Byker Redevelopment: The loss of old Byker and the creation of the Byker Wall

Videos and images from the Byker redevelopment before, during and after.

[@anneflavell1259]

Brings tears to my eyes and a ache in my heart I saw my old house and street were I lived as a small child my family’s family lived their as generations when they demolished these house we moved to a new house but half our more of the people we knew and grew up with hole generations of family’s were torn apart moved away to different areas the hole of byker was ruined they ripped a community apart byker now is a run down dump with drink drugs and crime

[@annemariecandyflip6531]

Unfortunately, not all new estates were for the better.....

[@lea24457]

My dad grew up in what he calls old byker, he always says they ripped the heart of that community out when they started to redevelop the area, breaks my heart and I wasn’t even thought of 😢

[@michaelfitzharris1150]

Amazing footage put together well .great vid, brought a tear to my eye.. I'd go back tomorrow if i could.

[@bettyprice6316]

It's so sad to see, it wasn't perfect but I feel we were happier.

[@anthonygilbert7846]

Lived in byker till a was 5 years old me mam polly gilbert took me shopping with her to these streets she would talk for ages to people it was still good like now 61 years old t dan smith should have been locked up years earliar big rogue

[@geoffcallaghan3117]

Brings a tear

[@lea24457]

I’m only 39 so never experienced what my dad calls old byker, however I do have amazing memories of visiting my gran and her friends who were relocated from the old houses to the new builds. I don’t know why I feel such a strong connection to the place I wasn’t even around when they pulled it down. I think it could be growing up listening to my mam and dads stories of their first little house they had there when my brother was born - it was the start of their life together they went on to bring my sister and myself into the world where they eventually settled in walker. Even looking back when I grew up things aren’t the same 😔

[@anthonyfleck8206]

Brilliant footage,i was born in byker,lived on harbottle street in the 60.s

[@annemariecandyflip6531]

Old estates are UK's heritage as well!!

[@toonmag50]

The suits always know best.... The "science"tells them to do it They cant help themselves...

[@kopynd1]

best thing they ever done, use to visit me sister st peters road and then ayton street the carpets always felt wet and damp outside netty no thanks, mum and my sister had new houses loved them, warm damp free, you cant blame the new buildings, there's good people and bad people, its the bad people that's the problem not the buildings

[@annemariecandyflip6531]

True but when buildings are built poorly and maintanance is poorly as well, you can be a neat and good tennant but the house does suck indeed

[@annemariecandyflip6531]

Don't knock all those old terraced houses estates down. When done some refurbishments/ changes it may be still good houses to live in!

[@Jeffybonbon]

I can see why they did it But i think they ended up with poor 1970s buildings there was no reason to knock it all down some could have been retained and made much better imo

[@anneagle965]

Heartbreaking. 😢

[@gazof-the-north1980]

The old terraced Houses looked way better but I get that they were not up to standard anymore.

[@oddities-whatnot]

Always amuses me when you get people on various property news feeds on social media, all going on about how new houses today are badly made and wont last as long as old houses. That in itself is a joke, old houses were once new but a lot have been demolished through the years as they were deemed “slums” and not fit for habitation. I think a lot of people today, particularly Millennials and Gen Z have no idea what they are talking about regarding so many topics, as most of their “expertise” and knowledge has been taken from countless places on the internet which for anyone with an ounce of common sense will know there is a lot of absolute rubbish out there.

[@Novacastrian]

It was not a slum,it was a community,where people looked out for one another, The houses were older and not up to modern standards, but it wasn’t a slum,their was no graffiti,no litter,a far better time to live !

[@lea24457]

They could of renovated them like they did in jesmond and heaton not pull them down 😢

[@DavidBrown-db2fn]

Anyone remember doreen davidson from commercial street?

[@stuarthogg9830]

Are we all just too busy to clean our step these days?

[@sufeeb]

I understand why they demolished the old terraces but not what they put in place....hideous.

[@user-rg7yx7xr9w]

sad to see Byker now lived in bolam street 60s and 70s all they had to do was modernise them nothing wrong with terraced houses just look west jesmond better than the eye sore thats there now sham on them

[@tomhiggins4124]

You planning muppits !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

[@patriciabailey1937]

There is beauty in the ugliness. Here are the bones and soul of something that once lived and gave protection to those who lived within. There would have been tears shed within these sturdy walls, and laughter and anger and most likely hunger - and here I am today, miles away in another city, a complete world away, yet my memory of dear Newcastle is like a shiny new pin that will lie with me when this is all over. 🥲