Customs House

The Customs House, built in 1766 and refronted in 1833 by Sidney Smirke, is a Grade II* listed building located on the Quayside in Newcastle upon Tyne. It is constructed of sandstone ashlar with a plinth, featuring a brick left return and rear, and a rendered right return. The roof is made of Welsh slate with stone gable copings and has brick chimneys.

This three-storey building has five windows. There are two steps leading up to the central double doors, which are two-panelled and topped with a two-pane overlight, all set within a Tuscan porch that includes a blocking course and the royal arms from the period 1801-1837. The rusticated ground floor is distinguished by four keyed arches; the left arch provides entry to the yard, while the others contain round-headed sashes with projecting stone sills set in recessed panels.

The first floor features sashes with sill panels in pedimented Tuscan cases above a first-floor band, while smaller sashes on the second floor are framed in architraves with projecting stone sills. The glazing bars are of a late 19th-century style. Additional architectural details include a first-floor band, a fluted frieze, a dentilled gutter cornice, and a coped parapet with pilasters. An Ordnance Survey benchmark is marked on the doorcase.