NZ2664 : Free Trade Inn, St Lawrence Road
taken 16 years ago, near to Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England

1) It's an absolute dump, and
2) It's fantastic!"
Quoted from the pub website (now down).
The Free Trade Inn was rebuilt in 1896 with further alterations when Scottish & Newcastle took it over in 1919. It closed in 1947 when S&N wanted to transfer the licence. Reopened as a beer house, it had to wait until 1963 before gaining a full drinks licence. Though it is much-loved, its welltrodden shabbiness really doesn't do it any favours.
Link
The area beside the Ouse Burn north of its junction with the River Tyne was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in Newcastle and was once home to many thriving (and very dirty) heavy crafts and industries. It fell into disuse and dereliction by the mid-twentieth century. The incarnation of the Valley in 1996 as a cultural regeneration hotspot was initiated by the Ouseburn Trust, in partnership with the local authority. The Trust remains a landlord and developer in the Ouseburn, and seeks to involve people in the heritage and regeneration of the area through its programme of free walks, talks and volunteering activities.
The river was previously tidal from roughly below Byker Bridge, revealing dark mud at low tide. The Ouseburn tidal barrage at the river mouth, which was completed in 2009, now retains high water in the Ouseburn at low tide, with the objective of providing a pleasanter environment alongside its banks at low tide, thus promoting development.
Tyne and Wear HER(11417): Ouseburn, Lower Ouseburn Valley Conservation Area Link
Wikipedia: Link
Ouseburn Trust: Link
Ouseburn Walk: Link
National Trail Lower Ouseburn Walk: Link
Old Ouseburn pubs Link
Ouseburn's Industrial Past Link
