[lwptoc]
Newcastle upon Tyne, sometimes known as Newcastle, is a city in Tyne and Wear, North East England, located 103 miles (166 kilometers) south of Edinburgh and 277 miles (446 kilometers) north of London on the northern bank of the River Tyne, 8.5 miles (13.7 kilometers) from the North Sea. Newcastle is the most populous city in the North East and serves as the urban hub of Tyneside, the UK’s ninth most populated conurbation. Newcastle is a member of the English Core Cities Group as well as the European city network Eurocities. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it became a county in its own right, a position it kept until 1974, when it became part of Tyne and Wear. Geordie is the regional nickname and accent for persons from Newcastle and the surrounding regions. Newcastle is also home to Newcastle University, a Russell Group university. The city sprang up around the Roman hamlet Pons Aelius and was called after the castle erected in 1080 by William the Conqueror’s oldest son, Robert Curthose. In the 14th century, the city flourished as a significant center for the wool trade, and it eventually became a major coal mining location. The port grew in the 16th century and, together with the shipyards farther down the Tyne, was one of the world’s major shipbuilding and ship-repairing centers. Newcastle’s economy comprises corporate headquarters, learning, digital technology, retail, tourism, and cultural centers, and the city contributes £13 billion to the UK’s GVA. Newcastle Brown Ale, Newcastle United football club, and the Tyne Bridge are among its symbols. Since 1981, it has hosted the world’s most popular half marathon, the Great North Run.