The Mitre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Encyclopedia
The Mitre is a building situated in the Benwell
area in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne
, England
. It is a Grade II listed building.
A tower house
known as Benwell Tower was built in 1221, and became the residence of the Bishop of Newcastle
in the 1880s (when Newcastle upon Tyne became a separate see
from the diocese of Durham). It became home to a branch of the Shafto family
of Bavington Hall
until the 1770s, when it was sold by Robert Shafto (the son of Bobby Shafto
, immortalised in the song of the same name).
In 1831, the present building (originally known as Benwell Towers) designed by the Tyneside
architect John Dobson
replaced the old house and has since provided a number of different functions. During World War II
it became a fire station, and then became a training centre for the National Coal Board
in 1947.
By the 1970s the building had become The Mitre pub
, before achieving national fame in 1989 as the Byker Grove youth club in the BBC
children's television
series, Byker Grove
. The final episode of Byker Grove was filmed in August 2006, and its future is unknown. Benwell Towers was put up for sale by the owners in 2007.
In June 2009 a local newspaper reported problems with Japanese knotweed
on the site, that was still said to be for sale.
In September 2010 local newspaper The Evening Chronicle reported that the building had been purchased by an individual on behalf of a community organisation. It will be used for community-based purposes, as yet unknown.
Benwell
Benwell is an area in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Benwell village was recorded in A.D. 1050 known as Bynnewalle which roughly translates as "behind the wall" or "by the wall". Referring to its position relative to Hadrian's Wall...
area in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, 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...
. It is a Grade II listed building.
A tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
known as Benwell Tower was built in 1221, and became the residence of the Bishop of Newcastle
Bishop of Newcastle
The Bishop of Newcastle is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Newcastle in the Province of York.The diocese at present covers the County of Northumberland and the Alston Moor area of Cumbria...
in the 1880s (when Newcastle upon Tyne became a separate see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
from the diocese of Durham). It became home to a branch of the Shafto family
Shafto family
The Ffolliot family were established by the 14th century at Shafto Crag, Northumberlandand adopted the alternative surname of Shafto.-Shafto of Little Bavington, Northumberland:...
of Bavington Hall
Bavington Hall
Bavington Hall is a 17th-century privately owned country house at Little Bavington in Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building.A tower house was recorded on the site in 1415, but this was replaced in the late 17th century by the Shafto family.The Shaftos acquired the estate when William...
until the 1770s, when it was sold by Robert Shafto (the son of Bobby Shafto
Bobby Shafto
Robert Shafto was an 18th-century British Member of Parliament , who was the likeliest subject of a famous North East English folk song and nursery rhyme "Bobby Shafto's Gone to Sea".-Biography:...
, immortalised in the song of the same name).
In 1831, the present building (originally known as Benwell Towers) designed by the Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
architect John Dobson
John Dobson (architect)
John Dobson was a 19th-century English architect in the neoclassical tradition. He became the most noted architect in the North of England. Churches and houses by him dot the North East - Nunnykirk Hall, Meldon Park, Mitford Hall, Lilburn Tower, St John the Baptist Church in Otterburn,...
replaced the old house and has since provided a number of different functions. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it became a fire station, and then became a training centre for the National Coal Board
National Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
in 1947.
By the 1970s the building had become The Mitre pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, before achieving national fame in 1989 as the Byker Grove youth club in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, Byker Grove
Byker Grove
Byker Grove was a British television series which aired between 1989 and 2006 and was created by Adele Rose. The show was broadcast at 5.10pm after Newsround on CBBC on BBC One...
. The final episode of Byker Grove was filmed in August 2006, and its future is unknown. Benwell Towers was put up for sale by the owners in 2007.
In June 2009 a local newspaper reported problems with Japanese knotweed
Japanese knotweed
Japanese Knotweed is a large, herbaceous perennial plant, native to eastern Asia in Japan, China and Korea...
on the site, that was still said to be for sale.
In September 2010 local newspaper The Evening Chronicle reported that the building had been purchased by an individual on behalf of a community organisation. It will be used for community-based purposes, as yet unknown.