Two picture Sunday – Newcastle University Arches
For a long time now, there have been boards in the Arches with exam dates and results and all sorts. When I went past the other week, though, I noticed they had gone.
I can’t believe they covered it up for so long. I guess they’d forgotten it was there? Or is that too much of a coincidence that they uncovered it 100 years after it was put there?
That is fascinating, I must go and have a look at that. There is a lot of history attached to that. Knowles the architect named at the bottom was involved with a lot of famous buildings in Newcastle and responsible for a lot of archaeological excavations in the area especially Corbridge. John Bell Simpson was for a time President of North of England Mining Institute and Mechanical Engineers with that lovely building on Westgate Road next to Bolbec Hall. Finally the Lord Mayor at that time, Sir William Haswell Stephenson, was the man who gave us the statue of Queen Victoria outside of St. Nicholas Cathedral. Incidentally have you seen what they have done to the square where the statue stands?
Ooooh yes, I drove past last weekend but had completely forgotten in the meantime! Will have to get a pic…. sometime
History in the making.
Hi, the good news is that the vandalism that took place, I guess 40-50 years ago, has now been repaired and the niche is restored to its former glory. The stone is of course new and it will take a little while to blend in, but it now looks as it was meant to be. I do think that it actually was a coincidence that it was uncovered 100 years on.