The name of the district is considered to be a reference to a shelter in the forest clearing, derived from Anglo-Saxon sources.

During the English Civil War, King Charles I was permitted to play golf at Shieldfield whilst he was held prisoner at Newcastle by Parliamentarian forces.

This is commemorated by a plaque within Shieldfield Green,[4] and reflected in the naming of King Charles Tower adjacent to the site.

Over the last decade, developments have seen a number of Halls of Residence constructed to accommodate students from the nearby Northumbria University, and in 2007 Northumbria University opened its new state of the art 'City Campus East' on the site of the former Warner Brothers cinema.

[6] Bus services are provided by Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive under the brand name Nexus, and also by Stagecoach North East.