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Chares is a Geordie word used for the narrow alley-ways in Newcastle. There used to be about 20 chares which led back from the Quayside in the medieval town (Dark Chare, Grindon Chare, Blue Anchor Chare, Peppercorn Chare, Palester Chare, Colvin's Chare, Hornsby Chare, Plumber Chare, Fenwick's Chare, Dark Chare, Broad Garth, Peacock Chare, Trinity Chare, Rewcastle Chare, Broad Chare, Spicer Lane, Burn Bank, Byker Chare, Cock's Chare and Love Lane).

The name was also applied to narrow lanes in different parts of the city and other parts of Northumberland Link

On the Quayside, they are thought to have arisen from wooden piers built out into the river, between which rubbish was dumped and houses built on the reclaimed land.

The buildings alongside the chares were crowded and unpleasant. Many were destroyed in the great fire of 1854 NZ2563 : Hillgate explosion, vividly illustrated in 'View from the High Level Bridge' by M. & M. W. Lambert (1854) Link

Broad Chare was so called as it was wide enough for a cart, the others were much narrower Link

Wikipedia: Link
The present state of Newcastle: Streets within the walls by Eneas Mackenzie (1827) Link
Plan of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead by John Wood (1827) Link
Tyne and Wear HER(1596): Newcastle, Quayside (The Key) Link
Tyne and Wear HER(11101): Newcastle, medieval town Link

In Medieval times, Newcastle was divided by several streams or burns flowing towards the River Tyne. Several of the roads have the term bridge in their names although no water is visible today. Examples are Barras Bridge, New Bridge Street, High Bridge and Low Bridge. They were often important sites for industry and settlement but hampered communications and development. As the town expanded they were filled in and now flow in culverts buried deep below the surface.

The Skinner Burn was culverted between 1840 and 1859. It flows under Bath Lane from just south of Corporation Street, beneath Thornton Street, then west of Clayton Street West, around the site of the old abattoir, and down the east edge of Forth Banks into the Tyne where there is a small outlet in the river wall.
Tyne and Wear HER(11104): Newcastle, Skinner Burn Link

The Lort Burn rises in Leazes, between Barrack Road and Richardson Road, then runs across Richardson Road just north of the junction with Queen Victoria Road, down the north side of St. Thomas Street and bends south just after the junction with Percy Street and on beneath Grey Street and Dean Street and the Side. It was crossed by the High and Low Bridges. The Lort Burn was fully covered in 1784 because it was considered as "a vast nauseous hollow… a place of filth and dirt".
Tyne and Wear HER(11105) Link

The Pandon Burn was a deep and wide glacial valley. It was crossed by Barras Bridge and New Bridge Street. The valley was filled in over the culverted stream in several stages, completed by 1886. Its waters are joined, before reaching the river, by the Erick Burn, which flows beneath the Laing Art Gallery. In 1977, during President Carter's visit to Newcastle, part of the infill of Pandon Dene south of the Civic Centre, subsided under the weight of the crowd.
Tyne and Wear HER(11114): Newcastle, Pandon Burn Link

Commissions North - Tributary Link