History of Newcastle

Pons Aelius was name of the first known settlement in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area. It was a Roman settlement and dates from the 2nd century AD when it was ordered by Emperor Hadrian. The settlement was founded at the lowest place that the river Tyne could easily be crossed. It was a relatively large settlement for the era with 2,000 inhabitants. In fact, you can still see parts of Hadrian’s Wall from the city of Newcastle today. After the Romans left in the 5th Century AD, Newcastle was settled by the kingdom of Northumbria and known as Monkchester.

Working in Newcastle

Newcastle has often been seen as something of a downtrodden city that is rife with unemployment. While the city suffered like the rest of the North of England in the 1980s, it has recovered better than most. Much of the city’s gritty reputation probably comes from its stature during the Industrial Revolution where it was a leading coal miner and manufacturing location. However, the coalpits have been closed for almost half a century and the shipbuilding industry has died with it. This has all been replaced by a modern city that is an important retail centre in the North of the country.

Living in Newcastle

The city of Newcastle is usually referred to as Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is found in the North East of England and has a population of just under 300,000. People who live in Newcastle and the surrounding areas are known as Geordies. The city is part of the Tyneside conurbation which totals 1.6 million, making it one of the largest conurbations in the United Kingdom. Newcastle’s GVA is £13 billion which is one of the largest contributions to the UK economy. Newcastle is also known for its dedication to environmental issues and the city is hoping to become the ‘first Carbon Neutral town’. The city was once seen as something of a dull, gloomy place but has undergone a startling transformation and is now known as a vibrant city filled with culture.

Top 10 Places

At one time, Newcastle was seen as the typical gritty Northern city which had little going for it except bars and clubs. However, the city has always been more than this and has recovered fantastically from the economic hardship that it suffered during the 1980s along with its fellow Northern cities. Here are 10 of the best places to visit on Tyneside.

10 Top Companies

Newcastle is a city that surprises all who visit it with the level of energy that is shown by the local Geordie population. Residents of the city are notorious for playing hard but they also work extremely hard too. Employment in Newcastle is divided into a number of areas though retail is the main employer in the city. Here are 10 of the best companies to work for in Newcastle, in no particular order.