Central Arcade

About Central Arcade

Central Arcade was built in 1906 by Oswald and Son of Newcastle inside the gutted shell of Richard Grainger's Central Exchange, after a fire destroyed the earlier interior in 1901. It is Grade II* listed, and the reason to walk through it is the surface: the walls and upper elevations are clad in dark brown and gold faience by Burmantofts of Leeds, one of the most complete surviving interiors of its kind in the country. The original 1906 glass mosaic floor by Rust's Vitreous Mosaics of Battersea wore out and was replaced to a similar design in the 1990s.

It is a pass-through rather than a destination, taking five minutes at a walk, and it links Grainger Street to Grey Street directly beneath the curve of the Monument. Do note that the arcade's best-known occupant, the music shop J. G. Windows, closed in November 2024 after 116 years, so a great many older guides send visitors in for something that is no longer there. Go for the architecture. Monument Metro is directly outside.

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Free Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle has four free museums and galleries, a Grade I listed covered market, two miles of medieval town wall, a thousand acres of common land and a free organ recital every Monday. Here is what genuinely costs nothing, and what used to be free but is not any more.