Topics > Newcastle City Centre > Bigg Market

Bigg Market


Bigg Market, 1820Bigg is distinct variety of barley which was grown in the North of England and Scotland, it was one of the main crops, grown since Neolithic times. Oats were introduced in the Roman period and had become the main cereal by the 17th and 18th centuries. In the past Bigg was sold here and hence why it is called the Bigg Market; nearby is the Groat Market (Groat is oats without husks). It wasn't always located here: "The Corn Market was formerly held in an inconvenient situation at the foot of Pilgrim street but in May 1812 it was removed to the spacious area on the north side of St Nicholas church, near to which is the street called the Groat Market, where Oats and Bigg are exposed for sale." (W. Parson and W. White, 1827) Today the Bigg Market area has more than 20 bars, many with late licences, and a range of restaurants. It has over 30 listed buildings. The Bigg Market is also the starting point for the Blaydon Races held on June 9th each year.

The Bigg Market is a site of historical significance in Newcastle upon Tyne and dates back to Middle Ages, when it was the site of a thriving marketplace that formed an important part of the Great North Road. The market was named after a type of coarse barley, known as Bigg barley, that was widely sold from the stalls. Other nearby markets included the Cloth Market and the Groat Market. The Bigg Market is located close to Newcastle Cathedral.

The market was the former location of Newcastle’s old Town Hall, which was built between 1858 and 1863 and which housed a zoo in the 1960s. The building was demolished in 1973. It was also home to the city’s only theatre, as well as the Council Chamber from the mid-19th Century, until the opening of the current Newcastle Civic Centre in 1968.

More recently the Bigg Market has become known for its drinking culture and disorderly behaviour. It has more than 20 bars and restaurants housed in its 31 buildings, many of which are listed buildings in a state of some disrepair.

In February 2015 the business improvement district company for Newcastle city centre received initial support of £202,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Approximately £2.9M of combined funding is expected to be used to reinvigorate the Bigg Market by recreating the historic area in a commercially sustainable manner.

Text from Wikipedia, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (accessed: 13/09/2016).
Visit the page: Bigg Market for references and further details. You can contribute to this article on Wikipedia.

Newcastle City Centre Olaudah Equiano (c.1745 - 1797) Grainger Street Blaydon Races Balmbra's History of Markets in Newcastle Groat Market Cloth Market High Bridge Street Pudding Chare Golden Lion Inn, Bigg Market (demolished) Half Moon Chambers Rutherford Memorial Fountain Sunlight Chambers
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
060271:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne L. Torday c.1972

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from TWAM (youtube)
Historic Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
006114:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Richardson T.M. 1816

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
038952:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1947

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
058865:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne L. Torday c.1970

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
055299:Political Meeting Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1910

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
003721:Bigg Market Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1820

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
067436:Pant Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1827

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
012029:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1933

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061825:Half Moon Inn, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne; Malcolm Maybury; 1995

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
052668: Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1880

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
017413:Abbey National Building Society Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown 1969

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
033648:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Unknown c.1900

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
014364:Scotch Arms Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne c. 1880

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
060841:Binns Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Ermel T. 1995

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
058938:Bigg Market Newcastle upon Tyne Laszlo Torday late 1960s/early 1970s

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
063791:Golden Lion Inn Bigg Market Unknown c. 1889

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
061506:Bee Hive Hotel High Bridge/Cloth Market Maybury Malcolm 1995

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor663, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor288, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor940, Beehive, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor939, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor932, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor931, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor928, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor927, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor449, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor512, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor865, Newgate Street and Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor454, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor442, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor438, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor448, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor437, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor398, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor287, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor401, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor396, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor257, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor276, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor166, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Flickr (flickr)
Terra Cotta Monument

Pinned by Peter Smith
from Flickr (flickr)
Newcastle Walk: Rutherford Memorial, with 28 Bigg Market behind

Pinned by Peter Smith
from Flickr (flickr)
The Bigg Market

Pinned by Peter Smith
from Flickr (flickr)
Bigg Market, Newcastle - 3

Pinned by Peter Smith
from Flickr (flickr)
Bigg Market

Pinned by Peter Smith
from Flickr (flickr)
Bigg Market Drinking Fountain

Pinned by Peter Smith
History of Markets in Newcastle
  Co-Curate Page
History of Markets in Newcastle
- "...When King John made Newcastle upon Tyne a borough in 1216, there were already markets thriving in the town. For the most part these markets were strung out along the …
Groat Market
  Co-Curate Page
Groat Market
Grainger Street
  Co-Curate Page
Grainger Street
- Grainger Street is one of the main streets in Newcastle, named after Richard Grainger, built as part of his redevelopment of the city centre 1824-1841. The street joins Grey Street at the …
High Bridge Street
  Co-Curate Page
High Bridge Street
from http://twsitelines.info/SMR/6…
Tyne and Wear HER(6497): Newcastle, Bigg Market (Beremarket)
- "All medieval towns had specialised market areas. This street was named after an ancient market which sold bigg (barley), oats and other cereals. There are references to temporary market booths …

Added by
Simon Cotterill
from Flickr (flickr)
Image taken from page 7 of 'The Jubilee handbook of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and places of interest in the North of England, etc'

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
052680: The Old George courtyard, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
Tor941, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
Blaydon Races
  Co-Curate Page
Blaydon Races
from Newcastle libraries (flickr)
063791:Golden Lion Inn, Bigg Market, Newcastle upon Tyne c. 1889

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
from Flickr (flickr)
Scotch Inn (Fighting Cocks) Bigg Market, Newcastle. 17th Century

Pinned by Simon Cotterill
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745 - 1797)
  Co-Curate Page
Olaudah Equiano (c.1745 - 1797)
- Olaudah Equiano was a former slave who became an important activist in the anti-slave trade movement in the 1780s. As a child he was enslaved and taken from Nigeria to …

Comments

Add a comment or share a memory.

Login to add a comment. Sign-up if you don't already have an account.



Tyne & Wear HER: 6497
Wikipedia: Bigg Market
Borough: Newcastle
Grid sq: NZ2464

ABOUT US

Co-Curate is a project which brings together online collections, museums, universities, schools and community groups to make and re-make stories and images from North East England and Cumbria. Co-Curate is a trans-disciplinary project that will open up 'official' museum and 'un-officia'l co-created community-based collections and archives through innovative collaborative approaches using social media and open archives/data.

LATEST SHARED RESOURCES