Loft Conversions Jesmond
The North East of England has the most diverse and interesting of cultures in the UK and each town or city has its own unique features that make working and living here such a joy.
According to local tradition, some time shortly after the Norman Conquest there occurred in the valley of the Ouse an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It seems reasonable to suppose that the Virgin was beheld with the infant Christ, because up until that time Jesmond had been known as Gese Muth “the mouth of the Ouse” while afterwards it was known as Jesmond or “the hill of Jesus”. The ruins of the Chapel are on the west side of the valley but local tradition holds that the apparition itself occurred at St Mary’s Rock which stands in the midst of the stream next to the ruins of Ridley Mill. If this tradition is correct it may indicate that the Chapel was a slipper chapel at which pilgrims removed their shoes before walking the remaining distance to the site of the apparition barefoot.
A trace of the processions to the shrine which occurred at this time is found in the name of that section of the former Great North Road adjacent to the Tyne called Pilgrim Street. During a period in which the shrine was in need of repair it was endowed with indulgences by a rescript of Pope Martin V on certain feasts of the liturgical year. A spring known as St Mary’s Well of uncertain date may also be found near to the chapel. It has the word “Gratia” inscribed upon stone above it. The greater part of the history of the shrine, its origins and the miracles which were said to have occurred there, have been lost in the destruction which happened in the sixteenth century.
The chapel was suppressed in the Reformation and fell into ruin. Afterwards the ruin and its grounds passed through various owners (one of whom tried to turn the well into a bathing pool) it was acquired by Lord Armstrong in the nineteenth century and given by him to the City of Newcastle. Mass is now offered there on occasion by the local Roman Catholic priest and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle. Flowers along with letters and candles are often left in the ruins and it is once more frequented by occasional pilgrims.
The area is notable for Jesmond Parish Church, Holy Trinity Church, Jesmond Dene woodland and the Royal Grammar School. The area's principal commercial area forms around Osborne Road, Acorn Road, and St Georges Terrace, the former being dominated by hotels and bars, and the latter by shops and cafes.
Newcastle City Council has designated [1] three conservation areas within Jesmond; Brandling Village, South Jesmond and Jesmond Dene.
The Mansion House, built in 1876, owned by a wealthy industrialist Arthur Sutherland, 1st Baronet, owned one of the most impressive residential properties in Jesmond. The Mansion was donated to the city by Sutherland in 1953 and is now the official residence of the Lord Mayor and can be used for private events.
Along with Leeds and Belfast, Jesmond is experiencing studentification. It is a popular residential area for students attending Newcastle University and Northumbria University. Osborne Road in Jesmond has a strong student population with a selection of student bars, restaurants and housing.
Newcastle Cricket Club plays its home games at Osborne Avenue, which is also a home venue for Northumberland County Cricket Club. Jesmond is one of the 24 areas in England to have a real tennis club which is used to hold events.
Jesmond is a really diverse mix of old and new, but our vast experience ensures that our conversions fit beautifully with your home and its surroundings.
For Loft Conversions in Jesmond, try Joseph James Loft Conversions.