Newcastle upon Tyne

Roman forces established a fort at what is now Newcastle upon Tyne, known as Pons Aelius, beside a bridge across the River Tyne. Nearby, at South Shields, the fort of Arbeia guarded the river’s mouth and served as an important military supply base for Hadrian’s Wall. Its later garrison included the Tigris Boatmen, a unit recruited from the region of the Tigris in what is now Iraq, and the fort was given the name Arbeia, traditionally interpreted as meaning “place of the Arabs.”

Supplies arriving by sea at Arbeia could then be transported inland to the forts along Hadrian’s Wall, including Pons Aelius at Newcastle. Hadrian’s Wall was begun in AD 122, although the fort at Newcastle was built later, in the late second or early third century.

Roman rule in Britain ended in the early fifth century. In the centuries that followed, the area around Newcastle became part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, although the history of the settlement between the end of Roman rule and the Norman Conquest remains comparatively obscure. The Roman fort at Pons Aelius was eventually overlain by an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and later by the Norman castle.

In 1080, Robert Curthose, son of William the Conqueror, founded a motte-and-bailey castle on the same strategic high ground as the Roman fort. This “new castle” gave the town its name, Newcastle. The medieval town subsequently developed around this stronghold and its important crossing of the River Tyne.

Robert Curthose obliged in 1080, fearing attack by Scots or rebels, though he mostly warred with his own family. (He was the eldest son of William the Conqueror but was disinherited, to spend his last 20 years in dungeons.) His wooden Novum Castellum was soon replaced by a stone castle, then another in 1172 which is the ruin you see today. Its walls were extended to protect the entire town, which stood out against the Scots and for several months against Cromwell; the region was Royalist in the Civil Wars then fell to assault.

By plane:

1 Newcastle International Airport (NCL IATA). This has flights from London Heathrow, Amsterdam, Paris CDG, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, other European cities and the Mediterranean: Ryanair, Jet2 and Easyjet all fly here. Dubai is the only intercontinental route. Train easily beats plane for London, so you'd only use the British Airways flight to connect. Other UK destinations are Belfast, Aberdeen, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton. The airport is a compact single terminal with the usual facilities. Currency exchange is by Travelex, with poor rates, change money downtown if possible. Car rental desks are Avis, Enterprise, Europcar and Sixt, with others available to pick up or drop off by booking. See "Get in by car" below for contact details. (updated Jan 2022)

Manchester Airport (MAN IATA) has a great range of long-haul flights, saving the hassle of a change in Heathrow or Amsterdam. From the airport railway station, it's 3 hours to Newcastle: you may need to change at Manchester Piccadilly or York.

To and from the city:

By Metro: A journey on the Tyne and Wear Metro takes around 20–25 minutes, with up to 5 trains per hour running during the day and up to 4 trains per hour running in the evening and on Sunday. As of July 2022, a single three-zone ticket costs £3.90 and an all-day three-zone ticket costs £5.70.

By bus: Stagecoach operate the half-hourly X78 service, which runs express to Eldon Square via Ponteland Road, with an average journey time of around 20–25 minutes.

By taxi: There is a taxi rank at the airport, with an average fare of around £15.00–£20.00.

By car: The airport is situated off the A696, which can be reached easily from a number of principal routes, including the A1, A68 & A69. The estimated journey time to the city centre from Newcastle International Airport is 15–20 minutes, with an increased travel time during peak hours.

By train: