Sunderland
Encyclopedia
Sunderland lies at the heart of the City of Sunderland
, a metropolitan borough
of Tyne and Wear
, in North East England
. It is situated at the mouth of the River Wear
.
The name "Sunderland" is reputed to come from Soender-land (soender/sunder being the Anglo-Saxon
infinitive
, meaning "to part", (cf. "(a)sunder"), likely to be reference to the valley carved by the River Wear
on whose south bank the original settlement of Sunderland was founded.
Historically
a part of County Durham
, there were three original settlements on the site of modern-day Sunderland. On the north side of the river, Monkwearmouth
was settled in 674 when Benedict Biscop
founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery. Opposite the monastery on the south bank, Bishopwearmouth
was founded in 930. A small fishing village called Sunderland, located toward the mouth of the river (modern day East End) was granted a charter in 1179.
Over the centuries, Sunderland grew as a port, trading coal
and salt
. Ships began to be built on the river in the 14th century. By the 19th century, the port of Sunderland had grown to absorb Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth.
A person who is born or lives around the Sunderland area is sometimes colloquially known as a Mackem
.
hunter-gatherer
s and artifacts from this era have been discovered, including microliths found during excavations at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth
. During the final phase of the Stone Age, the Neolithic period (c.4,000-c.2,000 BC), Hastings Hill
, on the western outskirts of Sunderland, was evidently a focal point of local activity and a place of burial and ritual significance. Evidence for this includes the former presence of a cursus monument. Although it is believed Brigantes
inhabited the area around the River Wear
in the pre- and post-Roman
era. There has also been a long-standing local legend that there was a small Roman settlement standing on the south bank of the River Wear
on what is currently the site of the former Vaux Brewery, although no archaeological work has yet taken place to explore this.
Recorded settlements on the mouth of the Wear date back to 674, when an Anglo-Saxon
nobleman named Benedict Biscop, granted land by King Ecgfrith of Northumbria
, founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow (St. Peter's) monastery
on the north bank of the river Wear – an area that became known as Monkwearmouth. Biscop's monastery was the first built of stone in Northumbria
. He employed glaziers from France
and in doing so he re-established glass making in Britain.
In 686 the community was taken over by Ceolfrid
, and Wearmouth-Jarrow became a major centre of learning and knowledge in Anglo-Saxon England with a library of around 300 volumes.
The Codex Amiatinus
, described by some as the 'finest book in the world', was created at the monastery and was likely worked on by Bede
, who was born at Wearmouth in 673. While at the monastery, Bede completed the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
(The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) in 731, a feat which earned him the title: The father of English history.
In the late 8th century, the Vikings began to raid the coast, and by the middle of the 9th century, the monastery had been abandoned. Lands on the south side of the river were granted to the Bishop of Durham by Athelstan of England in 930; these became known as Bishopwearmouth and included settlements such as Ryhope
which fall within the modern day boundary of Sunderland.
As early as 1100, Bishopwearmouth parish included a small fishing
village at the southern mouth of the river (modern day Hendon) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland'). This settlement was granted a charter
in 1179 by Hugh Pudsey, then the Bishop of Durham.
From as early as 1346 ships were being built
at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville. In 1589, salt began to be made in Sunderland. Large vats of seawater
, were heated using coal. As the water evaporated the salt sediment remained. This process is known as salt panning, which gave its name to Bishopwearmouth Panns; the modern-day name of the area the pans occupied is Pann's Bank, located on the river bank between the city centre and Hendon. As coal was required to heat the salt pan
s, a coal mining
community began to emerge in the area. Only poor quality coal was used in salt panning; quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow.
Prior to the English Civil War
in 1642, King Charles I
bestowed the rights to the East of England
coal trade upon Newcastle. This had a big impact on Sunderland, which had begun to rapidly grow as a coal-trading town. This created resentment toward Newcastle and toward the monarchy. In March 1644, a Scottish army allied to the king's enemies was stationed at Sunderland and clashes occurred in the vicinity with Royalist troops under the Marquess of Newcastle who moved against them. The most significant encounter occurred in the Hylton and Boldon areas. During the Civil War Parliament blockaded the River Tyne
, crippling the Newcastle coal trade and allowing the Sunderland coal trade to flourish. Because of the difficulty for colliers in trying to navigate the shallow waters of the River Wear, the coal had to be loaded onto keels (large boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. The keels were manned by a close-knit group of workers known as 'keelmen
'.
In 1719, the separate parish of Sunderland was carved from the densely populated east end of Bishopwearmouth by the establishment of Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland parish church (today also known as Sunderland Old Parish Church). The three original settlements of Wearmouth (Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland) had begun to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland as well as the salt panning and the shipbuilding along the banks of the Wear. Around this time, Sunderland was also known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'.
was divided between the three churches (Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, St. Michael's, Bishopwearmouth
, and St. Peter's, Monkwearmouth
) and when cholera
broke out in 1831, the "select vestrymen", as the church councilmen were called, showed themselves unable to understand and cope with the epidemic
. Sunderland, a main trading port at the time, was the first British town to be struck with the 'Indian cholera' epidemic. The first victim, William Sproat, died on 23 October 1831. Sunderland was put under quarantine, and the port was blockaded, but in December of that year the disease spread to Gateshead
and from there, it rapidly made its way across the country, killing an estimated 32,000 people. Among those to die was Sunderland's Naval hero Jack Crawford
. The novel The Dress Lodger by American author Sheri Holman
is set in Sunderland during the epidemic.
Demands for democracy
and organised town government saw the Borough of Sunderland created in 1835. Sunderland developed on plateaux high above the river, and so never suffered from the problem of allowing people to cross the river without interrupting the passage of high masted vessels. The Wearmouth Bridge was built in 1796, at the instigation of Rowland Burdon
, the Member of Parliament
for County Durham
, and is described by Nikolaus Pevsner
as being of superb elegance. It was the second iron bridge built after the famous span at Ironbridge
itself, but over twice as long and only three-quarters the weight. Indeed, at the time of building, it was the biggest single span bridge in the world. Further up the river, the Queen Alexandra Bridge was built in 1909, linking the areas of Deptford and Southwick.
In 1897, Monkwearmouth officially became a part of Sunderland. Bishopwearmouth had long since been absorbed.
. The Hall was the scene of a tragedy
on 16 June 1883 when 183 children died. During a variety show
, children rushed towards a staircase for treats. At the bottom of the staircase, the door had been opened inward and bolted in such a way as to leave only a gap wide enough for one child to pass at a time. The children surged down the stairs toward the door. Those at the front became trapped, and were crushed by the weight of the crowd behind them.
With the asphyxiation of 183 children aged between three and 14, the disaster is the worst of its kind in British history. The memorial, of a grieving mother holding a dead child, is currently located in Mowbray Park with a protective canopy. Newspaper reports at the time triggered a mood of national outrage and the resulting inquiry recommended that public venues be fitted with a minimum number of outward opening emergency exit
s, which led to the invention of 'push bar' emergency doors. This law still remains in full force to this day. The Victoria Hall remained in use until 1941 when it was destroyed by a German
bomb.
.
At the beginning of the 20th century some 146,000 people were living in Sunderland. The public transport network was enhanced in 1900 with an electric tram system. The trams were gradually replaced by buses during the 1940s before being completely axed in 1954.
Education in Sunderland was improved in 1901 with the opening of the town's Technical College. A big improvement to healthcare came in 1929 when the town's General Hospital opened.
Several public parks were opened in Sunderland during the first four decades of the 20th century, including Barnes Park in 1909, Backhouse Park in 1923 and Thompson Park in 1933.
Housing conditions in the town began to improve in the 1920s and 1930s when new council estates were developed in the suburbs, with new houses being built to rehouse families from town centre slums. New homes for private sale were built as well.
