Keelmen's Hospital in Newcastle to be restored after £4.6m grant

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £4.6 million to restore the historic Keelmen's Hospital in Newcastle, which has been vacant since 2009; the project aims to create 20 affordable homes and include community heritage activities, with work expected to begin in March and finish by autumn 2027.

Keelmen's Hospital in Newcastle will be restored after a £4.6 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The building dates from 1701 and sits above the Quayside. It has been vacant since 2009 and had been described as one of the city's most at-risk heritage assets. The Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust and Newcastle City Council are leading a rescue project to return the site to use. Key facts: - A £4.6 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been awarded to restore Keelmen's Hospital. - The building dates to 1701, overlooks the Newcastle Quayside, and has been vacant since 2009. - The Tyne and Wear Building Preservation Trust and Newcastle City Council plan to convert the site into 20 affordable homes. - Restoration work is expected to start in March and aims to be completed by autumn 2027; an oral history project and a music partnership with the Glasshouse are planned to record local memories. - Historically, keelmen contributed small sums from their wages to fund the hospital as a place of care for sick or ageing workers and their families. Summary: The funding secures a plan to restore a long-neglected historic building and to create housing alongside community-led heritage activity that draws on the site's past. Work is due to start in March with completion targeted for autumn 2027.