Newcastle City Council

Welcome to your Parklands ward website. 

This site gives you the opportunity to 'have your say' and find out what is going on in your local area. 

Parklands ward is situated in the north east of Gosforth and has several established residential areas at Melton Park, Brunton Park, Grange Park and Halls Estate and part of the new build at Newcastle Great Park.  It possesses large areas of green space including Gosforth Park Race Course, Gosforth Wood and Gosforth Lake, plus a number of golf courses. Melton Park contains the remains of a medieval chapel which is a scheduled ancient monument.   

Click here to view a map of the Parklands ward boundary (pdf, 3MB)

Brunton Park and Melton Park Neighbourhood Watch

Brunton Park and Melton Park Neighbourhood Watch have recently published their newsletter. To view a copy click here (23KB PDF)

Historic Parklands

The origin of the name Gosforth is thought to have come from the title Gese Ford meaning “the ford over the Ouse”, referring to a crossing over the local River Ouse or Ouseburn, however others think that it comes from the Old English Gosaford meaning a ford where the geese dwell, and it is first recorded as Goseford in 1166. Gosforth is first mentioned in 1166, and thus some think the settlement developed at this time and South Gosforth dates back past 1319, when it has been noted that the English Army retreated there from a siege on Berwick.

Melton Park appears to show signs of some the oldest habitation in the Parklands ward and here are the ruins of a chapel which is first referenced in 1296; dating the building back to the early medieval or late Norman period. The church was built in the medieval parish of St Nicholas and was still in use till the 17th century. Unfortunately very little is known about the building or its subsequent demolition. Although through archeological investigations evidence was found that the church may have been built on the site of a Roman fort.

The manor which had belonged to the Surtees and the Lisles had passed to the Brandlings by the 1750s. Gosforth House is a structure of this era and stands amid grounds described in the 1800s as “pleasantly adorned with wood and water, and broadly engirdled with plantation”. These lands were also to see innovation when they were used by George Stephenson for his experiments with Steam engines and displays of ingenuity, when he lived at near by Killingworth.
What had been named Gosforth House became Brandling Hall. This Country house is now part of a club and grandstand for Gosforth Racecourse and used as a venue for events and weddings.

North Gosforth Church is of particular architectural interest. Built in the north west corner of Gosforth Park in 1870s by the park owner Thomas Eustace Smith, the stained glass windows here of worthy of note. They were designed by Edward Burne Jones and executed by the famous arts and Crafts artisan, William Morris. The church became of catholic denomination in 1912 and has since been named Church of the Scared Heart. South Northumberland Cricket ground was the site for Gosforth rural fete which was held from the 1890s. The fete held races and had stalls for palm reading and “an aunt sally stall”. Photographs of the event show the ladies musical bicycle ride, with bikes decorated with flowers and ribbons and the ladies were accompanied by the playing of a brass band.

The Parklands area is mainly made up of what were once separate large houses and estates, reflected in the suffolk of “Park” to these areas. Bridge Park, Brunton Park, Gosforth Park, Greystoke Park, Grove Park, Melton Park. The area east of the Great North Road, was developed into a Garden Village in the 1920s, this development was built on 'garden suburb' lines to house workers at the nearby LNER electric train depot (now the Metro depot).

The latest expansion of Gosforth is in the north-west corner of the suburb called "Newcastle Great Park" which is six years into a ten to fifteen year building project. The development has already extended into neighbouring Kingston Park and Great Park village centre is currently under development along Brunton Lane. It is intended that the village will comprise of a nursing home, private hospital, hotel, new superstore and public house.

Online Map

Use our online map to find your nearest libraries and schools. You can also find out where your nearest recycling site is and find leisure services, such as swimming pools, and heritage information, such as listed buildings and ancient monuments.

Follow us on   @talkgosforth