Moorfield – Page 3 – High West Jesmond

October 16, 2017November 8, 2017

Streets for People: Proposal to change road layout at Moorfield/Ilford Road

The council have today opened consultation on a series of proposals to make changes to streets in the Jesmond and High West Jesmond area as part of the Streets for People initiative.

The proposals are aimed at improving provision for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the area.

One of the proposals involves redesigning the junction of Ilford Road and Moorfield as well as adding a cycle lane, relaying pathway and narrowing the main carriageway on Moorfield.

The outline plans can be viewed following the Moorfield Information Sheet link below and further detail can be found at the information stand in Jesmond library and also the Streets for People website streetsforpeople.org.uk/jesmond

Take part in the consultation process

The proposed changes would have a significant impact on Moorfield so HWJRA would strongly encourage all local residents – and particularly those who live on or close to Moorfield – to take a close look at the plans and to participate in the consultation programme that the council has opened up.

You can feed back your thoughts on the proposal anytime up until 30 November 2017 via the Streets for People website or by completing a questionnaire at Jesmond Library.

Meeting for HWJ residents

We plan to arrange a meeting for local residents so that the Residents Association can gauge local opinion on this proposal and submit our own response to the council which would be in addition to responses from individual residents.

Come along to the residents meeting which will take place in the main room at Jesmond Library, St George’s Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2DL on Monday 13 November 2017 at 18:30 where you can find out more and let us know your views.

Proposal C – Moorfield and Ilford Road junction

This part of the neighbourhood plan proposes changes to Moorfield between Ilford Road and Great North Road (i.e. Gosforth High Street).

Read a summary of the proposal in the Moorfield Information Sheet:

Detailed drawings for the three different sections of Moorfield that would be changed can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.

1. Moorfield, between junction with Ilford Road and Kingswood Avenue

2. Moorfield, between Kingswood Avenue and Lodore Road

3. Moorfield, between Lodore Road and Great North Road

And you can read more information on the Streets for People website.

Streets for People information

You can read more of the background to the Streets for People initative on our Streets for People page.

September 16, 2017September 16, 2017

2017 – history of the Little Moor paths

Maintenance of Little Moor paths by resident volunteers.

FOVALD’s Lending a Hand group recently undertook maintenance work on the paths across Little Moor which you can read about elsewhere on this website.

Here is some history of those Little Moor paths from Chris Morgan

This is the older of the two paths across the Little Moor, possibly constructed about the time the estate was being laid out around 1900-10.

Until at least the 1970s there was a dark blue vitreous enamel sign facing town beside the gate at the Great North Road end to announce arrival at High West Jesmond.

In those days Moorfield did not run through to the Great North Road beyond the Lodore Road junction. There used to be cows on the Little Moor so gates were essential.

The trees planted alongside the paths were probably planted about the 1920/30s when the second, longer, path was constructed. Most of them haven’t survived!

July 29, 2017September 16, 2017

1964 – Music with Movement on Moorfield

Moving a piano in High West Jesmond in 1964

A heritage post by Chris Morgan

Back at West Jesmond Junior School in the 1950’s we used to have to take part in exercise sessions to the tunes of “Music with Movement” from the BBC schools service, played on big Rediffusion loudspeakers.

In the 1950s many High West Jesmond houses would contain a piano.

Television was still very new and there were probably only 3 radio stations most people would listen to, the Light programme (now Radio 2), Home Service (Radio 4) or the Third Programme (Radio 3). Hilversum was probably the only other listened to by teenagers and young people.

As TV became more popular, and radio programmes more diverse, lots of pianos were no longer wanted. I never found out where this piano was going to, had come from, or why.

This picture was taken in Moorfield, by the junction with the Great North Road in autumn 1964. I have no idea who these lads were, or what they were doing with the piano at this time or place! Possibly on the way to a Guy Fawkes bonfire?

June 29, 2017September 5, 2017

1967 – Moorfield, Newcastle 50 years ago

A little nostalgia, here’s Moorfield 50 years ago this month

A heritage post by Chris Morgan

In those days Moorfield was a rat run from the A1 Great North Road out of Gosforth to Osborne Road.

This was a quiet evening, and by modern standards there weren’t too many cars. Today, the whole of High West Jesmond is packed with cars, including many park-and-ride users of Ilford Road Metro station.

The trees in the grassy verge in this picture were all planted as saplings in 1956. Some died, some may have been cut down, but those that remain are quite large now!