 Originally some way from the centre of Newcastle, Spital Tongues was considered to be a beautiful place, surrounded by the large open spaces of the Town Moor and Castle Leazes.Over the last fifty years, new development has nibbled away at these green spaces, much of it related to the expansion of Newcastle University and the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) to the south and east.Nevertheless, for a place located less than from the present-day city centre, Spital Tongues retains a remarkable sense of separation and distinctiveness.