Howdon
Encyclopedia
Howdon is a place in Tyne and Wear
, England
.
Howdon is an area in the eastern part of Wallsend
, a former coal-mining and shipbuilding town on the north banks of the River Tyne.
Most of Howdon was built after the Second World War, as the consequence of a drive for improved, low-cost housing for working-class families. This housing was mainly in the public sector, being owned and maintained by the local council. It was built on what had been agricultural land to the north of the main railway line (from Newcastle to Tynemouth) that was to separate the new council housing from the older, industrial area of Willington Quay, where a great deal of housing had either been destroyed by wartime bombing, or by programmes of slum clearance.
Although most of the housing in Howdon belonged to the local council, a number of privately owned and rented properties always existed in the centre of the area. Since right-to-buy legislation was introduced in the 1980s, many former council tenants have bought their homes, which has resulted in a large percentage of former council properties becoming privately owned.
Apart from the railway, Howdon was separated from the industry of Willington Quay by Howdon Park, that featured tennis courts, bowling greens, a children's play area (including a paddling pool) and flower beds. This fell into disarray but was partly restored, due to pressure from the local community, during the 1990s.
Similar pressure led to the foundation of the Howdon Community Centre, situated on the site of the former Willington Middle School on Denbigh Avenue.
Other amenities in Howdon include a small library, and shops along Tynemouth Road and at the southern end of Churchill Street. Close to the library is a set of dwellings that were once used to house police officers and their families. It also once functioned as a police station.
Howdon was also once home to a maternity hospital (although it was called the Willington Quay Maternity Hospital). With much local resistance to the decision, the hospital was closed in the 1970s.
Before World War Two, the north end of Churchill Street was divided between colliery and agricultural land. During WW2, a secret military installation was said to exist in this area. Later, the Willington Square flats (known locally as the "14-storeys"or "14as") were built here. These three tower blocks became a Tyneside landmark, and were featured in the film version of the BBC sitcom Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? They were demolished in the 1990s to make way for low-lying housing.
On the other side of Churchill Street, the land became derelict until the building of Willington High School in the 1960s. Rumour had it that the school was built back-to-front, so that the rear of the school faced onto the main street. The school is now named Churchill Community College.
The area is bordered by the areas of Rosehill and Holy Cross to the west, Hadrian Park and New York to the north and North Shields
and Percy Main to the east, as well as Willington Quay to the south. There is also a small community suburb called East Howdon, which is located between Percy Main and the Tyne River. Since being bypassed it is quite isolated. As such it has a very close community feel with one local pub, two social clubs and a community centre all belonging to three streets.
Howdon is served by Howdon Metro station
on the Tyne and Wear Metro
.
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Howdon is an area in the eastern part of Wallsend
Wallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, a former coal-mining and shipbuilding town on the north banks of the River Tyne.
Most of Howdon was built after the Second World War, as the consequence of a drive for improved, low-cost housing for working-class families. This housing was mainly in the public sector, being owned and maintained by the local council. It was built on what had been agricultural land to the north of the main railway line (from Newcastle to Tynemouth) that was to separate the new council housing from the older, industrial area of Willington Quay, where a great deal of housing had either been destroyed by wartime bombing, or by programmes of slum clearance.
Although most of the housing in Howdon belonged to the local council, a number of privately owned and rented properties always existed in the centre of the area. Since right-to-buy legislation was introduced in the 1980s, many former council tenants have bought their homes, which has resulted in a large percentage of former council properties becoming privately owned.
Apart from the railway, Howdon was separated from the industry of Willington Quay by Howdon Park, that featured tennis courts, bowling greens, a children's play area (including a paddling pool) and flower beds. This fell into disarray but was partly restored, due to pressure from the local community, during the 1990s.
Similar pressure led to the foundation of the Howdon Community Centre, situated on the site of the former Willington Middle School on Denbigh Avenue.
Other amenities in Howdon include a small library, and shops along Tynemouth Road and at the southern end of Churchill Street. Close to the library is a set of dwellings that were once used to house police officers and their families. It also once functioned as a police station.
Howdon was also once home to a maternity hospital (although it was called the Willington Quay Maternity Hospital). With much local resistance to the decision, the hospital was closed in the 1970s.
Before World War Two, the north end of Churchill Street was divided between colliery and agricultural land. During WW2, a secret military installation was said to exist in this area. Later, the Willington Square flats (known locally as the "14-storeys"or "14as") were built here. These three tower blocks became a Tyneside landmark, and were featured in the film version of the BBC sitcom Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? They were demolished in the 1990s to make way for low-lying housing.
On the other side of Churchill Street, the land became derelict until the building of Willington High School in the 1960s. Rumour had it that the school was built back-to-front, so that the rear of the school faced onto the main street. The school is now named Churchill Community College.
The area is bordered by the areas of Rosehill and Holy Cross to the west, Hadrian Park and New York to the north and North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
and Percy Main to the east, as well as Willington Quay to the south. There is also a small community suburb called East Howdon, which is located between Percy Main and the Tyne River. Since being bypassed it is quite isolated. As such it has a very close community feel with one local pub, two social clubs and a community centre all belonging to three streets.
Howdon is served by Howdon Metro station
Howdon Metro station
Howdon Metro station is a station on the Yellow line of the Tyne and Wear Metro network, in Howdon, North Tyneside, UK.It was opened in June 1839 by the Newcastle & North Shields Railway, which later became part of the North Tyneside Loop served by the North Eastern Railway...
on the Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
.