The Byker Estate tour will explore the 1970s housing estate designed by a team led by Ralph Erskine, listed at grade II* in its entirety. Famous for its colourful, innovative architecture and the process of community engagement undertaken during its redevelopment process, we will see how the estate fares today. The governance of Byker has transformed over the last decade or so and it has received substantial capital investment, but deep-seated issues of poverty and social problems remain. We will visit one of the Byker “hobby rooms”, which is to be adaptively reused to create a Byker Community Archive, to celebrate and educate the rich architectural and social history of the estate.

Please note: This tour will include extensive walking, including on steep gradients, so appropriate attire is advisable.

The Ouseburn tour will explore the history and transformation of this industrial enclave on the banks of the Tyne, which developed from rural idyll, to industrial crucible, through c20 decline and lastly into a rebirth focused on arts and creative industries, with new residential uses.

This tour will include exploration of key buildings including the City Farm; John Dobson’s Grade II flax mill now the Cluny music venue and bar; the adjacent flax and flour mill now the Seven Stories National Centre for Children’s Books; and the Victoria Tunnel – an 1830s conduit from coal mines at Leazes Main Colliery, under the City to staithes at the  mouth of the Ouseburn. Repurposed as WW2 air raid shelters, and latterly open to visitors and hosting wine tasting and musical events, its transformation could not be more extreme.

Please note: This tour will include extensive walking so appropriate footwear and attire is advisable.

The Grade II* listed Keelmen’s Hospital, built in 1701, is a landmark in Newcastle city centre, sadly vacant since 2009. Now on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, it originally served for 180 years as an almshouse for retired or sick keelmen and their families. The hospital was founded by the city’s 1,600 keelmen, who created a charitable trust and contributed one penny a tide from each crew member’s wages.

Keelmen worked on flat‑bottomed keels that transported coal from the shallow River Tyne to larger ships waiting downstream, making them essential to the coal industry. As guilds declined, the building’s original purpose ended, and it later provided council housing for 90 years. Converted to student accommodation in 1978, it remained in use for three decades before falling empty.

Today, a partnership between Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust and Newcastle City Council is restoring it to create 20 affordable apartments.

The tour also takes in the Grade I All Saints Church (1796) which has a commanding view of the River Tyne,  and which, after a period ‘at risk’ is now home to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales. In a Greco-Roman style it holds the distinction of being England’s only elliptical church.

Please note: Hard hats and Hi-Viz jackets must be worn, and some will be available for those who don’t have their own. Please bring your own safety boots.

Live Theatre is one of England’s few venues outside London dedicated exclusively to new work, with a global reputation for bold, authentic productions rooted in the North East. It has launched leading playwrights and nurtures creativity from schoolchildren to world-class talent. Its mission: to uncover regional stories, ignite imaginations, and unite people through theatre.

Located in Newcastle’s Central Conservation Area, Live Theatre occupies Grade II listed buildings, including an 18th-century bonded warehouse and almshouses on the River Tyne. These historic spaces have been adapted to house a 170-seat theatre, studio, rehearsal rooms, and a vibrant bar and restaurant, complemented by modern design for accessibility.

This ‘behind the curtain’ walking tour explores these spaces and the surrounding Quayside, revealing Live Theatre’s innovative business model: managing historic properties and enterprises to reinvest in artists and new work.

Please note: This walking tour involves an extended period of standing and climbing stairs and uneven surfaces.

Coming soon

Cooper’s Studios is the home of Ryder Architecture Newcastle on Westgate Road near Newcastle Central Station. The building was formerly a late 19th-century three-storey showroom for horses, carriages and bicycles, and later car showroom which was scheduled for demolition in 2005. Fortunately, the importance of the building was recognised and it was given Grade II listed status the same year.

Ryder Architecture together with Hanro Group and English Heritage, now Historic England, worked to restore and convert the building into a striking office space which retains many original features including an old wooden horse ramp.

During these works, excavations revealed that under the building’s foundations are the foundations of Hadrian’s Wall adding another fascinating layer of history to the site. The project architect from Ryder will show you around this unique building provide a first-hand perspective on the adaptive reuse project.

Founders Place – birthplace of the modern steam locomotive which changed the world. 

 Founders Place is a major new mixed-use urban development and regeneration project in the heart of Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter, just south of Central Station. Its purpose is to transform a historic industrial area comprising long term vacant buildings and spaces into a vibrant place to work, live, learn, collaborate and socialise while celebrating the city’s engineering heritage as part of a masterplan.

Founders Place is being designed as a 21st-century neighbourhood that blends sustainable modern architecture with historic buildings, green and landscaped spaces and community-focused amenities. The name honours the site’s past as the original locomotive workshops and offices of the famous Robert Stephenson & Company who were pioneers of early rail engineering in the 1800s.  The tour will be a walk across the site to look at former engine manufactory buildings which have recently been converted and those which are yet to be converted as new information about these buildings is uncovered. 

Please Note: The walking tour will involve an extended period of standing and walking across uneven surfaces 

The Byker Estate tour will explore the 1970s housing estate designed by a team led by Ralph Erskine, listed at grade II* in its entirety. Famous for its colourful, innovative architecture and the process of community engagement undertaken during its redevelopment process, we will see how the estate fares today. The governance of Byker has transformed over the last decade or so and it has received substantial capital investment, but deep-seated issues of poverty and social problems remain. We will visit one of the Byker “hobby rooms”, which is to be adaptively reused to create a Byker Community Archive, to celebrate and educate the rich architectural and social history of the estate.

Please note: This tour will include extensive walking, including on steep gradients, so appropriate attire is advisable.

The Grade II* listed Keelmen’s Hospital, built in 1701, is a landmark in Newcastle city centre, sadly vacant since 2009. Now on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, it originally served for 180 years as an almshouse for retired or sick keelmen and their families. The hospital was founded by the city’s 1,600 keelmen, who created a charitable trust and contributed one penny a tide from each crew member’s wages.

Keelmen worked on flat‑bottomed keels that transported coal from the shallow River Tyne to larger ships waiting downstream, making them essential to the coal industry. As guilds declined, the building’s original purpose ended, and it later provided council housing for 90 years. Converted to student accommodation in 1978, it remained in use for three decades before falling empty.

Today, a partnership between Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust and Newcastle City Council is restoring it to create 20 affordable apartments.

The tour also takes in the Grade I All Saints Church (1796) which has a commanding view of the River Tyne,  and which, after a period ‘at risk’ is now home to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales. In a Greco-Roman style it holds the distinction of being England’s only elliptical church.

Please note: Hard hats and Hi-Viz jackets must be worn, and some will be available for those who don’t have their own. Please bring your own safety boots.

Coming soon

Celebrating the yearlong festival of Vanbrugh 300, this tour will explore the striking elegance and theatrical spirit of Seaton Delaval Hall, one of the grand country houses of Northumberland and now managed by the National Trust. Set within an expansive historic estate of gardens, woodlands and sweeping landscapes, this Baroque masterpiece, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and built in the early 18th century for Admiral George Delaval, offers a captivating journey through architectural drama, centuries of family history and creative restoration with significant elements of adaptive reuse. Wander the grand courtyards and playful gardens, explore characterful interiors and soak up the blend of grandeur and whimsy that makes Seaton Delaval Hall such an unforgettable experience.