Structure Name: Derwent Tower

Description:
 

Locally known as the 'Dunston Rocket' due to its unusual shape, this residential block is 280 feet high, and has room for 1300 people in its 29 storeys.
 

Extant: Yes

Location: Dunston, GATESHEAD

Eastings: 423160m (view map)

Northings: 561970m (view map)

Position Accuracy: 50m

Positional Confidence: Absolute Certainty

Structure Types Identified: TOWER BLOCK

Historical Background
 

Derwent Tower was designed by Owen Luder and constructed in the late 1960s/early 1970s, originally as part of a three bock design. However, problems with the site meant that only one tower was built, with a series of maisonettes surrounding it connected by walkways. These were removed in 1983.
 

Chronology:

• 1967 - 1973   Construction of Derwent Tower by Pittender AIGH to designs by Owen Luder and Brian Jones for Whickham Council.
      Entities Involved:
            Owen Luder Partnership: Designers of Derwent Tower.
            Whickham Council: Contracted Owen Luder Partnership to design Derwent Tower scheme.
            Pittender AIGH: Built DerwentTower.
• 1983   Walkways surrounding tower removed.

Notes
 

The Dunston Rocket is probably best known through its starring role in a Tudor Crisps advert from the 1970's and 1980's in which a paperboy managed to bribe his mate to deliver papers up the tower, even though the lift was broken, with the promise of a 'canny bag o' Tudor'.
 

The information displayed in this page has been derived from authoritative sources, including any referenced above. Although substantial efforts were made to verify this information, the SINE project cannot guarantee its correctness or completeness.

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