With the outbreak of World War II
in 1939, Sunderland found itself as a key target of the German
Luftwaffe
, who claimed the lives of 267 people in the town as well as causing damage or destruction to some 4,000 homes, not to mention the devastation to the local industry. After the war was over, more new housing was developed. The town's boundaries were expanded in 1967 when neighbouring Ryhope
, Silksworth
, Herrington
, South Hylton
and Castletown
were all incorporated into Sunderland.
The 1970s saw the completion of a new town hall, civic centre, police station and General Hospital. With more and more of the old Sunderland disappearing, attempts were made to preserve some of the town's historic past, with Monkwearmouth Station Museum opening in 1973 and the North East Aircraft Museum opening a year later.
Sunderland had suffered badly from unemployment during the Great Depression
of the early 1930s, but then improved over the subsequent decades as new industries sprung up. Jobs were readily available in skilled trades and this played a role in the continuing rebuilding of the town. During the second half of the 20th century shipbuilding and coalmining both declined; shipbuilding ended in 1988 and coalmining in 1993. Some new industries were also developing in the area at this time, and the service sector expanded during the 1980s and 1990s.
In July 1986, Sunderland became home to a car factory owned by Japan
ese carmaker Nissan – the first European factory to be built by a Japanese carmaker.
From 1990, the banks of the Wear experienced a massive physical regeneration with the creation of housing, retail parks and business centres on former shipbuilding sites. Alongside the creation of the National Glass Centre
the University of Sunderland
has also built a new campus on the St. Peter's site. The clearance of the Vaux Breweries
site on the north west fringe of the city centre has created a further opportunity for new development in the city centre.
Sunderland finally received city status in 1992.
The 20th century saw Sunderland A.F.C.
firmly established as the area's greatest claim to sporting fame. Football League founder members in 1888, they had been champions on five occasions by 1936. They won their first FA Cup
in 1937
, but their only post World War II
major honour came in 1973 when they won a second FA Cup. They have consistently been in the top flight of English football. After 99 years at their historic Roker Park
stadium, they moved into the new 42,000-seat Stadium of Light
on the banks of the River Wear
in 1997. At the time, it was the largest new stadium built by an English football club since the 1920s
, and has since been expanded to hold nearly 50,000 seated spectators.
Like many cities, Sunderland comprises a number of areas with their own distinct histories, for example Fulwell, Monkwearmouth, Roker
, and Southwick on the northern side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth and Hendon to the south.
Many fine old buildings remain despite the heavy bombing that occurred during World War II. Religious buildings include Holy Trinity Church, built in 1719 for an independent Sunderland, St. Michael's Church, built as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church and now known as Sunderland Minster and St. Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part of which dates from AD 674, and was the original monastery. St. Andrew's Roker, known as the "Cathedral of the Arts and Crafts Movement
", contains work by William Morris
, Ernest Gimson
and Eric Gill
.
On 24 March 2004, the city adopted St. Benedict Biscop as its patron saint
. A patron had never been adopted before.
Sunderland was created a municipal borough
of County Durham
in 1835. Under the Local Government Act 1888
, it was given further status as a county borough with independence from county council
control. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
, the county borough was abolished and its area combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. The metropolitan borough was granted city status
after winning a competition in 1992 to celebrate the Queen's 40th year on the throne.
Much of the city is located on a low range of hills running parallel to the coast. On average, it is around 80 metres above sea level
. Sunderland is divided by the River Wear which passes through the middle of the city in a deeply incised valley, part of which is known as the Hylton gorge. The only two road bridges connecting the north and south halves of the city are the Queen Alexandra Bridge at Pallion and the Wearmouth Bridge just to the north of the city centre. A third bridge carries the A19 dual-carriageway over the Wear to the west of the city (see map below).
Most of the suburbs of Sunderland are situated towards the west of the city centre with 70% of its population living on the south side of the river and 30% on the north side. The city extends to the seafront at Hendon and Ryhope (on the south) and Seaburn
(on the north).
The area is part of the Anglican
Diocese of Durham
. It has been in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham since the Catholic hierarchy
was restored in 1850.
In Marley Pots, the steets are all associated with trees, e.g. Maplewood, Elmwood etc.
Sunderland is the 26th largest city in England. At 3,874 hectares, Sunderland is the 45th largest urban area in England by measure of area, with a population density of 45.88 people per hectare.
According to statistics based on the 2001 census, 60% of homes in the Sunderland metropolitan area
are owner occupied, with an average household size of 2.4 people. Three percent of the homes have no permanent residents.
66% (men) and 54.7% (women) of the population within working age
are economically active. 6.7% of men and 3% of women are unemployed. 12.2% of men and 8.6% women are permanently sick or disabled.
Immigration
into Sunderland is 2.4%, emigration
is 2.2%.
, with 1% Asian
and 0.4% mixed-race
.
The most ethnically diverse ward of the city was the (now defunct) Thornholme area. This ward, which included Eden Vale, Thornhill, as well as parts of Hendon, Ashbrooke and the city centre, has long been the focus of Wearside's Bangladeshi community. In Thornholme, 89.4% are white, 7.8% are Asian and 1.3% are mixed-race. The 2001 census also recorded a substantial concentration of Greek nationals, living mainly in Central and Thornholme wards. The least ethnically diverse wards are in the north of the city. The area of Castletown is made up of 99.3% white, 0.4% Asian and 0.2% mixed-race.
With recent inward migration of refugees, workers and students, it is expected that the 2011 census will record a significant change in the ethnic composition of the city, with substantial African, Chinese
and Eastern European communities centred on the areas of Chester Road, Millfield
, Hendon, Thornhill, Ashbrooke
and Roker
Avenue.
, 9.6% are irreligious
, 0.7% are Muslim
and 7.6% did not wish to give their religion.
114 people of Jewish
faith were recorded as living in Sunderland, a vanishingly small percentage. There was no Jewish community before 1750, though subsequently a number of Jewish merchants from across the UK and Europe settled in Sunderland, A Rabbi
from Holland was established in the city in 1790. The once thriving Jewish community has been in slow decline since the mid 20th century. Many Sunderland Jews left for stronger Jewish communities in Britain or to Israel. The Jewish primary school, the Menorah School, closed in July 1983. The synagogue
on Ryhope Road, opened in 1928, closed at the end of March 2006. (See also Jews and Judaism in North East England
)
Hinduism arrived from the early 1900s and adherents now number around 1000.
Sunderland has some of the most deprived areas in England with 11 of the 24 wards featuring in the list of the 2000 most deprived wards in England and in the 1980s it was one of the most deprived cities in England.
The most deprived areas are Southwick and Marley Potts to the north of the river and Hendon and Farringdon to the south – both with chronic levels of unemployment, high murder rates and car crimes, although the city is performing better than the North East as a whole.
. One famous vessel was the Torrens, the clipper in which Joseph Conrad
sailed, and on which he began his first novel. As Basil Lubbock states, Torrens was one of the most successful ships ever built, besides being one of the fastest, and for many years was the favourite passenger ship
to Adelaide. She was one of the most famous ships of her time and can claim to be the finest ship ever launched from a Sunderland yard. She was built in ten months by James Laing at his Deptford yard on the Wear in 1875.
Between 1939 and 1945 the Wear yards launched 245 merchant ships totalling 1.5 million tons, a quarter of the merchant tonnage produced in the UK at this period.
Competition from overseas caused a downturn in demand for Sunderland built ships toward the end of the twentieth century. The last shipyard in Sunderland closed in 1988.
Sunderland, part of the Durham coalfield, has a coal-mining heritage that dates back centuries. At the peak in 1923, 170,000 miners were employed in County Durham alone, as labourers from all over Britain, including many from Scotland
and Ireland
, entered the region. As demand for coal slipped following World War II, mines began to close across the region, causing mass unemployment. The last coal mine closed in 1994. The site of the last coal mine, Wearmouth Colliery, is now occupied by the Stadium of Light
, and a miner's Davy lamp
monument stands outside of the ground to honour the heritage of the site. Documentation relating to the region's coalmining heritage are stored at the North East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre (NEEMARC).
