A major renovation of Newcastle’s Grainger Market is now well under way – with a revamp of its toilets and the infilling of old bomb shelters beneath the Geordie institution set to start this month.
Work began last year on a £9 million refurbishment of the Georgian market building, in Newcastle city centre. The long-awaited project, which was awarded cash from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund in 2021, will see new flooring, doors, seats, and signage installed throughout the historic site and part of it turned into a cultural space capable of hosting gigs and plays. Old units in the centre of the market arcade have now been demolished, with popular traders Pumphrey’s Coffee and Hunter’s Deli moved to new locations, and shoppers will have noticed that a large section of that area is currently cordoned off.
The Grainger Market’s toilets have closed this week to allow them to be upgraded with new lighting, heating, and tiles between now and May. Contractors Robertson are also due to start work this month that will result in the loss of the hidden tunnels beneath the market, which acted as air raid shelters during the Second World War.
The rarely-seen tunnels had previously been opened to the public for special heritage tours, but it was deemed that they had “deteriorated significantly” and would not be strong enough structurally to withstand the major overhaul of the market arcade into an events venue. As a result, they are now due to be filled with concrete, after planning permission to carry out those works was secured.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “We are continuing to work with Robertson Construction to achieve our exciting vision for the future of the Grainger Market. Over the past few months, work has been carried out to remove the old units at the centre of the Arcade which also meant we had to ensure the ageing utility services which also needed to be removed were safe. This is now complete, although the final clearing of this area is ongoing.
“Work is now under way to renovate the toilets in the market with a new layout that will improve the quality and functionality of the space. Modernisations will include improved lighting, heating, tiling and decorative works. The renovations are expected to be complete by May before works continue on the central arcade and the market’s lobby entrances.
“Listed Building Consent has now been granted to allow for the tunnels under the Grainger Market to be filled to structurally support the new arcade area and be compliant with modern standards. This work is due to start in mid-January and will take approximately 4-5 weeks. These works will run concurrently with the toilet renovations.
“The market remains open throughout, and we are doing all we can to minimise disruption for both traders and customers. We are committed to ensuring that this beautiful building is fit for the next 150 years and it remains the beating heart of our city.”
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