Tag: what to do in Newcastle
-
Visit North East: Shipley Art Gallery
The Shipley Art Gallery is a large, imposing sandstone-coloured building, which sits by itself on a main street – Prince Consort Road, named in honour of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. Over the road from the gallery is the town library, and beyond that the leisure centre. The gallery has a large entranceway and two…
-
Visit North East: Merz Barn Wall
The Merz Barn Wall Artist Kurt Schwitters began the Merz Barn Wall in Ambleside in 1947, working in a building on the Cylinders Estate belonging to architect Harry Pierce. He met Pierce earlier in the year when he was commissioned to paint his portrait. Pierce gave Schwitters the use of the barn for £1 per…
-
Visit North East: Hatton Gallery
The Hatton Gallery is a two-minute walk from the Great North Museum, and there’s a handy signpost to show you the way. If you didn’t know the gallery was within the Newcastle University campus, you could easily miss it altogether. However, it’s opposite the Northern Stage, which is quite noticeable. The History of the University…
-
Visit North East: Etruscan Pottery
The Great North Museum has so many fascinating artefacts that it’s hard to choose one. I was tempted to pick something from their extensive Roman collection, which includes a replica Hadrian’s Wall and tombstones amongst other things, but I resisted. Instead, I’ve chosen this vase from their collection of Etruscan pottery. I like it because…
-
Visit North East: Great North Museum
The Great North Museum, previously known as the Hancock, sits on a small hill at the Haymarket at the top end of Newcastle. When I was a child, the Hancock seemed like a ‘proper’ museum – we had to pay to visit, and it had an old-fashioned feel to it. I distinctly remember a school…
-
Visit North East: The Town Hutch
The Discovery Museum has so many brilliant artefacts that it’s almost impossible to single one out. However, the museum helped me out, as they’ve chosen their own ‘Top 10’ to highlight, so I’ve picked number two, the town hutch, to look at here. The Town Hutch The hutch is a large oak box, bound with…
-
Visit North East: Isabella and the Pot of Basil
Isabella and the Pot of Basil, by William Holman Hunt, has always been a favourite of mine, so I was excited when the Laing Art Gallery chose to reproduce it on the side of the building. Unfortunately, it’s mostly obscured now by a rogue tree, but it’s still there. On first glance, the mournful Isabella…