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many of the buildings on Pilgrim Street, of which this is one, are either empty, derelict or otherwise crying out for redevelopment.
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Pilgrim Street was once a much more important and illustrious thoroughfare, running northwards within the old city walls and leading to the long-gone Pilgrim Gate on the north wall of the City. The street's name has two probable origins; one being that pilgrims passed through Newcastle on the way to visit St Mary's Chapel in Jesmond, now an inner city suburb ; the other being that the friary of Greyfriars nearby contained relics of St Francis, the founder of the order, and pilgrims travelled up Pilgrim Street to see them.
I went on a Historic Pubs walk on the Tyne and Wear Heritage Open Days recently. The guide told the group that many of these buildings are owned by the company who redeveloped Wembley Stadium - so apparently they have no money left over to redevelop anywhere in Newcastle. I can't verify it, but that would explain a lot...
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