Is there anyone who has not felt the magnetic attraction of unseen cities, train whistles, the rhythmic chant of wheels on the railway tracks stretching behind you, where you came from, and before you, where you’re headed—who knows to what chance encounters and fresh hopes? Wonder about faraway places is born in us in childhood; and, with me, it never dimmed.
Lev Kopelev
I have begun and ended many a journey from and to Newcastle's Central Station. More so these days, as my visits to Newcastle from my home in Blaydon are often by making those four miles by train. My father claimed Central Station was unique in the UK in that trains from the South enter it from the North, and those trains northbound leave it southbound.
That is only partially accurate as northbound trains enter more from West-Northwest and southbound, East-Southeast, but I take his point. If travelling from the South, the clue that you will soon arrive at the station is passing over the Tyne with its majestic view to the right of the bridges that sit alongside each other cheek by jowl. And that's not to forget that the King Edward VII Bridge you are crossing also has its admirers, and some call it "Britain’s last great railway bridge”. It was opened in 1906 by the King for whom it is named.
The first bridge you see as you cast your eyes to the right also carries a royal title. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge opened in 1981 and carries the Newcastle Metro trains as they emerge briefly into daylight from the tunnels on one side of the river to then disappear back into the darkness below ground on the other.
Next comes the iconic High-Level bridge built by Robert Stephenson, son of George Stephenson. George was not only Robert’s father many see George as the father of the railway too. It opened in 1849 and is now seen as a masterpiece of Victorian engineering and one of the oldest surviving examples of a combination road and rail bridge. It has a unique design. Its two arches provide clearance for ships to pass beneath, while the trains run along the open to the elements, top deck of the bridge and road vehicles run along the enclosed lower deck beneath. The lower deck also has a walkway on either side of the road that takes you from Newcastle to Gateshead. People do not often use that walkway, but I like to make the long crossing that way on occasion as it offers splendid views along the Tyne and of Newcastle.
Occasionally my local train from Blaydon crosses the Tyne via that top deck of the High-Level Bridge also offering a panoramic view of Newcastle. Such a crossing happened last Friday during Storm Otto. I confess my eyes were not so much on the Cityscape as the white topped river below while the two-carriage train slowly rocked and rolled across.
But let's get back to that other train journey, and of course, the most recognisable bridge you see as you look to the right out of your railway carriage is the Tyne Bridge. Opened in 1928, many people remark on its similarity to the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, which opened four years later. The similarity is not surprising given that Mott, Hay and Anderson designed both, and Middlesbrough contractors Dorman Long built both. Even though the Sydney Harbour bridge opened later, work on it started before that on the Tyne, so the Sydney Bridge came first. However, speaking at an official function after the opening of the Tyne Bridge, Sir Hugh Bell, representing the builders, said: "This is regarded as a trial trip for the Sydney Harbour Bridge – and we're grateful for it."
Another historic bridge your eye falls upon, literally so as it sits much closer to the water, is the Swing Bridge. Opened in 1876, it is one of the world’s earliest examples of a 'swing bridge' whose rotation around its centre allows ships to pass by on either side. It, too, is still in use today, providing an important road link between Newcastle and Gateshead.
The most recent of the bridges you see if you peer a little further into the distance is the Millennium Bridge, which opened in 2001 as a pedestrian and cyclist-only bridge. Its curved design has a unique and innovative structure, allowing it to tilt to one side so that shipping can pass underneath. Although it is much younger than its counterparts, its distinctive design has also made it an iconic attraction.
Seeing those bridges is an indication you are only moments from entering Central Station. If you plan to leave the train there, it's time to pack up your belongings as once across the river, the train hangs a tight right turn and enters the station or, to give it its correct term, the train shed.
That train shed, and the surrounding building that makes up the station are magnificent. Not the Gothic eye-striking beauty of London's St Pancras, but nevertheless a tribute to Central Station's designer John Dobson.
My photograph, taken just after last Christmas, offers a view of the sweep of one of the original three-span 'nave and aisles' arches in the train shed. Dobson was the first to use round-arched, rolled iron ribs making Central Station the first of the great multi-span arched sheds of the nineteenth century. And those arches were retained despite the subsequent expansion of the train shed.
The station overall is a testament to Victorian-era architecture with its blend of Gothic and Italianate styles. The station's façade features intricate details, including carvings and decorative stone columns, making it one of Newcastle's most visually striking buildings.
Indeed, a visitor to the station's opening in 1850 would recognise much of what still exists today. Compared to many other stations around the UK, the central structure of the building is the same as close to two hundred years ago. There are some outlets on the concourse. However, others, such as Sainsbury's, M&S, W H Smith, and Burger King, are hidden away, occupying what were once the York, Newcastle & Berwick Railway offices on the right of my photograph. You can also see the banners advertising ‘The Centurion bar’, where I have occasionally enjoyed a drink over the years. It was once the luxurious waiting lounge for first-class passengers. Today retaining the original decor with breathtaking faience tiles from the Burmantofts pottery alongside distinctive murals: the room is a splendid demonstration of the lustrous and durable products of the Victorian period.
The entrance to the station is through its magnificent portico with its massive parapet and colossal 10m high arches. In my younger days, a narrow roadway for taxis ran under the parapet. However, that road is now pedestrianised for people's safety. Elegant glazing fitted between the arches from the floor-to-very-high ceiling encloses the portico through which you enter the train shed via a vestibule strongly reminiscent of the entry to the courtyard of an Italian palazzo, with what was in Victorian times a carriageway flanked by pedestrian ways. Now the whole is pedestrianised.
It might seem strange to some that after I moved away from the northeast in the 1970s, I felt a comfortable 'hug' whenever I arrived back at Central Station. It’s only a railway station. Yet, it didn't matter if my return were to see family, Newcastle United play or for business. Central Station meant I was 'home'. As Ellen Tait of the National Railway Museum said: "Railway stations are much more than simple stops on the line. They have evolved with us ever since the railways were established, keeping pace with our lifestyles, and reflecting our society's priorities and passions... When the railways exploded in popularity in the later Victorian era, railway companies built stunning architectural monuments to their own trains, lines, and services …. Newcastle is one of the great Victorian stations. Its location is a symbol of the progressive mindset.