Arthur’s Hill – This area sits north of Westgate Road, a mile from the city centre. Until 1820 – and as there was nothing much there – it was simply considered a part of Westgate. Then along came property developer Isaac Cookson who built his housing estate hereabouts in the mid-1820s. He named his new creation after his first son, Arthur, hence Arthur’s Hill.
Battlefield – This area to the east of the city centre was so named because of its fame as a venue for dog fights in the early- to mid-nineteenth century.
Bell’s Close – Probably derived from Bell’s Farm which used to occupy the spot.
Benfield – See Benton/Longbenton for the ‘Ben’ part, + field.
Benton/Longbenton – Perhaps from the Old English (OE) beonet- or bean-tun, hence ‘bean-farm’; or, possibly, ‘course/bent grass farm’ (we’re not sure which). In time, two settlements grew – ‘Long-’ and ‘Little-’, with Longbenton stemming from the fact that the village developed along a main road.
Benwell – OE bionnan walle, meaning ‘place inside the (Roman) wall’. Nothing to do with wells, we think (although, confusingly, there used to be an actual well called ‘Ben Well’ in the grounds of Benwell Towers!).
Blakelaw – Old Norse, meaning ‘black hill’.
Blucher – Early-nineteenth century pit village, named (or possibly renamed) after Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, an ally of the Duke of Wellington in the victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
Brandling Village – Now swallowed by the spread of Jesmond, this Victorian area north of the city was named after the Brandling family, who owned vast tracts of land in these parts.
Brunswick Village – Originally known as Dinnington Colliery until well into the twentieth century. The idea for the new name was probably contrived from the nearby settlements of Brunton (see Brunton), and literally means ‘the village around the farm near the burn’. The newer, south-east portion of the present-day ‘village’ (Brunswick Green) is technically in North Tyneside.
Brunton (Park, East, West, North, Bridge, etc) – Brunton means ‘farmstead by the burn’ (the river in question being the Ouse Burn).
Byker – From Old Norse by-kiarr, which translates as ‘the village marsh’.
Callerton/Black Callerton – Callerton comes from OE calfra-dun, meaning ‘hill where the calves grazed’. ‘Black’ may refer to the colour of the local soil, or to outcrops of coal.
Chapel House & Chapel Park – These two adjoining housing estates, begun in the early 1960s (the former in 1963, followed by the latter a few years later), were named after the pre-existing Chapel House farmstead which used to sit on the north side of the A69 West Road a little beyond the main road’s junction with Hillhead Road/Union Hall Road.
Cowgate – The spelling has changed little since its first mention as ‘Cougate’ in 1290. The name probably comes from the gate or road (‘gate’ can also mean ‘road’) the local farmers would use from the outlying areas to the north-west of the town to bring their livestock to the Town Moor (Nuns’ Moor) and/or Newcastle Cattle Market.
Coxlodge – The jury is out on this one. A possible explanation is that it comes from the OE cocc (‘cock’) or coc (‘cook’), both being personal names + Middle English loge (hut). Presumably, there was once a lodge of a person called ‘Cook/Cock/Cox’ in the vicinity (?).
Denton – From the OE dene-tun, which equates to ‘the enclosed farmstead or village near the dene’.
Dinnington – From OE, and means either ‘farmstead of Dunn’s people’ or ‘farmstead of the people on the hill’.
Dumpling Hall – The housing estate which now bears this name derives the label from the farm which used to occupy the spot. The word ‘dumpling’ may mean ‘small lump/bump’, indicating that the farm was situated on a low lying hill (which it did, on rising land overlooking the Tyne). A relict of the old farmhouse building still exists as a residential home in the ‘new’ estate.
Elswick – OE, meaning ‘Aelfsige’s (diary) farm’.
Fawdon – OE, from fag-dun, meaning ‘multicoloured hill’.
Fenham – A slightly tricky one. Certainly OE, and could mean ‘place at the fens’ or ‘(water-) meadow by the fen’.
Forest Hall – This area is named after the almost palatial residence of the same name which was demolished in 1962. The old hall incorporated a medieval tower, which may have been the original home of the estate’s forester, who looked after the wooded areas of the Lord of the Manor’s land.
Gosforth – OE meaning, literally, ‘goose-ford’, i.e. the ford where there are geese.
Hazlerigg – Former pit village, named after the Hazlerigg family who used to own the land in these parts.
Heaton – OE for ‘high farm/settlement’ (above the Ouseburn).
Pt.2 to follow soon....
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