The Oldest Pubs in Jesmond
From a pub first recorded in 1822 to a Victorian railway station turned bar, these are the oldest pubs still serving in and around Jesmond.
Jesmond is best known for the bars and restaurants of Osborne Road, but its oldest pubs tell a different story — one of coaching inns, colliery villages, and Victorian architects with grand ambitions. Before Jesmond became the leafy residential suburb it is today, it was a scattering of small settlements along the Ouseburn and Jesmond Vale, each with its own local. Several of those pubs survive, and their histories stretch back far further than you might expect.
Here are the oldest pubs still serving in and around Jesmond.
The Punch Bowl
The Punch Bowl on Jesmond Road is the oldest recorded licensed premises in the area. It first appears in Pigot's trade directory of 1822, when the publican was listed as J. Hewlett. The site was originally part of the Minories Farm complex, and the pub changed hands several times through the early nineteenth century — including a stint under Martha Major, who was fined in 1845 for serving alcohol during Divine Service on a Sunday.
The striking building that stands today was completed in 1879 for spirits merchant Farquhar Laing, brother of Alexander Laing who financed the Laing Art Gallery. Designed by Scottish architect John Gibson in a bold Scottish Baronial style, it is on Newcastle's Local List of buildings of architectural and historic interest. After a period of closure, the Punch Bowl was beautifully restored and reopened around 2019. The former first-floor ballroom now hosts Bobiks, a venue for live music, comedy, theatre, and cinema.
Best for: First recorded in 1822, rebuilt in dramatic Scottish Baronial style in 1879. Locally listed.
The Collingwood Arms
The Collingwood Arms in Brandling Village has been pulling pints since 1836, when its first landlord, Robert Hewlitt, gave it the name it still carries today. The pub was acquired by W.B. Reid of Leazes Brewery in 1890 and largely rebuilt in 1903, giving it the solid Edwardian exterior it wears now. Brandling Village itself is one of the oldest parts of Jesmond — a cluster of streets that predates the Victorian expansion — and the Collingwood Arms has been its anchor for nearly two centuries. It remains a proper local with cask ales, hearty food, and an atmosphere that feels miles from the Osborne Road strip.
Best for: Established 1836 in historic Brandling Village, rebuilt 1903. One of Jesmond's oldest locals.
The Blue Bell
The Blue Bell in Jesmond Vale is one of the quietest and most characterful pubs in the area. It was one of three pubs in the old Jesmond Vale village before 1846 — a small community centred on the Ouseburn long before the grand Victorian villas arrived on the surrounding hillsides. The current building dates from 1912, when it was rebuilt in a style typical of the Edwardian era. It was leased by Robert Deuchar in 1926 and bought outright the following year for the then-considerable sum of 18,750 pounds. Tucked into the wooded valley, it feels genuinely hidden away — a peaceful spot that many Jesmond residents walk past without realising it is there.
Best for: One of three pubs in Jesmond Vale village before 1846. A hidden gem in the valley.
The Cumberland Arms
The Cumberland Arms on James Place Street in the Ouseburn has been licensed since 1862, though the current building dates from 1899. It is one of the most distinctive pubs in Newcastle — a traditional free house perched on the hillside above the Ouseburn Valley, with a spectacular herb garden and views across to the Byker Wall. The pub is renowned for its serious beer credentials: seven real ale hand pulls, an award-winning cider selection, and live folk and acoustic music most evenings. It has won multiple CAMRA awards and remains fiercely independent.
Best for: Licensed since 1862, rebuilt 1899. Award-winning real ales and folk music above the Ouseburn.
The Carriage
The Carriage on Archbold Terrace occupies one of the most unusual pub buildings in Newcastle — the former Jesmond railway station on the old Blyth and Tyne line, built in 1864. The station served passengers for over a century before closing in 1978, replaced by the Jesmond Metro station on the north side of Jesmond Road. The building was converted into a pub in the early 1980s, and the original station layout is still clearly visible: the front entrance leads through what was once the main booking hall, and the old ticket office booth survives behind the bar. A converted railway carriage and signal box have been incorporated into the building, and the pub now houses a plant-based kitchen alongside its bar. It may not have the longest history as a pub, but the building itself is among the oldest in Jesmond.
Best for: Built as Jesmond railway station in 1864, converted to a pub in the 1980s. Original features intact.