Glass has been made in Sunderland for around 1,500 years. As with the coal-mining and shipbuilding, overseas competition has forced the closure of all of Sunderland's glass-making factories. Corning Glass Works, in Sunderland for 120 years, closed on March 31, 2007 and in January 2007, the Pyrex
manufacturing site also closed, bringing to an end commercial glass-making in the city. However there has been a modest rejuvenation with the opening of the National Glass Centre
which, amongst other things, provides international glass makers with working facilities and a shop to showcase their work, predominantly in the artistic rather than functional field.
Vaux Breweries was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110 years was a major employer. Following a series of consolidations in the British Brewing industry, however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999. Vaux in Sunderland and Wards
in Sheffield
had been part of the Vaux Group, but with the closure of both breweries it was re-branded The Swallow Group, concentrating on the hotel side of the business. This was subject to a successful take-over by Whitbread PLC
in the autumn of 2000. It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area that could be targeted for redevelopment
In the mid 1980s, Sunderland's economic situation began to improve following the collapse of shipbuilding in the town. In addition to the giant Nissan car factory opened in 1986, new service industries moved in to sites such as the Doxford International Business Park
in the south west of the city, attracting a host of national and international companies. Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use of Information Technology
, in both 2004 and 2005.
The former shipyard areas along the Wear were transformed with a mixture of residential, commercial and leisure facilities including St. Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland, University accommodation along the Fish Quay on the South side of the river, the North Haven housing and marina development, the National Glass Centre, the Stadium of Light and Hylton Riverside Retail Park. Also in 2007, the Echo 24 luxury apartments opened on Pann's Bank overlooking the river. In 2008 the Sunderland Aquatic Centre
opened adjacent to the Stadium of Light, containing the only Olympic-size swimming pool between Leeds
and Edinburgh
.
In 2000, The Bridges
shopping centre
was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central Bus Station
, attracting national chain store
s including Debenhams
, H&M
, Schuh
, Disney Store
, Pandora (jewelry), La Senza
, TopShop
and Starbucks
. This was followed by adjacent redevelopments on Park Lane.
Sunderland Corporation's massive post-war housing estate developments, such as Farringdon, Pennywell and Grindon have all passed into the ownership of Gentoo (previously 'Sunderland Housing Group'), a private company and a Registered Social Landlord. Since the housing stock transfer in 2000 there have been considerable improvements to the quality of social housing in the city.
In 2004, redevelopment work began on the Sunniside area of the east-end of the city centre, including a multiplex cinema, a multi-storey car park
, restaurants, a casino
and tenpin bowling. Originally called the River Quarter, the site was renamed Limelight in 2005, and then was renamed again in 2008, when it became Sunniside Leisure.
Aside from the leisure site, Sunniside Gardens were landscaped, and a number of new cafes, bars and restaurants were opened. Up-market residential apartments were developed, including the Echo 24 building.
The plans are supported by Sunderland Arc
, an urban regeneration company funded by the City council, One NorthEast
and the Homes and Communities Agency
.
The Holmeside Triangle is an area adjacent to the Park Lane transport interchange, enclosed on three sides by Park Lane, Holmeside and railway tracks. Sunderland arc own 75% of the land, currently occupied by a mixture of retail and commercial units including Park Lane Market.
£147 million plans for the site include the creation of extensive retail space, public meeting spaces, cafes, bars and restaurants, and a 33 storey Skyscraper
called the Spirit of Sunderland
, which would be the tallest building in North East England.
Since the closure of the Vaux brewery
in 1999, a 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) brownfield site has lain dormant in the centre of Sunderland. The land is subject to dispute between supermarket chain Tesco
, who bought the site in 2001, and Sunderland arc, who submitted plans for its redevelopment in 2002. During formal negotiations, Tesco stated they would be willing to sell the land to arc, if an alternative city centre site could be found. Possibilities include Holmeside Triangle, and the Sunderland Retail Park in Roker. Arc hope to begin development in 2010.
Arc's plans for the site were approved by the Secretary of State in 2007, and include extensive office space, hotel
s, leisure and retail units, residential apartments and a new £50 m Crown and Magistrates court. The central public arcade will be located under an expansive glass canopy. It is hoped an evening economy can be encouraged which will complement the city's nightlife.
Redevelopment of the Monkwearmouth Colliery site, which sits of the north bank of the river Wear opposite the Vaux site, began in the mid 1990s with the creation of the Stadium of Light
. In 2008, it was joined by the Sunderland aquatic centre
.
The Sheepfolds industrial estate occupies a large area of land between the Stadium and the Wearmouth Bridge.
Sunderland arc are in the process of purchasing land in the Sheepfolds, with a view to relocate the businesses and redvelop the site. The emphasis of development plans include further sporting facilities, in order to create a Sports Village. Other plans include a hotel, residential accommodation, and a footbridge
linking the site with the Vaux development.
The Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC) is a proposed transport link from the A19, through the city centre, to the port. A major phase of the plan is the creation of a new bridge
, which will link the A1231
Wessington Way on the north of the river with the Grove site in Pallion, on the south of the river.
In 2008, Sunderland City Council offered the residents of Sunderland the opportunity to vote on the design of the bridge. The choices were a 180 m iconic cable-stayed bridge
, which would result in a temporary increase in council tax
, or a simple box structure which would be within the council's budget.
The results of the consulatation were inconclusive, with residents keen to have an iconic bridge, but reluctant to have a subsequent increase in tax to fund it.
Regardless of the ultimate design of the new bridge, the landing point will be the former Grove Cranes site in Pallion
. Plans for this site focus around the creation of a new residential area, with homes, community buildings, commercial and retail space.
The Port of Sunderland is owned by the city council, and has been earmarked for medium-term redevelopment with a focus on mixed-use industry.
Sunderland station
was opened in 1879 but was completely redesigned to facilitate football teams and officials from countries who were drawn to play at Roker Park
during England's hosting of the 1966 World Cup. The station as it currently stands was opened on 4 November 1965 and since then little has changed in terms of the general appearance of the station. Situated on an underground level, the station is generally considered an eyesore and is currently undergoing renovation, backed by the artistic team which designed the stations along the Wearside extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro
in 2002. It is situated on the Durham Coast Line
served by direct Northern Rail
services to Newcastle upon Tyne
, Hartlepool
, Stockton
and Middlesbrough
, as well as further afield to Hexham
, Carlisle and the Gateshead MetroCentre. These services run hourly in each direction, cut from half-hourly on 12 December 2005.
From 1998 to 2004, Northern Spirit
and subsequently Arriva Trains Northern
ran bihourly direct trains from Sunderland to Liverpool Lime Street
via Durham
, Darlington
, York
, Leeds
and Manchester
. The services were withdrawn due to a change of franchise which saw the Transpennine Express route gain a franchise in its own right, distinct from the Regional Railways network which Arriva had inherited. Services now terminate at Newcastle
, and a separate service also travels to Middlesbrough
, but both only stretch as far as Manchester Airport.
In 2006, Grand Central Railway announced plans to operate a direct service between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York
, a service which had been stripped from Wearside twenty years earlier. A scaled-down service of one train each day began in December 2007, twelve months after the initial launch date, due to delays caused by restoring rolling stock and a protracted court case against the now defunct GNER franchise (which Grand Central won). The service increased to three departures daily each way on 1 March 2008, connecting a line which can run from Edinburgh
to London
. The service has proved so popular that a fourth direct train is now in operation.
