Shieldfield
Coordinates: 54°58′52″N 1°35′56″W / 54.981°N 1.599°W
| Shieldfield | |
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  Shieldfield Shieldfield shown within Tyne and Wear | |
| OS grid reference | NZ257651 |
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Shieldfield is a small area of Newcastle upon Tyne located just to the east of the City Centre, from which it is separated by the A167(M) Central Motorway. The Sandyford, Heaton, Byker and Manors areas of the city border Shieldfield to the North, East, South East and South.
The name of the district is considered to be a reference to a shelter in the forest clearing, derived from Anglo-Saxon sources.
During the English Civil War, King Charles I was permitted to play golf at Shieldfield whilst he was held prisoner at Newcastle by Parliamentarian forces.[1]
The area was increasingly urbanised during the 19th Century and by 1881 contained many houses for the employees of nearby factories. The population at this time was 12,826, living in 2,253 units of accommodation (mostly flats). There were also 16 pubs and 19 'beer shops' which permitted patrons to drink on the premises.
The district largely consists of a council estate, with a few streets of Victorian terraced houses. Circus Central - the home for circus in Newcastle is located within the buildings of Christ Church and Christ Church School. Circus Central provides trying for adults and children in a wide array of circus skills. They work closely with the primary school and the local community and have the best youth circus in the UK. The famous Five Ring Circus from whom the performance troupe 'The LaBonche Family' draws its members. The former Methodist Church for Shieldfield remains consecrated but is a gallery called The Holy Biscuit.
Over the last decade, developments have seen a number of Halls of Residence constructed to accommodate students from the nearby Northumbria University, and in 2007 Northumbria University opened its new state of the art 'City Campus East' on the site of the former Warner Brothers cinema.
Transport
Bus services are provided by Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive under the brand name Nexus and also by Stagecoach. Northern Rail provides train service from the nearby Manors railway station with Manors Metro station about 100 metres (110 yd) away. The A167(M) has a junction with the A193 near Shieldfield.