyed their previous building. LOCAL LIST

Attractive brick two storey shops facing the river. Central section is three storeys, with bay window on third floor. Arched shop window and door surround with ashlar shop front. Sash windows. Occupied (in 2006) by Kristian's Takeaway.

Attractive brick two storey shops facing the river. Arched shop window and door surround with ashlar shop front. Sash windows. Occupied (in 2006) by Riverview Fisheries.

Classic and relatively unaltered example of post-war factory building with distinctive modern movement influences. Opened in 1947. Named "De La Rue Insulation Ltd" around 1960. A chipboard plant opened in 1974. In 1976 the company merged with Arborite from Coast Road. LOCAL LIST