The Tyne River section that is now Newcastle Upon Tyne was chosen because it was the most navigable and shallow at the time. The Normans built a wooden fort to serve as a watchtower over the path in 1080. Concurrently, construction of a wooden bridge began. (The original timber castle was destroyed by fire in the 12th century, and the fortification received its name, "new castle," from the replacement stone edifice built in its place.) A new town emerged under the watchful eye of the castle, and the new settlement was given the castle's name. Garrisons stationed at castles provided a market for the town's goods during the Middle Ages, resulting in the growth of towns in and around castles. Newcastle's economy was able to thrive and grow during the Middle Ages because of the battle between the English and the Scots. Customers from Newcastle and North Tyneside came out in droves and spent a lot of money.

The city's financial health and commercial activity both improved. Wool export was a particularly lucrative business at the time. (By far England's most profitable export commodity was wool.) Grinding tools, lead, and skins were also exported. Newcastle's international rise can be traced back to the 13th century, when the city began exporting coal for the first time. When this substance arrived in London, it was put to use in a wide range of previously unrelated industries. Along with spices and wines, alum was one of many exotic items brought into the country.

Newcastle's shipbuilding industry was well-known in the later Middle Ages. The first boat in the area was built in 1294. Another one of our areas of expertise was rope manufacturing (ropes being essential for sailing ships). Furthermore, Newcastle's leather industry was expanding at an unprecedented rate. Tanners and skinners were in addition to saddlemakers.

Newcastle was a prosperous wool textile industry centre during the Middle Ages. The first batch was made through a weaving process. There was little else that could be done after that. To be more specific, it was crushed in a mixture of water and clay to make the texture and consistency more consistent. Watermills powered wooden hammers that pounded the wool into submission. This was a time-consuming procedure. The wool was coloured after it had finished drying. Butchers, bakers, and brewers could all be found in Newcastle at the same time, just as they would in any other mediaeval town. Members of the Smith family were also present.

Newcastle hosted two different fairs during the Middle Ages. A fair differs from a market in that the former is a one-time event, whereas the latter is a recurring event that draws people from all over Northumberland and Durham. Furthermore, by the end of the 13th century, walls completely encircling Newcastle had been built, demonstrating the city's growing importance at the time. In addition to the seven major gates, there were a total of nineteen towers.

The church wielded significant power and authority during the Middle Ages. There were four distinct places of worship in Newcastle. The history of friars can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Unlike monks, friars did not live in seclusion but instead preached to a larger audience in order to spread their beliefs. Friars, unlike monks, did not live in seclusion. Members of the Franciscan Order (also known as grey friars), the Dominican Order (also known as black friars), the Carmelite Order (also known as white friars), the Trinitarian Order, and the Austin Friars were all present in Medieval Newcastle. The Benedictine monastery that once stood here is now known as Nun Street. The Church has also been in charge of a few "hospitals" throughout the city's history. The resident monks provided the best medical care they could to the poor and sick.

Newcastle upon Tyne had a mayor who oversaw city affairs as early as 1216. It was legally separated from the rest of the county in 1400 and given the status of a separate administrative division as a result. Newcastle was home to approximately 4,000 people at the time. It may appear small by modern standards, but it was a significant town in its day.

In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries

The Newcastle friaries were closed down as a result of a decision issued by Henry VIII in 1539. Francis issued an order to close the convent in 1540. Regardless, Henry founded a school in Newcastle, which was later recognised by the government in 1600. It was, however, known as a grammar school.

Throughout the 16th century, the amount of coal shipped out of this town increased and eventually surpassed the amount of wool shipped out. Every year, approximately 15,000 metric tonnes of coal were transported from Newcastle. The annual rate had risen to nearly 400,000 tonnes by the mid-seventeenth century.

Newcastle upon Tyne is thought to have had a population of 10,000 people by 1600. In comparison to other communities at the time, this one stood out for its size and significance. Newcastle was described as the "fairest and richest town in England" by an author in 1635. Newcastle can be found in the far northeastern part of the United Kingdom. The monarchy and parliament established battle lines in 1642. In 1644, an army from Parliament besieged Newcastle in retaliation for the city's support for the monarch. Newcastle relinquished its claim to the territory in October of that year (1644).

It took until 1658 to build a new guildhall, and until 1681 to establish the Hospital of the Holy Jesus. These two cities are part of the same metropolis. A non-profit organisation has achieved extraordinary success.

