31 Side
Quayside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 3JE
0191 232 1269
The Crown Posada in Newcastle is rated three star by Camra’s Pub Heritage Group meaning it has an “interior of exceptional national historic importance”. There is a small snug at the front, the main bar area in the middle (photo 1) and a sitting room at the rear (photo 2). It was owned by the Sir John Fitzgerald pub group from 1901 to 2020 and they carried out sensitive refurbishments over the years without altering the original design.
The most striking features are the two stained glass windows at the front showing a woman pouring into a glass and a man raising the glass above his head (photos 3 & 4). The design is Pre-Raphaelite and the artist may have been Edward Burne Jones who worked with William Morris in his decorative arts business. It’s also worth raising your head to see the elaborate moulded ceiling with its deep panels.
Like most Fitzgerald pubs it was a pioneer of the real ale revival back when most of the city’s pubs served none, and has featured frequently in Camra’s Good Beer Guide since the early 1980s. The cask beers are a mix of locals like Almasty and well chosen ales from further afield. There were two beers from Swannay of Orkney on my last visit. It attracts a mix of regulars and tourists, and is the place to choose to avoid the noisy pubs and bars down on the quayside. My wife and I usually call in when we visit Newcastle as the Crown Posada is where we first met!
The pub was built in 1880 for the short-lived Sanderson brewery and is a solid sandstone building on a grey granite base (photo 5). Look out for the blue stone sign showing a crown with the word Posada beneath. The pub was originally just called the Crown but was changed to celebrate the legend of the captain of a Spanish ship who bought the pub for his Geordie girlfriend. Posada is Spanish for lodging or shelter.
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