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Construction started on Forth Banks Goods Station in 1866. It was designed by architect, Thomas Prosser, and was commissioned by the North Eastern Railway (NER). The Goods Station opened on the 3rd March 1871. There are photos of the interior here Link Link

In 1904, a new goods station was built for the NER, facing on to Forth Banks, on the end of Prosser's existing station. The probable architect was William Bell. It was extended eastwards by the building of a small, three storey, ferro-concrete shed in 1905. It was designed by William Bell and built by L G Mouchel's Hennebique Company. There is a 1989 photo here: Link
It is a Grade II Listed Building Link

Prosser's goods shed was cut in two by the building of the approach viaduct to the King Edward Bridge in 1904 but was one of the largest goods stations in the world. There is an aerial photo of the location from 1929 here Link

All that now survives of Prosser's goods shed is the undercroft, the south face of which is a sandstone wall pierced by arch headed openings which runs alongside Pottery Lane. The rest was demolished in 1972.

Some literature maintains that the Newcastle-Carlisle Railway once had a passenger station on this site, or even that the Forth Banks Goods Warehouse itself was once a railway station. There appears to be little evidence for this, and the confusion may have arisen from its (second) temporary terminus (1847-1851) just west of Central Station being called Forth NZ2463 : Former site of Newcastle Forth Railway Station

Alan Young provides a plausible and likely scenario here Link

The first terminus of the railway after the first Scotswood Railway Bridge was built (1839), taking it from Blaydon to the north of the Tyne, is usually referred to as 'Shot Tower’ or ‘Railway Street’, located just north of the current Arena car park. It was used from 1839 to 1847 Link

The railway eventually terminated at Central Station shortly after it was completed in 1851.

SINE: Archive Link
English Heritage Pastscape: Link Archive Link
English Heritage Archives: Link

Tyne and Wear HER(4321): Newcastle, Forth Banks, Goods Station (first)
Tyne and Wear HER(8917): Newcastle, Forth Banks, Goods Station Warehouse (second)
Tyne & Wear Sitelines: Link

A Brief History of the North Eastern Railway: Link Link
Disused Stations - Newcastle Link

Newcastle City Council - Character Statement Link

Planning permission has recently (2011) been granted for the incorporation of the buildings on Forth Banks (Bell's Goods Warehouse and Kings House), along with part of the site of the Goods Station at the rear, into a £37 million new Police Station for Northumbria Police.
Link

Much of this is detailed in the following blog Link

Created: Sat, 3 Dec 2011, Updated: Fri, 26 Jun 2020