Old Eldon Square facts for kids
The square viewed from the West
|
|
| Type | Public square |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | Newcastle City Council |
| Location | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Coordinates | 54°58′28″N 1°36′55″W / 54.97444°N 1.61528°W |
| Construction | |
| Commissioned | 1824 |
| Construction start | 1825 |
| Completion | 1840 |
| Other | |
| Designer | John Dobson |
Old Eldon Square is a lovely public square located on Blackett Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's a green space where people can relax and enjoy the city. The square is also home to an important war memorial. Every year, the city holds its Remembrance Day ceremony here to honor those who served.
Contents
History of Eldon Square
Eldon Square was built as part of a big project to rebuild Newcastle city centre. This happened between 1825 and 1840.
Designing the Square
In 1824, a famous architect named John Dobson was asked to design Eldon Square. He worked for Richard Grainger, who was a very important developer in Newcastle. Dobson's plan included three rows of terraced houses facing a central square.
Each row of houses was two and a half storeys tall. The rows on the east and west sides had 27 windows each. The north row had 39 windows. The first floors of the houses had beautiful cast-iron balconies. These balconies were decorated with a Greek honeysuckle design. The buildings were made from finely cut stone called ashlar.
The War Memorial
The war memorial is a special monument in the middle of Eldon Square. It was designed by Charles Leonard Hartwell and officially revealed in 1923. Earl Haig, a famous military leader, helped unveil it.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The memorial is a large stone base made of Portland stone. It has different pictures carved into each of its four sides:
- North side: You can see the words "Memory Lingers Here" above a bronze wreath.
- South side: There's a carved picture of a lion. Below it are the dates 1914–1918 and 1939–1945. These dates mark the years of the two World Wars.
- East side: This side shows a bronze picture of Justice. It features two women who look sad, and a third woman (Lady Justice) holding scales.
- West side: This side shows a bronze picture of Peace. It has a woman with a child and an Angel of Peace.
On top of the stone base is a large bronze statue. It shows Saint George, who is the patron saint of soldiers, riding a horse and fighting a dragon. The stone base was designed by Cackett and Burns. The whole memorial was cleaned and fixed up in 1991 and again in 2007.
Eldon Square Shopping Centre
In the 1970s, some big changes happened to Eldon Square. The buildings on the west and north sides of the square were taken down. They were replaced by part of the Eldon Square Shopping Centre. This shopping centre is now a very important part of the area around Old Eldon Square. At the time, a local leader said that the square itself would stay the same, and only the buildings around it would be removed.
The square got some updates in 2008. It now has new landscaping and easier ways to get into the shopping centre from the square.
