John Dobson (1787 – 1865) was a 19th century English architect in the neoclassical tradition. He was born at Chirton, North Shields and at the age of fifteen was placed as a pupil in the office of David Stephenson, the leading builder and architect in Newcastle. After a period in London, Dobson returned to Newcastle and became the most noted architect in the North of England. Churches and houses by him dot the North East - Nunnykirk, Meldon Park and Beaufront Castle among them. 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... Map sources for North Shields at grid reference NZ3568 North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England. ...

John Dobson argued for the role of the architect in building railway stations and his Newcastle Central is regarded by many as the finest in England. According to Gordon Biddle and O.S. Nock in The Railway Heritage of Britain: ‘Undoubtedly it would have been one of the finest 19th century classical buildings in Europe had it been completed... Even so, Newcastle Central today is magnificent inside for its spectacular combination of curves and outside for its sheer size and length.’ The train-shed at Newcastle, the authors state, was the first of the great arched roofs and represented a bold step forward which was copied by others.’ It was the first use of malleable rolled iron ribs - indeed the first large glass and iron vault in England.

It is often said, however, that Dobson’s monument is the city of Newcastle upon Tyne itself, and the best of his collaboration with Richard Grainger can be seen along Grey Street, Market Street and Grainger Street, which date from 1837-40. Of Grey Street in particular, Sir Nikolaus Pevsner remarks: ’Grey Street is no doubt the best of Dobson’s city streets and is one of the best in England.’ It should be remembered that the buildings of Regency Newcastle differ from Nash’s London work by being of finely-cut ashlar, as opposed to the capital’s stucco. Though the Royal Exchange and most of Eldon Square are gone as a result of T. Dan Smith's modernising zeal in the 1960s, much remains. 'Graingertown' contains some 60 Grade I listed buildings. The Dictionary of National Biography went so far as to state: ‘If the corporation of Newcastle could have accepted [Dobson’s] designs absolutely, their town would now be the finest in the empire.’ This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Nikolaus Pevsner CBE (January 30, 1902 – August 18, 1983) was a German-born British historian of art and, especially, architecture. ... Eldon Square is a shopping centre in Newcastle upon Tyne in the United Kingdom. ... Thomas Daniel Smith (May 11, 1915 - July 27, 1993) was a British politician who was Leader of Newcastle upon Tyne City Council from 1960 to 1965 and a prominent figure in the Labour Party in the north-east of England, such that he was nicknamed Mr. ... The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ...

Decades before Louis Napoleon gave Haussmann carte blanche in Paris, Newcastle was the first modern city to be comprehensively rebuilt. By contrast with Paris, however, Grainger-Dobson Newcastle retains the characterful mediaeval street-plan. ... Georges-Eugène, Baron Haussmann (March 27, 1809 – January 11, 1891) was a French civic planner whose name is associated with the rebuilding of Paris. ...