In May 2002 the Tyne and Wear Metro
was extended to Sunderland in an official ceremony attended by The Queen, twenty-two years after it originally opened in Newcastle upon Tyne
. The line now stretches deeper into South Tyneside
and into Sunderland, incorporating Seaburn
, Millfield
, Pallion
, as well as Sunderland's mainline railway station and stations at the Park Lane Transport Interchange
and both campuses of the University of Sunderland
before terminating at South Hylton
. At first, six trains per hour ran along the route, but much lower patronage than expected between central Sunderland and South Hylton, as well as scheduling issues, meant that service was cut to five trains per hour to Park Lane, with three or four trains terminating in South Hylton. Upon the opening of the Metro extension, the mainline rail service frequency to Newcastle upon Tyne
was halved to one per hour. In many quarters, the Metro extension has not been viewed as a huge success due to this cut in the frequency of services. Moreover, fare-dodging is an issue, with the lack of service checks and ticket barriers at stations leading to perceptions of a lack of demand.
There are no motorways that run through the Sunderland urban area. The largest and busiest road is the A19
, which runs north-to-south along the western edge of the urban area, crossing the River Wear at Hylton. The A19 originally ran through the city centre until the bypass was built in the 1970s, the route is now the A1018.
There are four main roads which support the city centre. The A690
Durham Road terminates in the city centre, and runs all the way to Crook, County Durham
via the city of Durham. This is the main road supporting the south-west of the city.
The A1231
starts in the city centre, crosses the Queen Alexandra Bridge and runs through Washington to the A1. Most of this road is national speed limit dual carriageway
.
The A1018
and A183
roads both start in the centre of South Shields and enter Sunderland from the north, before merging to cross the Wearmouth Bridge. The A1018 follows a direct route from Shields to Sunderland, the A183 follows the coast. After crossing the bridge, the A1018 follows a relatively straight path to the south of Sunderland where it merges with the A19. The A183 becomes Chester Road and heads west out of the city to the A1 at Chester-le-Street
.
In Autumn 2007 the Southern Radial Route was opened. This is a bypass of the A1018 through Grangetown and Ryhope – a stretch that commonly suffered from congestion
, especially during rush hour
. The bypass starts just south of Ryhope, and runs parallel to the cliff tops into Hendon, largely avoiding residential areas.
was opened on 2 May 1999 by the then Brookside
actor Michael Starke
. With 750,000 passengers per year it is the busiest bus and coach station in Britain after Victoria Coach Station
in Central London
, and has won several awards for innovative design. The majority of bus services in Sunderland are provided by Arriva North East
, Go North East
and Stagecoach in Sunderland
and a new Metro station was built underneath the bus concourse to provide a direct interchange as part of the extension to South Hylton in 2002.
National Route 1 runs from Ryhope in the south, through the centre of the city, and then along the coast towards South Shields.
Britain's most popular long-distance cycle route
– The 'C2C' Sea to Sea Cycle Route
– traditionally starts (or ends) when the cyclist dips their wheel in the sea on Roker beach. The 'W2W
' 'Wear-to-Walney' route, and the 'Two-Rivers' (Tyne and Wear) route also terminate in Sunderland.
Lewis Carroll
was a frequent visitor to the area. He wrote most of Jabberwocky
at Whitburn
as well as "The Walrus and the Carpenter
". Some parts of the area are also widely believed to be the inspiration for his Alice in Wonderland stories, such as Hylton Castle and Backhouse Park. There is a statue to Carroll in Whitburn library. Lewis Carroll was also a visitor to the Rectory of Holy Trinity Church, Southwick; then a township independent of Sunderland. Carroll's connection with Sunderland, and the area's history, is documented in Bryan Talbot
's 2007 graphic novel Alice in Sunderland
. More recently, Sunderland-born Terry Deary
, writer of the series of Horrible Histories
books, has achieved fame and success, and many others such as thriller writer Sheila Quigley
, are following his lead.
The Salford-born painter, L. S. Lowry
, was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland. Many of his paintings of seascapes and shipbuilding are based on Wearside scenes. The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art
on Fawcett Street and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
showcase exhibitions and installations from up-and-coming and established artists alike, with the latter holding an extensive collection of LS Lowry. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures.
of the Eurythmics
and all four members of Kenickie
and whose vocalist Lauren Laverne
later became known as a TV presenter. In recent years, the underground music
scene in Sunderland has helped promote the likes of The Futureheads
, The Golden Virgins
and Field Music
.
Other Mackem musicians include punk rockers The Toy Dolls ("Nellie the Elephant", December 1984), punk band Leatherface
, the lead singer of dance outfit Olive
, Ruth Ann Boyle ("You're Not Alone", May 1997) and A Tribe of Toffs
("John Kettley is a Weatherman
", December 1988). Alex Kapranos
of the band Franz Ferdinand
also grew up in Sunderland and South Shields
.
In May 2005, Sunderland played host to BBC Radio 1
's Big Weekend
concert at Herrington Country Park
, attended by 30,000 visitors and which featured Foo Fighters
, Kasabian, KT Tunstall
, Chemical Brothers and The Black Eyed Peas
.
The Sunderland Stadium of Light
, home to Sunderland AFC, is recognised as a major stadium concert venue, having hosted world tours by Take That
, Oasis
, P!nk
and Kings of Leon
since 2009. Since opening in 1997, it has also played host to Billy Ocean
, Go West
, Toyah
, Tasmin Archer
, Republica
, Shola Ama
, Sweet Female Attitude
, Liberty X
, Damage
, Precious
, Jessica Garlick
, Status Quo and Sunderland Symphony Orchestra
, founded in 2000.
The Empire Theatre sometimes plays host to music acts. Since its refurbishment in 2004, it has hosted acts as diverse as Morrissey
, Deacon Blue
, McFly
, Journey South
, Jane McDonald
and The Drifters
and in its distinguished history it has also welcomed world-renowned bands such as The Beatles
and The Kinks
. In 2011 it hosted Alexandra Burke
and Paolo Nutini
among others.
Independent, a city centre nightclub
/music venue, satisfies underground music lovers, having previously played host to Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Maxïmo Park
and Snow Patrol
when they were largely unknown and had not yet achieved commercial success. In the past year, the club has hosted gigs from established bands such as The Zutons
, The Maccabees
, The Young Knives
, Robots In Disguise
, Saxon
, The Mystery Jets, Klaxons
and The Futureheads. In 2009 it hosted Finley Quaye
, General Fiasco
, Attack! Attack!
, Hot Club de Paris
and The Automatic
as well as a DJ set from Andrew Weatherall
.
The Manor Quay, the students' union nightclub on St. Peter's Riverside at the University of Sunderland
, has also hosted the Arctic Monkeys
, Maxïmo Park
, 911
, the Levellers
and Girls Aloud
. In 2009, the club was taken into private ownership under the name Campus and hosted N-Dubz
, Ocean Colour Scene
, Little Boots
, Gary Numan
and Showaddywaddy
but has since been returned to the university. The former students' union Wearmouth Hall hosted Voice of the Beehive
and Manic Street Preachers
before closing in 1992.
Since 2009, Sunderland: Live in the City has played host to a series of free and ticketed live music events throughout venues in the city centre. Sunderland also hosts the yearly Split Music Festival at Ashbrooke Cricket Club which was first celebrated in October 2009 and will return in 2010 with Maxïmo Park and The Futureheads headlining.
The Sunderland Empire Theatre opened in 1907 on High Street West in the city centre. It is the largest theatre in the North East, and completed a comprehensive refurbishment in 2004. Operated by international entertainment group Live Nation
, the Empire is the only theatre between Glasgow
and Leeds
with sufficient capacity to accommodate large West End productions. It is infamous for playing host to the final performance of British comic actor Sid James who died of a heart attack whilst on stage in 1976.
The Royalty Theatre on Chester Road is the home to the amateur Royalty Theatre Group who also put on a number of low-budget productions throughout the year. Renowned film producer David Parfitt
belonged to this company before achieving worldwide fame and is now a patron of the theatre.
