Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall: Look inside the Newcastle building named one of the most endangered in the UK

Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall has been named as one of the most endangered buildings in the UK.

The Grade II listed hall is in a “state of increasing decay,” according to the Victorian Society.

On the edge of Jesmond Dene, the land and hall were gifted to Newcastle in 1883 by William Armstrong. Now housing the artists’ cooperative Armstrong Studio Trust, the collective say they have had minimal support from the Council to repair the building which is suffering water ingression and needs urgent works.

The conservationist charity is calling for the hall to be restored and turned into an arts centre.

Urban Green, the body responsible for Newcastle’s parks, said “delivering a new future for the building would take all our resources and prevent other important work taking place across Newcastle’s 33 parks and over 60 allotment sites.”

Jesmond Dene Banqueting Hall was commissioned by Armstrong as a venue for entertaining his employees from the Elswick Works- known for shipbuilding, guns and hydraulic machinery. It is the last building known to have been designed by John Dobson, who designed much of Newcastle’s city centre as we know it today.

Norman Shaw then added to the building after Dobson’s death.

Professor Andrew Saint, author of the book on Shaw’s life and work, said: “As time has gone by, it has emerged with increasing clarity that they are among Newcastle’s most remarkable heritage assets, both in their own right and as entities within the superb and unique Jesmond Dene.” The building was listed in 1965 but in the roof was removed by Newcastle City Council in 1977. Since 2019, responsibility for the running and maintenance of the city’s parks- and the buildings within them- was taken over by Urban Green.

A spokesperson for Urban Green said: “It’s a building that holds a special place in the hearts of people across the city, and particularly communities in Jesmond; many of whom have campaigned for the site to be used as a space for arts, science, and education. “We very much hope the national attention brought to the Banqueting Hall by the Victorian Society helps inspire action on this important piece of Newcastle’s history. Our charity will continue to work closely with Armstrong Studio Trust – current occupiers of the Banqueting Hall – to ensure the building is cared for, and working with wider regional and national partners, we will support any achievable plans or proposals that secure the long term future of William Armstrong’s gift to the people of Newcastle.” James Hughes, director of the Victorian Society, said: “The future of the Banqueting Hall has been a source of concern for the Society for some years. It is significant in the context of Shaw’s work and career, and significant too to Newcastle and the North East region. It is time that uncertainty over its future is resolved and a holistic scheme that respects the site’s enormous interest is developed.”

Below we have eight photographs showing the current state of the Grade II listed building.