Charlton Bonds is a former bonded warehouse. It was constructed in 1885. The building itself was put together using concrete and cast iron framework; ornate brick, a stone façade and a slate roof were added for decorative purposes. The large property comprises of three former dance studios, changing facilities, office and meeting spaces, a former Chinese café area and a sizeable basement. A number of other buildings have been constructed close to Charlton Bonds meaning that a small courtyard also lies at the centre. Inside that courtyard there are five individual gravestones.
In 1835, before Charlton Bonds was created, Newcastle’s Jewish community purchased a plot of land within the vicinity and a synagogue was erected shortly afterwards; more land was later purchased nearby for use as a burial ground. Although it was initially a well-used religious site, much of the local Jewish community moved and the decline in the number of followers was considerable. Consequently, the Jewish synagogue was demolished many years ago; the exact date is unrecorded. Since its closure much of the Jewish graveyard was redeveloped and, even though the removal of the site was disputed, the plot was allocated to a new theatre company. The Jewish community were only permitted to hold onto a smaller part of the graveyard and these are the graves which still exist today. Five graves have remained undisturbed, however, the Hebrew inscriptions have eroded from all but one of the stones. The one that can still be read commemorates ‘Matilda Gaskell’ who died in 1851. The grounds were last ‘restored’ in 1961 when they were covered with red gravel.
We decided to hit something in the North East this month, so we set out to see if there’s anything interesting happening in Newcastle. After checking out a few other sites – mainly older ones we’ve done before to see what they look like in their current states – we arrived in Newcastle City Centre fairly late on. We immediately set off on the hunt for something worthy of exploring and it wasn’t long until we stumbled across Charlton Bonds, the former warehouse. After seeing that there was indeed an access point we decided to take a closer look since the area has a bit of a unique history. It’s a surprisingly large site, so it takes a fair bit of wandering to get around it all, but there’s plenty to see along the way; lots of random bits and pieces anyway. The most interesting bit, by far, is the small Jewish graveyard that’s located in the centre courtyard. Here’s to Matilda, and the others who have no names!
Explored with Ford Mayhem and Soul.
1: Fun and Games
2: Corridor to Dance Studio
3: Time to Dance
4: Dance Studio Leaflet
5: One of the Former Studio Rooms
6: Another Dance Studio... Presumably
7: The Dance Studio in the News
8: Seating Area for Dance Studio
9: DanceCity
10: Amp
11: Dance Studio Toilets (Immaculate Condition)
12: Dance Studio Showers
13: More Changing Room
14: Bits and Bobs
15: Broken Brolly
16: Chinese Cafe (What's Left)
17: Chinese Dancing
18: Chinese Cafe Leftovers
19: Chinese Lampshade
20: Kitchen Area
21: The Jewish Gravestones
22: TV
23: Office Space
24: Rocking Horse in the Attic
25: Inside the Tower
26: The Attic Space
27: The Perfect End to any Explore
In 1835, before Charlton Bonds was created, Newcastle’s Jewish community purchased a plot of land within the vicinity and a synagogue was erected shortly afterwards; more land was later purchased nearby for use as a burial ground. Although it was initially a well-used religious site, much of the local Jewish community moved and the decline in the number of followers was considerable. Consequently, the Jewish synagogue was demolished many years ago; the exact date is unrecorded. Since its closure much of the Jewish graveyard was redeveloped and, even though the removal of the site was disputed, the plot was allocated to a new theatre company. The Jewish community were only permitted to hold onto a smaller part of the graveyard and these are the graves which still exist today. Five graves have remained undisturbed, however, the Hebrew inscriptions have eroded from all but one of the stones. The one that can still be read commemorates ‘Matilda Gaskell’ who died in 1851. The grounds were last ‘restored’ in 1961 when they were covered with red gravel.
We decided to hit something in the North East this month, so we set out to see if there’s anything interesting happening in Newcastle. After checking out a few other sites – mainly older ones we’ve done before to see what they look like in their current states – we arrived in Newcastle City Centre fairly late on. We immediately set off on the hunt for something worthy of exploring and it wasn’t long until we stumbled across Charlton Bonds, the former warehouse. After seeing that there was indeed an access point we decided to take a closer look since the area has a bit of a unique history. It’s a surprisingly large site, so it takes a fair bit of wandering to get around it all, but there’s plenty to see along the way; lots of random bits and pieces anyway. The most interesting bit, by far, is the small Jewish graveyard that’s located in the centre courtyard. Here’s to Matilda, and the others who have no names!
Explored with Ford Mayhem and Soul.
1: Fun and Games
2: Corridor to Dance Studio
3: Time to Dance
4: Dance Studio Leaflet
5: One of the Former Studio Rooms
6: Another Dance Studio... Presumably
7: The Dance Studio in the News
8: Seating Area for Dance Studio
9: DanceCity
10: Amp
11: Dance Studio Toilets (Immaculate Condition)
12: Dance Studio Showers
13: More Changing Room
14: Bits and Bobs
15: Broken Brolly
16: Chinese Cafe (What's Left)
17: Chinese Dancing
18: Chinese Cafe Leftovers
19: Chinese Lampshade
20: Kitchen Area
21: The Jewish Gravestones
22: TV
23: Office Space
24: Rocking Horse in the Attic
25: Inside the Tower
26: The Attic Space
27: The Perfect End to any Explore