The Sunniside
area plays host to a number of smaller theatrical workshops and production houses, as well as the Theatre Restaurant, which combines a dining experience with a rolling programme of musical theatre.
, founded in 1873, and the Sunderland Star – a free newspaper
. It also has its own local radio
station Sun FM
,a community radio station Spark FM and a hospital radio station – Radio Sunderland for Hospitals
, and can receive other north-eastern independent radio stations Metro Radio
, Magic 1152
, Galaxy North East and
Century Radio
. The current regional BBC radio station is BBC Radio Newcastle
University of Sunderland student radio station Utopia FM
has recently won awards for innovation and broadcasts for part of the year. In September 2007, Ofcom
, the media regulator, awarded a 5 year full-time community radio
licence to Utopia FM to start broadcasting in 2008. The regional DAB multiplex for the Sunderland area is operated by Bauer DIGITAL RADIO LTD. – owned by Bauer Digital Radio plc. The city is covered by BBC North East and Cumbria
and ITV
's Tyne Tees
franchise, which has a regional office in the University's Media Centre. Sunderland and its surrounding area is also referenced in The Catherine Tate Show
numerous times.
Sunderland's first film company was established in 2008; and is known as "Tanner Films Ltd" and is based in the Sunniside
area of the city. The companies first film, "King of the North" starring Angus MacFadyen
and set in the Hetton-le-Hole
area of the city; is currently under production.
Sunderland also hosts the free International Festival of Kites, Music and Dance, which attracts kite-makers from around the world to Northumbria Playing Fields, Washington.
Every year the city hosts a large Remembrance Day
memorial service, the largest in the UK outside of London
in 2006.
At a special meeting of the Council on 19 December 1973, the Honorary Freedom of the then County Borough of Sunderland was conferred on 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, the North East Gunners, in recognition of the number of members of the Regiment who have been recruited from Wearside. The Regiment exercised its Freedom in April 2000 and following a successful tour of Afghanistan in July 2008.
HMS Ocean
, an active Helicopter Landing Platform
of the Royal Navy
, is Sunderland's adopted ship. The crew of Ocean regularly visit the city.
At Christmas
, Sunderland used to host a German market in the city centre selling quality German-made wooden goods, and German food
. It also hosts a large ice rink
near the Empire Theatre, which forms part of the wider, regional North East Winter Festival. In 2007 the City Council introduced a weekly firework show in Mowbray Park (Thursday nights), starting with the switch on of the Christmas lights.
Sunderland's inaugural film festival took place in December 2003 at the Bonded Warehouse on Sunderland riverside, in spite of the lack of any cinema facilities in the city at that time, featuring the films of local and aspiring directors as well as reshowings of acclaimed works, such as Alan Bleasdale
's The Monocled Mutineer
, accompanied by analysis. By the time of the second festival commencing on 21 January 2005, a new cinema multiplex had opened in Sunderland to provide a venue which allowed the festival to showcase over twenty films including the UK premieres of Shall We Dance?
starring Richard Gere
and Kim Basinger
's The Door In The Floor, as well as a special screening of Shakespeare In Love
, presented by its producer, Sunderland-born David Parfitt
.
and the beaches of Roker and Seaburn.
The National Glass Centre opened in 1998, reflecting Sunderland's distinguished history of glass-making. Despite substained support from the Arts Council
the centre has struggled to meet visitor targets since it opened.
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, on Borough Road, was the first municipally funded museum in the country outside London. It houses a comprehensive collection of the locally produced Sunderland Lustreware
pottery. The City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, also houses the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art.
The City of Sunderland has been commended several times on its commitment to preserving its natural faculties. As such, Sunderland has been awarded prestigious titles by the Britain in Bloom
collective in 1993, 1997 and 2000.
Sunderland has also recently been voted as one of the best nights out in the country, finishing eighth behind larger cities such as Leeds, Manchester, London; this is largely due to "The circuit", which comprises around 65 bars and 9 clubs all within minutes of each other based in the St Michaels and Park Lane areas of the City Centre.
, which was formed in 1879 and became founder members of the Football League in 1888. Finishing 10th in the Premier League in the 2010–11 season, Sunderland retains its status in the country's top division in 2011–12
and plays its home games at the 49,000 seat capacity Stadium of Light
. Sunderland also has the north-east's top women's football team, Sunderland A.F.C. Women
, who have been financially separated from the men's team since summer 2005. They currently play in the top tier of English women's football – FA Women's Premier League National Division
, despite their financial struggles. Sunderland were league champions six times within the Football League's
first half century, but have not achieved this accolade since 1936. Their other notable successes include FA Cup
glory in 1937 and 1973 and winning the Division One
title with a (then) English league
record of 105 points in 1999. Sunderland's longest stadium occupancy so far was of Roker Park
for 99 years beginning in 1898, with relocation taking place due to the stadium's confined location and the need to build an all-seater stadium. The initial relocation plan had been for a stadium to be situated alongside the Nissan factory, but these were abandoned in favour of the Stadium of Light at Monkwearmouth
on the site of a colliery that had closed at the end of 1993. The city also has two non-league sides, Sunderland Nissan F.C.
of the Northern League Division One and Sunderland Ryhope Community Association F.C. of the Northern League Division Two.
Sunderland's amateur Rugby
and Cricket
clubs are both based in Ashbrooke
. The Ashbrooke ground was opened on 30 May 1887. The cricket club dates back to 1801, when a game was recorded on July 25 at Monkwearmouth shore. The rugby union football club was established in 1873; it is recorded that practices took place in December, probably on the town moor. In January 1874 games were played and won against both Houghton and Darlington. In its early years, the rugby club was made up of former public school boys and well educated and successful business and industrial leaders of the locality. In 1881, Sunderland were recorded as being the first winners of the Durham County Senior Challenge Cup, beating Houghton 9-0. This was the first of five successes, the last being in 1959, when they beat 6-0 a Durham City team that had included several county players and internationals. The last appearance in the final was 1997, when they were beaten by Stockton.
Sunderland had an ice hockey
team from 1977 and temporarily inherited the Durham Wasps
in 1994 when Durham City's ice rink closed and the team was bought by John Hall
. They played home games at Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre until Newcastle Arena opened in 1995 and the team relocated again. Durham's ice hockey team has since undergone several name changes and is currently the Newcastle Vipers
.
From 1976 until 1995, Sunderland had a basketball
team, winners of the national championship play-off final, at Wembley, in 1981 and 1983. The team qualified for European competition in 1982, and were also play-off runners-up, to Crystal Palace, in 1982. Named 'Sunblest Sunderland' the team played at the Crowtree Leisure Centre.
The Crowtree Leisure Centre has also played host to a number of important boxing matches and snooker championships including the 2003 Snooker World Trickshot and Premier League Final. In September 2005, BBC
TV cameras captured international boxing bouts featuring local boxers David Dolan
, Stuart Kennedy and Tony Jeffries
. The latter became Sunderland's first Olympic medallist when he won a bronze medal
in the light heavyweight boxing category for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
On 18 April 2008, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre was opened. Constructed at a cost of £20 million, it is the only Olympic sized 50 m pool between Leeds
and Edinburgh
and has six diving boards, which stand at 1 m, 3 m and 5 m.
Athletics is also a popular sport in the city, with Sunderland Harriers Athletics Club based at Silksworth Sports Complex. 800 m runner Gavin Massingham represented the club at the AAA Championships in 2005. On 25 June 2006, the first Great Women's Run took place along Sunderland's coastline. Among the field which lined up to start the race were Olympic silver medallists Sonia O'Sullivan
of the Republic of Ireland
and Gete Wami
of Ethiopia
, who eventually won the race. The race quickly became an annual fixture in the city's sporting schedule, with races in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the race will be relaunched as the Great North 10k Run, allowing male competitors to take part for the first time, on 12 July. The route will also be extended to incorporate the city centre, as well as Sunderland's riverside and coastline. The Great North Walk, which began in June 2008, will also return to Sunderland in 2009.
Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in nearby East Boldon. The Sunderland Saints of 1964 closed after 8 meetings. The track re-opened in the early 1970s and known as the Stars and then the Gladiators, raced in the National league Division Two.
Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969, becoming the University of Sunderland
in 1992. The institution currently has over 17,000 students. The university is split into two campuses; the City Campus (site of the original Polytechnic) is just to the west of the city centre, as is the main university library and the main administrative buildings. The 'Award-Winning' St Peter's Riverside Campus is located on the north banks of the river Wear, next to the National Glass Centre and houses the School of Business, Law and Psychology, as well as Computing and Technology and The Media Centre.
The University of Sunderland was named the top university in England for providing the best student experience by The Times Higher Education Supplement
(THES) in 2006. Since 2001 Sunderland has been named the best new university in England by The Guardian
and Government performance indicators showed Sunderland as the best new university in England for the quality, range and quantity of its research.
The City of Sunderland College
is a further education
establishment with five campuses located at the Bede centre on Durham Road, Shiney Row
, Hylton, Doxford International Business Park and 'Phoenix House' in the city centre. It has over 14,000 students, and based on exam results is one of the most successful colleges. St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the University, opened in September 2008. The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College.
There are twenty secondary school
s in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. According to exam results, the most successful was the Sunderland High School
, an independent selective school
in Ashbrooke. However, comprehensive schools also thrive, particularly the Roman Catholic single-sex schools St. Anthony's (for girls) and St. Aidan's (for boys). Both continue to attain high exam results. There are seventy-six primary schools in Sunderland. According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, in Doxford Park
.
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
, a metropolitan borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. It is situated at the mouth of the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
.
The name "Sunderland" is reputed to come from Soender-land (soender/sunder being the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
infinitive
Infinitive
In grammar, infinitive is the name for certain verb forms that exist in many languages. In the usual description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives...
, meaning "to part", (cf. "(a)sunder"), likely to be reference to the valley carved by the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
on whose south bank the original settlement of Sunderland was founded.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, there were three original settlements on the site of modern-day Sunderland. On the north side of the river, Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland, the area now known as the East End. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church...
was settled in 674 when Benedict Biscop
Benedict Biscop
Benedict Biscop , also known as Biscop Baducing, was an Anglo-Saxon abbot and founder of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory and was considered a saint after his death.-Early career:...
founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery. Opposite the monastery on the south bank, Bishopwearmouth
Bishopwearmouth
Bishopwearmouth is an area in Sunderland, North East England.Bishopwearmouth was one of the original three settlements on the banks of the river Wear that merged to form modern Sunderland....
was founded in 930. A small fishing village called Sunderland, located toward the mouth of the river (modern day East End) was granted a charter in 1179.
Over the centuries, Sunderland grew as a port, trading coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
. Ships began to be built on the river in the 14th century. By the 19th century, the port of Sunderland had grown to absorb Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth.
A person who is born or lives around the Sunderland area is sometimes colloquially known as a Mackem
Mackem
Mackem is a term that refers to the accent, dialect and people of the Wearside area, or more specifically Sunderland, a city in North East England. Spelling variations include "Mak'em", "Makem", and "Maccam".- Origin :...
.
History
Early history
The earliest inhabitants of the Sunderland area were Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s and artifacts from this era have been discovered, including microliths found during excavations at St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth
St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth
St Peter's Church is the parish church of Monkwearmouth in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is one of three churches that make up the Parish of Monkwearmouth; the others being All Saints Church and St Andrew's Church, Roker....
. During the final phase of the Stone Age, the Neolithic period (c.4,000-c.2,000 BC), Hastings Hill
Hastings Hill
Hastings Hill is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.Hastings Hill is a housing estate, close to the A19, and the Pennywell and Grindon areas of Sunderland. It was built as a private development in the late 1960s on an area of land between the county borough boundary and the surrounding post war...
, on the western outskirts of Sunderland, was evidently a focal point of local activity and a place of burial and ritual significance. Evidence for this includes the former presence of a cursus monument. Although it is believed Brigantes
Brigantes
The Brigantes were a Celtic tribe who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England, and a significant part of the Midlands. Their kingdom is sometimes called Brigantia, and it was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire...
inhabited the area around the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in the pre- and post-Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
era. There has also been a long-standing local legend that there was a small Roman settlement standing on the south bank of the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
on what is currently the site of the former Vaux Brewery, although no archaeological work has yet taken place to explore this.
Recorded settlements on the mouth of the Wear date back to 674, when an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
nobleman named Benedict Biscop, granted land by King Ecgfrith of Northumbria
Ecgfrith of Northumbria
King Ecgfrith was the King of Northumbria from 670 until his death. He ruled over Northumbria when it was at the height of its power, but his reign ended with a disastrous defeat in which he lost his life.-Early life:...
, founded the Wearmouth-Jarrow (St. Peter's) monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
on the north bank of the river Wear – an area that became known as Monkwearmouth. Biscop's monastery was the first built of stone in Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
. He employed glaziers from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in doing so he re-established glass making in Britain.
In 686 the community was taken over by Ceolfrid
Ceolfrid
Saint Ceolfrid was an Anglo-Saxon Christian abbot and saint. He is best known as the warden of Bede from the age of seven until his death in 716. He was the Abbot of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, and a major contributor to the project Codex Amiatinus...
, and Wearmouth-Jarrow became a major centre of learning and knowledge in Anglo-Saxon England with a library of around 300 volumes.
The Codex Amiatinus
Codex Amiatinus
The Codex Amiatinus, designated by siglum A, is the earliest surviving manuscript of the nearly complete Bible in the Latin Vulgate version, and is considered to be the most accurate copy of St. Jerome's text. It is missing the Book of Baruch. It was produced in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of...
, described by some as the 'finest book in the world', was created at the monastery and was likely worked on by Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, who was born at Wearmouth in 673. While at the monastery, Bede completed the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
The Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum is a work in Latin by Bede on the history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the conflict between Roman and Celtic Christianity.It is considered to be one of the most important original references on...
(The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) in 731, a feat which earned him the title: The father of English history.
In the late 8th century, the Vikings began to raid the coast, and by the middle of the 9th century, the monastery had been abandoned. Lands on the south side of the river were granted to the Bishop of Durham by Athelstan of England in 930; these became known as Bishopwearmouth and included settlements such as Ryhope
Ryhope
Ryhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of Sunderland, 2.8 miles to the centre of Seaham, and 1 .2 miles from the main A19.The older village...
which fall within the modern day boundary of Sunderland.
As early as 1100, Bishopwearmouth parish included a small fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
village at the southern mouth of the river (modern day Hendon) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland'). This settlement was granted a charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1179 by Hugh Pudsey, then the Bishop of Durham.
From as early as 1346 ships were being built
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville. In 1589, salt began to be made in Sunderland. Large vats of seawater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, were heated using coal. As the water evaporated the salt sediment remained. This process is known as salt panning, which gave its name to Bishopwearmouth Panns; the modern-day name of the area the pans occupied is Pann's Bank, located on the river bank between the city centre and Hendon. As coal was required to heat the salt pan
Salt evaporation pond
Salt evaporation ponds, also called salterns or salt pans, are shallow artificial ponds designed to produce salts from sea water or other brines. The seawater or brine is fed into large ponds and water is drawn out through natural evaporation which allows the salt to be subsequently harvested...
s, a coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
community began to emerge in the area. Only poor quality coal was used in salt panning; quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow.
