Dog Leap Stairs, The Close, Sandhill, The Side and Forth Banks. Just a few of the intriguing names of areas and streets of Newcastle that we take for granted. But what is behind these names? Many of them are explained in a new book, Down Your Streets, the latest offering from that little goldmine of information Tyne Bridge Publishing. North East TV presenter and architect John Grundy sums up the book perfectly in his foreword: "Over the years I've spent a lot of time filming in Newcastle trying to read the history of the place from its surviving buildings, and of course I love them because there is such a wealth and such a variety among them. "I now realise, however, after reading this book, that I have badly underestimated a major source of interest and information - the richness locked up in the names of streets that my favourite buildings are on." Sandhill is the first name up and, as you would expect, it was once a hill of sand, down by the river. First mentioned in 1310, it was a market and recreation area. There was also a bullring there, but in 1768, following the goring and killing of a spectator, the ring was closed. There was Skinnerburn Road, which comes from a waterway rising at the top of Bath Lane and flowing down across Westgate Road down Waterloo Street and Forth Banks into the river. Skinnerburn Road moves westward from the bottom of Forth Banks and "Skinner" may refer to the narrowness of the old stream. Everyone's heard of Amen Corner, on the south side of St Nicholas's Catherdral above The Side. This is where the clergy used to hold a procession around the outside of the cathedral, praying as they went. Amen Corner is the spot where they came to the end of the prayer. Another brilliant name is Dog Leap Stairs. The book tells us that before the 19th century, the stairs were so narrow that a dog could leap across them. However, the book goes on, a "dog loup", a narrow slip of land between the houses, refers to the shape of a dog's hind leg which, since the stairs have a twist, could equally well be the origin. The stairs were widened in 1822. Pink Lane is simply named after the Pink Tower, which once stood there as one of 17 in the city walls. But where the "Pink" comes from, nobody knows. The Haymarket is in an area where a market was established in 824 for the sale of straw. This closed in the 1930s. The Pandon Burn flowed through the east side of the town into the Tyne. A bridge was built to carry the main route north over the burn. The bridge was rebuilt and widened in 1819 and, although the valley was eventually filled in, the stone Barras Bridge still survives underground as part of Newcastle's sewer system. The name Barras probably comes from `barrows', or burial mounds relating to the leper hospital of Saint Mary Magdalene. But the book carries many more street names and explanations, plus maps to guide you around these treasures. Down Our Streets, Newcastle's Street Names Explored, is published by Tyne Bridge for £5.99. The book is on sale in bookshops and city libraries. | 
Tyne Bridge Publishing
