Cowgate

Cowgate is a short street in Newcastle upon Tyne city centre whose name records its historic use as a route for cattle. The road sits within the tight medieval street pattern, with narrow frontages and a mix of small shops, pubs and upper-floor housing. A few stretches still show worn paving where deliveries and foot traffic concentrate, and narrow alleys lead down to small yards and service entrances. The built form is mixed, with Victorian terraces interspersed with later infill and converted commercial units.

Today Cowgate functions as a local spine for small businesses, takeaways and evening venues, with lots of front-door activity at street level. Many buildings have been adapted to combine living space above with hospitality or retail on the ground floor, and short pedestrian links give the area a compact feel. The street’s name and layout make it clear why it developed as a city-centre thoroughfare, and its pattern of alleys and narrow plots remains visible to anyone walking the length of the street.