17th and 18th centuries
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642, King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
bestowed the rights to the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
coal trade upon Newcastle. This had a big impact on Sunderland, which had begun to rapidly grow as a coal-trading town. This created resentment toward Newcastle and toward the monarchy. In March 1644, a Scottish army allied to the king's enemies was stationed at Sunderland and clashes occurred in the vicinity with Royalist troops under the Marquess of Newcastle who moved against them. The most significant encounter occurred in the Hylton and Boldon areas. During the Civil War Parliament blockaded the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
, crippling the Newcastle coal trade and allowing the Sunderland coal trade to flourish. Because of the difficulty for colliers in trying to navigate the shallow waters of the River Wear, the coal had to be loaded onto keels (large boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. The keels were manned by a close-knit group of workers known as 'keelmen
Keelmen
The Keelmen of Tyne and Wear were a group of men who worked on the keels, large boats that carried the coal from the banks of both rivers to the waiting collier ships. Because of the shallowness of both rivers, it was difficult for ships of any significant draught to move up river and load with...
'.
In 1719, the separate parish of Sunderland was carved from the densely populated east end of Bishopwearmouth by the establishment of Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland parish church (today also known as Sunderland Old Parish Church). The three original settlements of Wearmouth (Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland) had begun to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland as well as the salt panning and the shipbuilding along the banks of the Wear. Around this time, Sunderland was also known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'.
19th century
Local governmentLocal government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
was divided between the three churches (Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, St. Michael's, Bishopwearmouth
Sunderland Minster
Sunderland Minster Church of St. Michaels and All Angels is a church in Sunderland city centre, England. It was known as St. Michael's Church, serving the parish of Bishopwearmouth, but was renamed on 11 January 1998 in recognition of Sunderland's city status. In May 2007 the Minister ceased to...
, and St. Peter's, Monkwearmouth
St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth
St Peter's Church is the parish church of Monkwearmouth in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is one of three churches that make up the Parish of Monkwearmouth; the others being All Saints Church and St Andrew's Church, Roker....
) and when cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
broke out in 1831, the "select vestrymen", as the church councilmen were called, showed themselves unable to understand and cope with the epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. Sunderland, a main trading port at the time, was the first British town to be struck with the 'Indian cholera' epidemic. The first victim, William Sproat, died on 23 October 1831. Sunderland was put under quarantine, and the port was blockaded, but in December of that year the disease spread to Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
and from there, it rapidly made its way across the country, killing an estimated 32,000 people. Among those to die was Sunderland's Naval hero Jack Crawford
Jack Crawford (sailor)
Jack Crawford was a sailor of the Royal Navy known as the "Hero of Camperdown."Crawford was born in Thornhill's Bank in the East End of Sunderland. He was a keelman until 1786 when, aged 11 or 12, he joined the crew of the Peggy at South Shields as an apprentice...
. The novel The Dress Lodger by American author Sheri Holman
Sheri Holman
Sheri Holman is an American novelist.Holman was born in Hanover County, Virginia. After graduating from The College of William & Mary in 1988 with a degree in theatre, she moved to New York and worked in various positions in the publishing industry, eventually becoming the assistant to a literary...
is set in Sunderland during the epidemic.
Demands for democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and organised town government saw the Borough of Sunderland created in 1835. Sunderland developed on plateaux high above the river, and so never suffered from the problem of allowing people to cross the river without interrupting the passage of high masted vessels. The Wearmouth Bridge was built in 1796, at the instigation of Rowland Burdon
Rowland Burdon (died 1838)
Rowland Burdon was an English landowner and Tory politician from Castle Eden in County Durham.He was elected at the 1790 general election as one of the two Members of Parliament for County Durham, and held the seat until the 1806 general election, which he did not contest.The Castle Eden Vase ...
, the Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for County Durham
County Durham (UK Parliament constituency)
Durham or County Durham was a county constituency in northern England, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1675 until 1832.- History :...
, and is described by Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
as being of superb elegance. It was the second iron bridge built after the famous span at Ironbridge
Ironbridge
Ironbridge is a settlement on the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, in Shropshire, England. It lies in the civil parish of The Gorge, in the borough of Telford and Wrekin...
itself, but over twice as long and only three-quarters the weight. Indeed, at the time of building, it was the biggest single span bridge in the world. Further up the river, the Queen Alexandra Bridge was built in 1909, linking the areas of Deptford and Southwick.
In 1897, Monkwearmouth officially became a part of Sunderland. Bishopwearmouth had long since been absorbed.
Victoria Hall Disaster
The Victoria Hall was a large concert hall on Toward Road facing onto Mowbray ParkMowbray Park
Mowbray Park is a municipal park in the centre of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, located a few hundred yards from the busy throughfares of Holmeside and Fawcett Street and bordered by Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens to the north, Burdon Road to the west, Toward Road to the east and Park...
. The Hall was the scene of a tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
on 16 June 1883 when 183 children died. During a variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
, children rushed towards a staircase for treats. At the bottom of the staircase, the door had been opened inward and bolted in such a way as to leave only a gap wide enough for one child to pass at a time. The children surged down the stairs toward the door. Those at the front became trapped, and were crushed by the weight of the crowd behind them.
With the asphyxiation of 183 children aged between three and 14, the disaster is the worst of its kind in British history. The memorial, of a grieving mother holding a dead child, is currently located in Mowbray Park with a protective canopy. Newspaper reports at the time triggered a mood of national outrage and the resulting inquiry recommended that public venues be fitted with a minimum number of outward opening emergency exit
Emergency exit
An emergency exit in a structure is a special exit for emergencies such as a fire: the combined use of regular and special exits allows for faster evacuation, while it also provides an alternative if the route to the regular exit is blocked by fire, etc....
s, which led to the invention of 'push bar' emergency doors. This law still remains in full force to this day. The Victoria Hall remained in use until 1941 when it was destroyed by a German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
bomb.
20th century to present
As the former heavy industries have declined, so electronic, chemical, paper and motor manufactures have replaced them, including the city's Nissan car plantNissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd
Nissan Motor Manufacturing Ltd, or NMUK is a car manufacturing plant in Washington, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by the European division of Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. It is the largest car plant in the United Kingdom, and the most productive in Europe...
.
At the beginning of the 20th century some 146,000 people were living in Sunderland. The public transport network was enhanced in 1900 with an electric tram system. The trams were gradually replaced by buses during the 1940s before being completely axed in 1954.
Education in Sunderland was improved in 1901 with the opening of the town's Technical College. A big improvement to healthcare came in 1929 when the town's General Hospital opened.
Several public parks were opened in Sunderland during the first four decades of the 20th century, including Barnes Park in 1909, Backhouse Park in 1923 and Thompson Park in 1933.
Housing conditions in the town began to improve in the 1920s and 1930s when new council estates were developed in the suburbs, with new houses being built to rehouse families from town centre slums. New homes for private sale were built as well.
With the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, Sunderland found itself as a key target of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, who claimed the lives of 267 people in the town as well as causing damage or destruction to some 4,000 homes, not to mention the devastation to the local industry. After the war was over, more new housing was developed. The town's boundaries were expanded in 1967 when neighbouring Ryhope
Ryhope
Ryhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of Sunderland, 2.8 miles to the centre of Seaham, and 1 .2 miles from the main A19.The older village...
, Silksworth
Silksworth
Silksworth is a former coal mining village in Sunderland, located next to Tunstall, Farringdon and Gilley LawSilksworth a brief history:Silksworth is a former colliery village with a 100 year coal mining heritage...
, Herrington
Herrington
Herrington is an area in the south of Sunderland, formerly in County Durham in North East England.The Herringtons are split into East & Middle and West and New villages. East and Middle Herrington is now a largely residential area just off the A690...
, South Hylton
South Hylton
South Hylton is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Lying west of Sunderland city centre on the south bank of the River Wear, South Hylton has a population of 10,317...
and Castletown
Castletown
Castletown is a town geographically within the Malew parish of the Isle of Man but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it is the former Manx capital. The centre of town is dominated by Castle Rushen, a well-preserved castle.-History:...
were all incorporated into Sunderland.
