/ 
y8or.] 
been allowed to begin his plan a little 
lower, the afcent would have been more 
gradual, and the improvement more com- 
plete. 
Oppofite to the Caftle Mount, but ata 
greater diftance from the river, the eaftern 
ridge terminates with the handfome mo- 
dern edifice of All Saints? Church; and 
along the back of it, which runs nearly 
‘north, is built (within and without the 
walis) the longeft and moft regular ftreet 
in the town. Farther eaftward, another 
deep ravine is formed by a fomewhat more 
confiderable brook, which, after running 
for fome time, enters the town for a fhort 
{pace, though it nearly feparates the whole 
of Newcaftle properly fo called, from its 
extenfive eaftern fuburbs. 
The whole of the level tra& within the 
walls between All Saint’s Church and the 
river is, perhaps, more clofely crowded 
with buildings than any equal {pace of 
ground in his Majefty’s dominions. It is 
occupied by no leis than twenty-one wynds 
or alleys (here called chares*), only one 
of which, called, by pre-eminence, the 
Broad Chare,: will admit the paffage of 
carts. All the reft may eafily be reached 
acrofs by the extended arms of a middle- 
fized man, and many even with a fingle 
arm. In feveral of them, however, are 
fome of (till lately) the. beft houfes in the 
town, which in the laf age were inhabited 
by the more opulent merchants; particu- 
larly thofe engaged in the coal-trade. 
One of them, zof*the Broad Chare, can 
boaft of being the birth-place of the Lord 
Chancellor elef&t and his able brother Sir 
William Scott. But of late years the 
fuburbs have been widely extended in all 
direétions, particularly to the north and 
eaft; and the buildings in the chares are 
every day faft converting into offices, 
warehoufes, breweries, &c. M: any of 
them are ftill inhabited by thefe more im- 
mediately engaged in the bulinefs on the 
quay, as well as by failors, keelmen, 
and carpenters; thofe latter clafles chiefly 
dwell in the eaftern faburbs. 
The town may fairly be reckoned to 
* A laughable mifunderftanding happened 
at our Affizes fome years ago, when’one of 
the witnefles._in a criminal trial fwore, that 
“< be faw three men come out of the foot of a 
chair }—~<¢ Gentlemen of ‘the Jury,” ex- 
claimed the learned Judge, ‘< you muft pay 
no regard to that man’s evidence; he mutt 
be infane.”” But the foreman {miling, aflured 
the Judge, that they underftood him very 
well, and that he fpo&e the words of truth 
and fobernefs, 
t 
Account of Newcaftle upon Tyne. 
309 
extend along the banks of the river (from 
the Skinner-Burn to St, Peter's Quay) at 
i) two miles fram eatt to weft: about 
ne half of this may be taken for the hafe 
of a triangle, the northernmoft point of 
which ig.near a mile from the bridge ; 
within which, though with feveral eek 
gularities and vacant, fpaces, the gveat 
body of the town may be conceived to be 
comprehended. Te ftreets in the upper 
part, at a diftance from the river, are 
{pacious and weil built; particularly Weft- 
gate, Pilgrim, and Northumberjand- 
ftreets, and the rows and fquares which 
adjoin them. The grey colour, however, 
of the bricks, and the general (though 
not zow univerfal) covering of bright red 
pantile roofs, certainly take off much 
from their appearance. The pavements 
are in general very good, and there are 
excellent Ala acai for foot-paffen- 
gers; but it mutt be acknowledged that 
too little attention is paid to the “enforee- 
ment of the regulations eftablifhed by A& 
of Parliament for keeping them clean and 
neat. Nor can it be faid that it is well 
lighted ; the few lamps fcattered here and 
there, ferving, as has been well obferved, 
only to make ‘*darkn:fs vifibie.”’ 
So much for the fituation and extent of 
Newcaftle. Of its population there has 
been a great variety of opinions ; but it 
would be abfurd to enter into a queftion 
which will be decided by actual enufhera- 
tion before this fketch can be fudmitted 
to the prefs. In the next Number it will 
be in my power to communicate the refult. 
In the mean time I will proceed to a brief 
account of the public buildings, in{titu- 
tions, &c. 
The glory of Newcaftle, in this refpec, 
1s the fteeple of St. Nicholas, its principal 
parifh.church. On the four angles of a 
tower of fufficient elevation, which are 
befides adorned with lofty and highly orna- 
mented fpires, reft two traniverfe arches, 
which fupport a lantern of exquifite light- 
nefs and elegance, the angles of which are 
alfo furmounted with fpires, fimilar to, 
but fmaller than, thofe on -the tower; 
and from its centre runs up a fitth {pire,: 
of great beauty and height. The many 
unfuccefsful attempts to imitate it have 
only ferved to enhance the value of the | 
original, and the merit of the unknown 
architeét. . 
The church of All-Saints is nearly cir- 
cular; perhaps the ingenious architeét had 
the idea from the Pantheon, the All- 
Saints of Modern Rome. The lichtnefs 
of the roof, which covers fo large an ex- 
tent without a pillar, has been much ad- 
mired 
>< 
