A Newcastle leisure group is working with the city’s BID company NE1 Ltd in the latest stage of a multimillion-pound redevelopment project.
The £3.2m Bigg Market transformation plan was first announced six years ago when the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) backed plans to regenerate the historic site, which includes 31 listed buildings.
Historic Property Restoration (HPR) Ltd has been carrying out the public landscaping and building restoration work at the site, which also had match funding from NE1 Ltd and Newcastle City Council, resulting in the area’s transformation into a continental cafe culture locale.
The team at NE1 is continuing its work with property owners to restore some of the historic and listed properties in the area, with The Blackie Boy pub, owned and operated by the Vaulkhard Group, becoming the eighth building to receive grant funding.
The pub – thought to be one of the oldest in Newcastle – has been at the heart of the Bigg Market and Groat Market area for centuries and, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund administered by NE1 Ltd, owners Vaulkhard Group are restoring the façade of the building, to revamp its art deco features and renovating the interior to recreate a traditional Victoriana-style pub.
The external restoration work will commence at the end of May and is expected to last until late July.
Part of those plans will see The Blackie Boy name taken down, to be replaced with a new name taken from the building’s past.
Owners Ollie and Harry Vaulkhard have delved into the history books and will be renaming the pub Swarley’s, after Richard Swarley, one of the former proprietors who famously ran a Newcastle debating club on the premises in the 18th century, attended by another notable Newcastle dignitary, the engraver Thomas Bewick.
Ollie Vaulkhard said: “We are delighted to be investing in the building and bringing the pub back to life. My family have been custodians of the building for 40 years and its fortunes mirror those of the Bigg Market. With the rebranding and makeover, we want to stay true to the pub’s history.
“The Bigg Market is hardly recognisable today thanks to the amazing job NE1 has done transforming the public realm and creating the right backdrop for business investment. The time is now right to reopen the doors of the Blackie Boy in its new incarnation as Swarley’s.
“It is with a tinge of regret that we are changing the name, knowing that in the current climate, the name Blackie Boy, although linked to the blacksmiths that occupied the site historically, may be misconstrued and cause offence which we want to avoid.
“We are not deleting Blackie Boy from the history books and reference will be made to its history inside the venue and in its window displays. We want to create a beautiful, traditional pub in the heart of Newcastle, one steeped in history that will contribute to the continued success of the Bigg Market.”
The Blackie Boy is the eighth building to receive grant funding as part of the overall scheme, which is backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), following on from restorations at Pumphreys, Meat:Stack; the Victorian men’s toilet building which is now WC Newcastle wine bar; Koh-I Noor; CosyJoes, Kafeneon and Balmbra’s.
Alex Slack, project manager for the Bigg Market at NE1 Ltd said: “It is great news for the Bigg Market that the Vaulkhard Group is on board and investing in their property with the opening of Swarley’s.
“We are really seeing the fruits of our labour in the area. The outdoor terraced areas, created at the start of the project, have transformed the Bigg Market allowing hospitality venues to create pavement cafes and restaurants. A major objective of this project was to demonstrate that the area could be a daytime destination as well as a nighttime one and the outdoor dining experience has reinforced that.
“There is still work to be done and the NLHF Bigg Market project runs until the end of this year. We are extremely proud of what we’ve delivered to date and delighted that the success is evident for everyone to see.”