During the 17th century, shipbuilding and coal sales were the main economic drivers in Newcastle. There was also an increase in rope manufacturing during this time period. Kilns were used frequently during the lime manufacturing process to produce fertiliser. To be successful, the production method had to use saltwater. A salty residue had collected in the various cooking utensils after the water had been boiled until it had evaporated. There is evidence that by the 17th century, glass production had become well-established in Newcastle. Around the turn of the 18th century, there was also a boom in the production of iron and steel. This business sector can be traced back to the previous century. Another thriving industry in Newcastle at the time was clay pipe manufacturing.

Celia Fiennes, a 17th-century travel writer, praised Newcastle upon Tyne's aristocratic character. In comparison to other cities in England, she stated that London provided her with the strongest sense of community. The brick and stone buildings were of a respectable height, and the roads between them were wide enough to accommodate automobile traffic.

Newcastle in its heyday in the 18th century.

Newcastle had a population of around 20,000 people by the middle of the 1800s. A number of suburbs were established in the more rural areas located outside of the city in the second half of the 18th century.

Newcastle's city walls and gates were demolished in the late 18th century to make way for better internal transit.

Although poverty was a major issue in Newcastle upon Tyne, as it was in most towns in the 18th century, things were gradually improving. In 1711, the first issue of a newspaper was distributed in Newcastle, heralding the start of the newspaper industry. A community hall was built in 1736 to serve as a venue for a variety of activities, such as card games and balls.

Newcastle, England, got its first hospital in 1751. The first dispensary opened its doors in 1777, providing previously uninsured individuals with limited financial resources with access to medical care for the first time. In the city of Newcastle, New York, the first bank in the United States opened its doors in 1755.

Beginning in 1763, night watchmen patrolled the streets of Newcastle, England, under the light of oil lamps. (Despite the fact that success is highly unlikely,)

Newcastle saw the construction of its first customs house in 1766. In 1788, the public got its first look at what would become the Theatre Royal. Following the destruction of the Medieval bridge by the river Tyne in 1773, a new bridge was constructed in its place between 1773 and 1981.

Private companies began providing piped water delivery services to a small group of customers in the 18th century. Newcastle's affluent citizens have been able to enjoy a significantly improved standard of living as a result of the city's growth throughout its history.

The salt trade in Newcastle began to decline toward the end of the 18th century, but the pottery industry expanded at the same time. Newcastle grew into a prosperous port city in the nineteenth century as a result of its favourable location, which enabled the city's growth.

Newcastle Upon Tyne's population was estimated to be 28,000 during the first census, which was conducted in 1801. It moved very quickly. Newcastle, England, had 53,000 residents in 1831. Byker, Westgate, Elswick, and Jesmond were incorporated the same year as Heaton and the other nine settlements in the district, in 1835. In 1851, the borough had over 87,000 residents, making it the largest metropolis in the immediate vicinity. The total population had risen to 215,000 by 1901.

Between 1825 and 1840, the central business district was completely redesigned by Newcastle architects and rebuilt. The majority of the work was done by three different people: John Dobson, Richard Grainger, and town clerk John Clayton. They inspired the names of three distinct streets. Dobson was the architect behind Eldon Square, which Grainger designed and built between 1825 and 1831. Construction on Grainger began in 1825.

Thomas Oliver was a member of the design team responsible for Newcastle's Leazes Terrace. Grainger was a member of the team that built it between 1829 and 1834. Grainger was in charge of building Grey Street, which Dobson had designed, in the 1830s. Earl Grey, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834, proposed the use of his name. Earl Grey was honoured with a memorial stone the following year, in 1838. Grainger did their part by creating the Grainger Marketplace.

During this time, a completely new Theatre Royal was constructed, with a completely different architectural style. When Leazes Park first opened to the public in 1837, the gates were flung open wide. Construction on the first phase of St. Mary's Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church, began in 1844.

Newcastle, like most other cities, was filthy in the nineteenth century and lacked even the most basic sanitation infrastructure. At least 306 people died as a direct result of the 1832 cholera pandemic. A subsequent epidemic in 1848-1849 killed 412 people. In 1853, the worst epidemic in recorded history killed 1,533 people.

Newcastle, grew rapidly throughout the nineteenth century. After 1818, the city switched from using coal to using gas to power its street lamps. A groundbreaking establishment for the administration of the judicial system was established in 1836. Construction on the structure that would later be known as the Corn Exchange began in 1858. The first purpose of this structure was as a grain marketplace. There was also a gathering in the town hall.

Construction on the railroad that would eventually connect Newcastle and Carlisle did not begin until 1838. Following this, there were two more excursions, the first to Darlington in 1844 and the second to Berwick in 1847. The High Level Bridge, built in 1849, was the first bridge built across the Tyne. It was the first to link Newcastle and London. Queen Victoria presided over the inauguration ceremony for the Dobson train depot in 1850.

A memorial was erected in 1862 to honour Stephenson's many accomplishments and efforts. The Hancock Museum opened in 1877, one year after construction on a swing bridge began. Hancock, Massachusetts, inspired the museum's name. In the same year, 1878, Newcastle's first public library opened its doors to the public.

Trams drawn by horses have been a form of public transportation in Newcastle since the city's founding in 1879, both for locals and visitors. That same year, Newcastle's first public park, Leazes Park, opened. In the 1870s, landscaping techniques were used to transform the remaining parts of Town Moor into parks. Brandling Park had its first visitors around the year 1880.

The Church of St. Nicholas was elevated to the status of cathedral when a new diocese was established in 1882. Newcastle's designation as a city is a relatively new development. In 1882, the first commercially used electric light bulb was installed in a draper's shop in Newcastle, England.

Newcastle was the centre of a once-thriving alkali industry around the turn of the nineteenth century; however, the business is no longer in use and has since faded away. This trend has a similar impact on the ceramics and glass industries. Shipbuilding remained an important part of the economy even until the end of the 18th century. Furthermore, the iron industry was flourishing. Newcastle also saw an increase in the field of mechanical engineering during this time period.

Newcastle was a significant city during the twentieth century.

Electric trams first appeared in Newcastle in 1901, but buses quickly replaced them as the primary mode of public transportation in the city.

The Laing Art Gallery did not open to the public for the first time until 1901. The Shipley Art Gallery did not open to the general public until 1917, but people were able to get their first look inside even then. Newcastle's first cinemas and movie theatres opened their doors in 1909. The construction of a bridge to transport traffic over Redheugh Road began around the year 1900. For the first time, construction on the King Edward VII Railway Bridge began in 1906. The construction of both the Hatton Gallery and the Tyne Bridge suspension bridge began in 1928.

Since its inception in 1934, the John G. Joicey Museum has served as a welcoming and educational resource for the general public. When it first opened its doors to the general public in 1934, the Discovery Museum was established as a museum with the primary goal of presenting the intersection of science and technology for the first time. In 1993, the organisation was given a new name.

Newcastle's first council homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s. These years encompass the Great Depression. Following the end of World War II, a large number of brand new buildings were built.

In 1968, a completely new Civic Center opened its doors. It received an award from the Civic Trust in 1969 for its outstanding architectural design. Eldon Square Shopping Centre began serving the community almost immediately after it opened to the public in 1976. Swans in Flight and The River God Tyne are two more pieces of sculpture by David Wynne.

The Central Library reopened to the public in 1968 after extensive renovations. Both the Newcastle Arts Centre and the Monument Mall Shopping Center made their first public appearances in 1990, when they opened their doors to customers.

Over the course of the twentieth century, the amount of coal exported fell precipitously, with exports finally ceasing in 1999. The last coal mine in the Newcastle area closed its doors for good in 1956. Furthermore, the number of ships being built has decreased significantly. As a direct result of the Great Depression, many Newcastle residents were forced to give up their jobs.

On the other hand, following WWII, the manufacturing industry declined, while new service industries expanded. Job creation occurred in a variety of industries and sectors, including education, retail, and government. The start of the academic year at Newcastle University was in 1963. Newcastle Polytechnic welcomed its first class of students in 1969. The year it was formally recognised as a university was 1992.

The Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum, on the other hand, first welcomed visitors in 1983 and has remained open ever since. In 1986, the Stephenson Railway Museum opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Newcastle has managed to retain its vibrancy all the way up to the present day. The Life Science Centre and the Millennium Bridge both opened their doors to the public for the first time in 2001. Newcastle Upon Tyne, one of the most important cities in the United Kingdom in 2021, had a population of 306,000 people, making it one of the country's largest cities.