Funding for restoration of Keelmen's Hospital
A breakthrough has been achieved in the bid to save one of Newcastle’s key heritage buildings. Tony Henderson reports.
The revival of a landmark heritage building overlooking the River Tyne is a crucial step nearer with a funding injection of lottery cash.
Tyne & Wear Building Preservation has been backed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its plans to save the 1701 Keelmen’s Hospital in Newcastle.
The project aims to restore the building and bring it back into use as affordable housing.
Development funding of £437,732 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help the trust and Newcastle City Council progress their plans to undertake detailed survey and design work for the conversion of the Grade II* listed building.
They will then apply for a further grant from the Heritage Fund of around £4.5 million to enable the full restoration.
The keelmen manned the keels, flat bottomed boats which carried coal out to be loaded on to collier ships – a scene portrayed by the artist JMW Turner on a visit to the Tyne.
The Keelmen’s Hospital was built as an almshouse for sick and aged keelmen and their families, being paid for through the keelmen’s own donations. Its distinctive clock and turret was added in 1772.
The Keelmen’s Hospital Society was set up to fund and manage the hospital and the document ‘Articles of the Keelmen’s Hospital Society; with Rules and Regulations for the Hospital’ published in 1829 provides insight into not only what it was like to be a member of the society, but also to live at the hospital.
Fines for members of the society included half a crown for 'threatening or provoking a brother to fight, or saying or doing that which tends to take away his livelihood or good name', one shilling for 'being disguised with drink at a funeral', and a sixpence fine for 'great rudeness of their wives'.
One of the building’s later uses has been as student accommodation but for over 15 years it has lain empty.
Originally the building had 54 rooms. Each was about 9 feet by 15 feet with a fireplace and a window. All the toilets were in an outside shared facility, as there was no running water to the rooms.
Apart from the introduction of gas lighting, the rooms stayed unaltered until the 1960s when it was condemned as unfit for residential accommodation.
The current proposal is to convert the building into 20 affordable housing units for the city council, while retaining the important historical features of the building
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This grant has been made possible by financial and technical support from the council, Historic England and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
A planning and listed building consent applications will be submitted for the required change, followed by a detailed design for the proposed scheme.
It is hoped that building work will begin in Spring 2026 with the new units ready for occupation in 2028.
Shona Alexander, chair of the Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, said: “The trust is a small charity that undertakes amazing restorations of fabulous buildings. We are delighted with this initial support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and look forward to working in close partnership with both the local community and Newcastle City Council to make this happen.”
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Coun Karen Kilgour, said: “The Keelmen’s Hospital is one of Newcastle’s oldest and most distinctive buildings.
“It has stood empty for many years. However wonderful progress is now being made in bringing it back to life as much needed social housing. This has really captured people’s imaginations.
“I thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its generous donation which will enable this exciting project to progress to the design stage.”
Helen Featherstone, director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We’re thrilled to support Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust with this initial grant to work towards restoring Keelmen’s Hospital and saving its heritage.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, this development phase will help progress plans to transform the historic building into affordable housing.”
Lianna Francis-Kelly, North East Partnerships Team Leader at Historic England, said: “The Keelmen’s Hospital is a nationally important building listed at Grade II* and is significant both for its links to Newcastle’s industrial past and as a site for early Methodist activity.”
The trust has previously worked with the city council to restore Alderman Fenwick’s House on Pilgrim Street, All Saints Church - also overlooking the Tyne - and 28/30 The Close now the House of Tides restaurant on the Quayside.