A partnership between Tyne + Wear Building Preservation Trust and Newcastle City Council will preserve the building’s heritage while bringing it back into use as 20 affordable housing units.
The Grade II* listed landmark was built in 1701, providing shelter, food and medical care for people living in poverty, as well as caring for the sick and aged keelmen of the city and their families. The keelmen are an integral part of Tyneside’s industrial heritage. They ferried coal on flat-bottomed boats, known as keels, out to ships that were too large to sail up the river.
The Keelmen’s Hospital has been vacant for over 15 years and the structure has fallen into disrepair. The works will restore the building’s fabric and character, as well as boosting its energy efficiency through the installation of renewable energy technology.
As the restoration progresses, the site will offer a wide range of opportunities for local communities to learn about the Hospital's history. This will include specialist talks and demonstrations, an oral history project and heritage skills training, with a focus on the retrofit and reuse of historic buildings.
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Councillor Karen Kilgour, said: “The Keelmen’s Hospital has stood for hundreds of years overlooking the River Tyne and is one of Newcastle’s most historically important buildings.
“It was empty for far too long and faced an uncertain future when no one came forward to buy it. This generous grant from the Heritage Fund will restore it to its former glory and provide beautiful homes of distinction for the people of Newcastle.”
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