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It looks like you might have solved the mystery Yossarian.

It looks like there were two buildings called Cowpen House on Cowpen Road (plus a Cowpen Hall, just to make it really confusing)!

One was the old building shown in the illustration, that stood down by Dales School, and another which you are referring to Yossarian, which was a care home opposite the dentists. It looks like the newspaper is referring to the old care home as the new building directly matches the one described in the article (a four storey complex of two bedroomed flats)

Thanks for your help Yossarian!

Hi everyone

This is another one of Cowpen's lost mansions!

It stood next to the Dales School on Cowpen Road. Looking at the maps of the area it seems to have been demolished in the 1950's. However I have come across this newspaper report from 2007;

"A MAN who inadvertently bought a 27-bedroom, 10- bathroom house for his frail elderly mum is set to make a sizeable profit selling the home.

Robert Benn bought rundown Cowpen House in Blyth seven years ago for pounds 85,000. When he saw the property's lift, he made the decision to buy the property there and then. His mum, Olive, then aged 80, had trouble getting around because of stiff joints.

He only realised he had taken on a house with 27 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms when he saw it in daylight for the first time.

After moving in, Mr Benn concentrated on establishing a living area for himself and his mum and much of the building remained unused.

He has spent thousands of pounds on having the roof repaired and putting in 62 new windows, but now demolition contractors are set to bulldoze the lot when the site is bought and cleared by North Shields-based Miller Homes.

The firm this week won the go-ahead from Blyth Valley Council's development control panel for a four-storey complex of 36 two-bedroom flats on the site.

Mr Benn said: "You could say I am making a profit but I didn't buy it to make a profit.

"It is a bit cold in the winter because I can't afford to run the heating. I am looking for something smaller."

Does anyone know if the newspaper reporter has mixed up Cowpen Hall and Cowpen House? Does anyone know anything more about Cowpen House? Does anyone remember it?

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

Richard

A major feature of Kitty Brewster now is the Spine Road. The section leading up to the bridge was, I think, one of the first parts of the Spine Road to be built in the early 1960's. This photograph showing the Spine Road under construction was labelled c.1980's. This looks way too late for me. Is there anyone one there with better local knowledge can tell me:

(a) What the likely date of the photo is (the car and the state of the power station should provide good clues) and,
(b) Where they think it was taken (north of Kitty Brewster bridge, or south)?

Enjoy the detective work!

The map image has been removed. Please follow this link to see the map.

https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/430755/581466/12/101116

Tip! You will have to zoom out a couple of times using the - marker on the side of the map before you will be able to see the Un-subscriber view.

I thought that it might be useful to post a map from the 1920's showing the streets that have been discussed in this post.

Then I have come across an aerial photograph from about 1948 which actually shows Double Row. I have tried to duplicate this using Google Earth to show where the street would have stood today. And then finished it off with a Street . on the ground. Double Row would have stood roughly aligned with the footpath with stretches back from the small building in the foreground.

I hope that you find it useful!

copyright image removed