Newcastle's Rabbie Burns Statue

It is said that Robert Burns, that rather well-known Scottish bard, only ever left Scotland three times. The first was a brief hop over the border when in the vicinity of Coldstream; then there was an ever-so-slightly more distant jaunt to Berwick. Finally, he embarked on an especially daring five-day trip, zigzagging down to Newcastle, before returning home via Hexham and Carlisle. These adventures took place in 1787, whilst collecting orders for a book of his poems.

He stayed at Newcastle for one night, Tuesday 29th May, and does not seem to have enjoyed the experience. The few comments he spared us about his stay are not exactly filled with enthusiasm, despite the fact that his brother, William, lived and worked in the town for several years.

Then, in 1901, a statue of the man appeared in Walker Park – which, you might think, came as something of a surprise to the locals. The fact was, though, that the shipyards of Walker, at the time, were populated to some considerable extent by migrant workers from the Clyde. And these guys scrimped and scraped for five long years (as members of their ‘Walker Burns Club’ *) to raise the necessary funds for the manufacture and erection of a cast iron statue of their homeland hero – all to commemorate the one-night visit of 1787. It was some 6 feet high and sat atop a large drinking fountain (cast by Walter Macfarlane & Co of Glasgow), with the statue itself being designed by one David Watson Stevenson.

But that is not the end of the story.

Over the years the statue fell into quite a state, suffering from periodic vandalism. Local Burns’ enthusiasts stepped in in the mid-1970s, repaired it, and re-erected it (for some reason) in Heaton Park in 1975. It fared little better there, being vandalised to an even greater extent. Eventually, in 1984, it was upended, rolled down a hill and broke into several pieces. The fragments were gathered together and thrown into storage in a Jesmond Dene depot.

However, when, thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant, Walker Park was recently revamped, it was decided to have a replica made of the statue and place it on a brand new (and very high) plinth on its original spot. In case you’re wondering, the original figure was repaired, too, and placed nearby – safely tucked inside the park’s new cafe (the original water fountain base has, however, disappeared without trace). The replica (as well as the repair job on the original) were the work of Wigan-based firm, Lost Art.

Walker Park’s statue is one of only three Burns memorials in the whole of England; the other two being in London.

* Believe it or not, the very first ‘Burns Club’ was founded in Sunderland in 1804 – though this is disputed by some folk north of the border!

P.S. I have not seen for myself the old statue in the park's cafe. Can anyone confirm whether or not it is still there?

[article taken from my book Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Tales from the Suburbs - see left-hand column for further info]

Favourite Newcastle Books No.7: Newcastle upon Tyne - Mapping the City

I've had this book for some time - pretty much since it was published in 2021, in fact. It has, however, sat on my 'to read' pile for ages. It's a big one to tackle, you see, and actually rather daunting. Well, I've spent a good deal of the past week or so making my way through it; and, though I have yet to read large sections of it, I must confess that I absolutely love it. It may even be the best book on the history of Newcastle ever published.

Firstly, it's a large-format, heavily illustrated affair, that runs to in excess of 250 pages. Yes, it tells the story of the history of the city through historical maps, but it's really much, much more than that. I mean, the maps alone are utterly fabulous - a great many of which I have never seen before - but the accompanying text is superbly enlightening, and clearly very well researched. 

Furthermore, it covers a far greater area than that of the city's boundaries, spreading not only into the suburbs, but also into the far corners of Tyneside as a whole - including Tynemouth and Shields, Jarrow, Gateshead, Swalwell - and includes sections on the growth and decline of all the major industries. Shipbuilding, coal transportation & waggonways, the old Crowley works, abandoned canal schemes, tunnels, bridges, waterworks, and all sorts of civic plans (both realised and abandoned) are covered. Both the text and the maps themselves are wonderful.

Perversely, it is the illustrated tales of those proposals that didn't make it beyond the planning stage that are the most interesting and thought-provoking. The remarkable road and rail ideas, the plans for canals, botanical gardens and the extraordinary prolonged arguments and counter-arguments over the city's new 'civic centre'. As well as dozens of others - all of which could have given us a very different look to the cityscape of today.

Here's a list of the contents (click on images to enlarge):

One very slight quibble. And that is the little cityscape silhouette featured on the front cover. Strangely, several of the featured buildings have nothing to do with our Newcastle. One is an outline of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, and two of the others I have not been able to identify at all! An unfortunate oversight for what is otherwise a quite excellent and beautiful tome.

Newcastle upon Tyne: Mapping the City, by Michael Barke, Brian Robson & Anthony Champion, published by Birlinn, 2021. Published price £30, but can usually be found online a bit cheaper.