Benwell Towers

Benwell Towers is a large house in Benwell, Newcastle. It was built in 1831, designed by John Dobson for Thomas Crawhall. A chapel was added in 1887. The building on Benwell Lane is Grade 2 Listed. The house has had a varied history; It "served as a bishop's palace between 1882 and 1939 and as a Civil Defence Centre during World War II. From about 1946 Benwell Tower housed a miners' training school and was the headquarters for the Mine Rescue Service . The mobile X-ray machines that travelled to the pits were housed here. Benwell Tower was later converted into a nightclub in 1970. It was converted again in 1973, into a hotel. It was also used as a pub called The Mitre until 1989. The building was then used by the BBC as a studio until 2006." (Pastscape)