Saltwell Park | A Hidden Gem for the people

Saltwell Park | A Hidden Gem for the People

Moving to Gateshead in 2002 felt like a step into the unknown. I was heavily pregnant, feeling a bit overwhelmed, and to some of my friends, moving south of the Tyne seemed to mean I was now unreachable. This felt a little isolating at times. But one of the benefits of coming here was that I discovered wonderful new places to visit, places that many people who lived over the water never knew existed. Luckily for me, the terraced house that we had moved into was just down the hill from the beautiful Saltwell Park. 

It’s hard to imagine how I’d have managed through those tough times without the park on my doorstep. Besides being a haven where the kids could run free in their early years, it also became the place where they had birthday parties, learned to ride a bike, went sledging down the banks at the foot of the towers, were dazzled by the incredible fireworks display every bonfire night, and experienced ‘Enchanted Parks’, the magical light installations which used to transform the park every November and December. This was well worth the money as it supported local artists and gave us a fun activity right on our doorstep.

I think it can sometimes be forgotten quite how much these free, green spaces enrich our lives. It’s no exaggeration to say that Saltwell Park has a very special significance for my family and me.

Image note: I had to dig through my archives for this image from the 2018 Enchanted Parks event. It's safe to say my camera on my phone wasn't as good as it is now but I do cherish these images. 

As it happens, we all owe a debt of gratitude to William Wailes, the celebrated stained glass manufacturer who had incurred so much debt by the mid-1870s that he was forced to sell his private estate to the Gateshead Corporation. Interestingly, under the terms of an agreement between Wailes and the Corporation, he continued to reside in Saltwell Towers long after the estate was opened to the public. Perhaps on occasion he looked out of the window and wondered, ‘what are all those people doing in my garden?’. It’s sobering to consider that a less enlightened local authority might well have sold off the land to private developers rather than keeping it as a gift for the people. 

Image note: Saltwell Towers is like a gothic palace in the middle of the park. And as architecture goes it is pretty special I am sure you will agree. You can find it in the heart of the park - it used to be a museum and many local people still have wonderful memories of this building. 

The towers are important to me because I had my first big exhibition there back in 2005. The work was a kind of multimedia exploration of the park. It was called 'Nature's Blueprint', and explored both the natural world and the people whose lives were bound up with the park in various ways. This included the head park-keeper Doug Clayton who lived in a cottage within the grounds, and other local residents who shared memories of the park going back to their childhoods. Their stories were recorded and assembled in a sound installation that formed part of the exhibition. I befriended an elderly gentleman, Ossie Nicholson, who recounted his memories of playing in the park as a young boy at a time when you could run through the woods all the way down to the Team Valley. In his latter years he made his way around the neighbourhood on a mobility scooter, visiting the park every day in his two-piece suit, shirt and tie. “It always makes me feel better”, he told me.   

Image note: I was obsessed with Fibonacci numbers and spirals and macro photography back in 2005. And I loved being surrounded by nature. In fact I still do, although I find the majority of my time I am in front of a laptop screen these days. 

My exhibition coincided with the £10m renovation of the towers, the grand re-opening of which was attended by local dignitaries and HRH Princess Anne. I was introduced to her as the ‘artist-in-residence’, and she asked me briefly about the work in her brusque, no-nonsense manner. I’m not sure she was too interested in my reply, to be honest, but it was lovely to meet her.

Image Note: This image of the close-up of a red flower was a particular favourite of mine and was kept by Gateshead Council. Last time I checked it is up in the towers in the staff area of the building. 

Ossie had been asked to attend the ceremony too and I remember him being thrilled to meet a member of the royal family. The restoration work was largely in keeping with the designs of William Wailes and the eminent landscape gardener Edward Kemp, and whilst some places have been modernised it still looks and feels much like the Victorian park that opened in 1876. Back then it was thought of as the ‘lungs of Gateshead’, at a time when coal fires must have darkened the skies over the terraces of Bensham. Today I still find that it’s a place you can go that makes you feel a million miles away from the rush and noise of the city. 

Image note: I am proud to have lived in Bensham for over 20 years. It means I get to go for a new years walk in the park and have a catch up with a friend. What could be better.

A number of years ago, Jim and I were at a friend’s wedding, and a young woman asked where we lived. When we told her the name of our street, she looked a little alarmed and blurted out “But isn’t that borderline Bensham?”. I can’t remember how we replied but ‘borderline Bensham’ has become a badge of pride ever since. After more than twenty years we are still here, still in borderline Bensham, and still enjoying the wonderful Saltwell Park. But as a friend once told me, “shhh! don’t tell everyone, they’ll all want to move here."

Explore products inspired by Saltwell Park

I have three products that I have designed that reflect my love of Satlwell Park: a limited edition notebook, a bookmark and a handcrafted solid oak clock.

The inspiration behind the new Powder Butterfly Journal 

Over the last two years, I’ve spent every Sunday on the Newcastle Quayside market. One of the great joys of doing this is that I get to meet locals and visitors from all over the world, and I’m always interested to hear their stories, find out why they came to Newcastle and ask where else they’re going during their stay. People are often curious about what I do and, on occasion, I’ve had to explain how someone with a London accent came to be selling Newcastle-themed gifts which actually celebrate the North.

The top and bottom of it is that since I moved here in 1998, I fell in love with the area, met my husband, had kids, and am now firmly planted here. So I wanted to explore my own journey, and some of the thinking behind Powder Butterfly, through a series of journal entries. Some of these are written by me, some are ghostwritten by my husband or by him alone, and others are by my daughter Jess, who was born in Newcastle but has also lived in Manchester. 

These pieces of writing are designed to inform, entertain and either remind you of the place you call home, or spark enough curiosity to visit the places we share with you. Others explore the history of the landmarks and structures that I use in my designs. Most of all, though, I wanted to give a sense of why I love doing what I do, and why it’s about more than selling baubles, notebooks and mugs.

Think of them as a series of diary entries that follow my journey and share my family's experiences and perspectives, too.  

I hope you enjoy them. 

Corinne x

Would you like your writing featured on our blog?

I am also interested in hearing from guest writers who would like to contribute to our series of blog posts. We are looking for writers who specialise in the following fields: local history, hospitality, independent business, creative small businesses, and community-focused initiatives. We would like to hear from you, especially if you focus on the cities that Corinne has designed collections for. All blog posts will be promoted across social platforms and in our newsletter. We have a combined reach of the following:

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