Newcastle-upon tyne

[Paul Drake]

What was newcastle called before the 'newcastle' was built in 1080?

[templeman]

I believe that it was Munecaestre. (Monkchester)

[Hippy]

The first River Tyne bridge built by the Romans was called by them "Pons Aelius" and was built around A.D. 122. A small vicus (village) arose at a staging point along the Roman Wall built by Emperor Hadrian, extendind from Wallsend to the Solway Firth. A fort, called "Condercum" was built to defend the frontier; its ruins exist today in the western suburb of Benwell.

The last record of Pons Aelius was in A.D. 400 when the Roman frontier was breaking down at the end of Empire.

The area around the present castle, the site of that earlier vicus was occupied since it inception. The bastion left by the retreating Romans was taken over by monks. The name "Monkchester" was widely used, but its first documentary use appears in A.D. 875 but was evidently well established at that time. William the Conqueror visited in 1072 after he had subdued Malcolm III of Scotland.

In 1080 Robert Curthose, William's eldest son, ordered the building of a castle and construction took place between 1168 and 1178 during the reign of Henry II. The southern postern of this original castle still exists in the present building. It was after completion of this building that the change of name took place. Its shining stone could be seen from southern approaches and the name "New Castle" was coined by common consent rather than proclamation and it has stuck ever since.

The castle fell into a ruinous state by the close of the 17th century and it remained so until the Town Corporation took it over in 1809 and added battlements and mended the roof. John Dobson's restoration was carried out during 1847.

The official name "Newcastle upon Tyne" (note the lower case "u" in the middle word) dates from 1557 and the creation of a separate diocese with St. Nicholas's Church as its Cathedral. Parliament cancelled this a year later and the town had to wait until 1882 when the Town became a City proper by Act of Parliament and Royal Command.

[Hippy]

I had to snip stuff out to avoid the 2,000 word limit and the 4th paragraph suffered. What I meant to say was that the original castle ordered by Robert Curthose was demolished as a so called "unlicensed castle" and an official one called for by the King. It was this one that was built in mid 12th century on a slightly removed site. This then was the "New Castle" that was seen like a beacon from miles around.

[Paul Drake]

exelent answers thank you