Bessie Surtees House

About the museum

Bessie Surtees House is a pair of merchants' houses on Sandhill, close to the River Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. The timber-framed frontage with its overhanging upper storeys is a rare surviving example of Jacobean town architecture in the city, and the buildings are Grade I listed. The earliest record of the site is a sale in 1465. Next door, the former timber-framed Milbank House was given a brick Georgian front in 1741 and served as a coffee house for some years.

The house is named after Bessie Surtees, who eloped from the house in 1772 with John Scott, later Lord Chancellor of England. During the 18th and 19th centuries the buildings were divided and sublet, and John Clayton bought them in 1880. They were restored in 1930, when 17th-century fittings salvaged from demolished buildings were installed.

Newcastle City Council bought the property in 1978 and leased it to English Heritage in 1989, and Historic England took over the lease in 2015. The buildings now house Historic England's North East regional office, and a first-floor exhibition tells the story of the houses. The public can see them on selected dates through booked guided tours.

Highlights

• Grade I listed Jacobean merchants' houses with a timber-framed frontage
• Setting of the 1772 elopement of Bessie Surtees and John Scott
• Exhibition on the history of the buildings
• Free guided tours on selected dates, with donations welcome

Permanent exhibition

• History of Bessie Surtees House – A first-floor exhibition explains the history of the two merchants' houses and the people who lived in them.

Operated by

Historic England

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Guided tours are free, but visitors are asked to make a donation towards the care of the building. A booking is still required.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: not available
• Sign language tours: not available
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Assistance dogs are welcome. The access page lists no accessible toilets, wheelchair or scooter loan, handrails, Braille guides or BSL tours at this site. Information about steps and step-free routes is not published, so visitors who need step-free access should contact English Heritage before booking.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The house is on Sandhill, off the B1600 in central Newcastle.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available

Male and female toilets are available on site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit