When Newcastle’s Eldon Square shopping entre opened in 1976, one of its early attractions was a pub called the Cordwainwers.
You might remember it. If you entered the centre next to Grey’s Monument, the drinking hole was on the lower level, on the left, just past WH Smith. There was also an entrance from Nelson Street. It attracted a relatively fashionable crowd in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, notwithstanding the fact it was situated in a shopping complex.
Regulars might not have been aware of the historical significance of the pub's name. The cordwainers (or shoemakers) of Newcastle, in fact, dated back to the time when Queen Mary Tudor was on the throne. The guild of cordwainers was formed in 1556, one of a dozen guilds in the old town of Newcastle. The guild had nearly 100 members, making it one of the largest.