The 1970s saw the completion of a new town hall, civic centre, police station and General Hospital. With more and more of the old Sunderland disappearing, attempts were made to preserve some of the town's historic past, with Monkwearmouth Station Museum opening in 1973 and the North East Aircraft Museum opening a year later.
Sunderland had suffered badly from unemployment during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the early 1930s, but then improved over the subsequent decades as new industries sprung up. Jobs were readily available in skilled trades and this played a role in the continuing rebuilding of the town. During the second half of the 20th century shipbuilding and coalmining both declined; shipbuilding ended in 1988 and coalmining in 1993. Some new industries were also developing in the area at this time, and the service sector expanded during the 1980s and 1990s.
In July 1986, Sunderland became home to a car factory owned by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese carmaker Nissan – the first European factory to be built by a Japanese carmaker.
National Glass Centre
The National Glass Centre is a cultural venue and visitor attraction located in Sunderland, North East England.-Background:The National Glass Centre is located in Monkwearmouth, on the north banks of the River Wear, on the former site of J.L. Thompson and Sons shipyard. The centre is close to the...
the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
has also built a new campus on the St. Peter's site. The clearance of the Vaux Breweries
Vaux Breweries
Vaux Breweries was a major brewer based in Sunderland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.-History:The Company was founded by Cuthbert Vaux in Sunderland in 1837 and for nearly 170 years was a major employer in the town....
site on the north west fringe of the city centre has created a further opportunity for new development in the city centre.
Sunderland finally received city status in 1992.
The 20th century saw Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
firmly established as the area's greatest claim to sporting fame. Football League founder members in 1888, they had been champions on five occasions by 1936. They won their first FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1937
1937 FA Cup Final
The 1937 FA Cup Final was contested by Sunderland and Preston North End at Wembley. Sunderland won 3–1, with goals by Bobby Gurney, Raich Carter and Eddie Burbanks. Frank O'Donnell's strike on 44 minutes had put Preston ahead.-Match details:...
, but their only post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
major honour came in 1973 when they won a second FA Cup. They have consistently been in the top flight of English football. After 99 years at their historic Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
stadium, they moved into the new 42,000-seat Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
on the banks of the River Wear
River Wear
The River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
in 1997. At the time, it was the largest new stadium built by an English football club since the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
, and has since been expanded to hold nearly 50,000 seated spectators.
Like many cities, Sunderland comprises a number of areas with their own distinct histories, for example Fulwell, Monkwearmouth, Roker
Roker
Roker is a tourist resort and affluent area of Sunderland, North East England, bounded on the south by the River Wear and Monkwearmouth, on the east by the North Sea, to the west by Fulwell and on the north by Seaburn. It is administered as part of the City of Sunderland.The majority of the...
, and Southwick on the northern side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth and Hendon to the south.
Many fine old buildings remain despite the heavy bombing that occurred during World War II. Religious buildings include Holy Trinity Church, built in 1719 for an independent Sunderland, St. Michael's Church, built as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church and now known as Sunderland Minster and St. Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part of which dates from AD 674, and was the original monastery. St. Andrew's Roker, known as the "Cathedral of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
", contains work by William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
, Ernest Gimson
Ernest Gimson
Ernest William Gimson was an English furniture designer and architect. Gimson was described by the art critic Nikolaus Pevsner as "the greatest of the English architect-designers"...
and Eric Gill
Eric Gill
Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
.
On 24 March 2004, the city adopted St. Benedict Biscop as its patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
. A patron had never been adopted before.
Governance
Civic history
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
in 1835. Under the Local Government Act 1888
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
, it was given further status as a county borough with independence from county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
control. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, the county borough was abolished and its area combined with that of other districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear. The metropolitan borough was granted city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
after winning a competition in 1992 to celebrate the Queen's 40th year on the throne.
Motto
Sunderland has the motto of Nil Desperandum Auspice Deo loosely translated it means Never Despair, Trust In God.Geography
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. Sunderland is divided by the River Wear which passes through the middle of the city in a deeply incised valley, part of which is known as the Hylton gorge. The only two road bridges connecting the north and south halves of the city are the Queen Alexandra Bridge at Pallion and the Wearmouth Bridge just to the north of the city centre. A third bridge carries the A19 dual-carriageway over the Wear to the west of the city (see map below).
Most of the suburbs of Sunderland are situated towards the west of the city centre with 70% of its population living on the south side of the river and 30% on the north side. The city extends to the seafront at Hendon and Ryhope (on the south) and Seaburn
Seaburn
Seaburn is a seaside resort and suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker....
(on the north).
The area is part of the Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Diocese of Durham
Diocese of Durham
The Diocese of Durham is a Church of England diocese, based in Durham, and covering the historic County Durham . It was created in AD 1000 to replace the Diocese of Lindisfarne...
. It has been in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham since the Catholic hierarchy
Catholic Church hierarchy
The term Hierarchy in the Catholic Church has a variety of related usages. Literally, "holy government", the term is employed in different instances. There is a Hierarchy of Truths, which refers to the levels of solemnity of the official teaching of the faith...
was restored in 1850.
Alphabetical street naming of suburbs
Some, mainly local authority-built, Sunderland suburbs have most streets beginning with the same letter:- A: FarringdonFarringdon, SunderlandFarringdon is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.Farringdon is a council-built housing estate, erected in the 1950s. It is approximately 3 miles south of the city centre along the A690, close to Thorney Close, Silksworth, East Herrington, Gilley Law and Doxford Park.-History:Up until the...
- B: Town End Farm
- C: Hylton CastleHylton CastleHylton Castle is a ruined stone castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally built from wood by the Hilton family shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was later rebuilt in stone in the late 14th to early 15th century...
- D: Dykelands Road area of SeaburnSeaburnSeaburn is a seaside resort and suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker....
- E: Carley Hill
- F: Ford EstateFord EstateFord Estate is a suburb in Sunderland. The suburb is divided into two areas: High Ford borders the run-down estate of Pennywell and like its neighbour, has many of its houses boarded up, ready for redevelopment or reconstruction...
- G: GrindonGrindon, SunderlandGrindon is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, in the United Kingdom.Located three miles to the west of the city centre along Chester Road, Grindon is a densely-populated area of Sunderland...
- H: Hylton Lane / HavelockHavelock- People :* Havelock-Allan Baronets, holders of the Baronetcy* Sir Henry Havelock, , British general, active in India* Lieutenant General Sir Henry Havelock-Allan, 1st Baronet , British General, MP for Sunderland 1874–1881 and Durham South East 1885–1892 and 1895–1897 * Sir Henry...
- K: Downhill
- M: Moorside
- P: PennywellPennywellPennywell is one of the UK's largest post-war social housing schemes, and is situated in the central-west area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East England. Pennywell is the largest local authority housing estate in the City of Sunderland...
and Plains FarmPlains FarmPlains Farm is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, and is a council-built housing estate, erected in the 1940s. Neighbouring areas include Silksworth, The Barnes, Thorney Close, Springwell and Farringdon. The housing in the area is run predominantly by Home Group and Gentoo Sunderland... - R: Red House
- S: Springwell
- T: Thorney CloseThorney CloseThorney Close is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear in England.It is located on the northern edge of the A690 , and borders with Grindon to the north and Herrington to the south, and the A19 to the west....
- W: WitherwackWitherwackWitherwack is a suburb in the north of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, situated between Red House to the west, Carley Hill to the east and Marley Pots to the south....
In Marley Pots, the steets are all associated with trees, e.g. Maplewood, Elmwood etc.
Demography
| Population of Sunderland urban area by ward |
|
| Ward | Population |
| Castle | 11,292 |
| Fulwell | 12,906 |
| Redhill | 11,867 |
| St Peter's | 11,760 |
| Southwick | 11,634 |
| Northside total: | 59,459 |
| Barnes | 12,030 |
| Doxford | 11,318 |
| Hendon | 11,551 |
| Millfield | 10,277 |
| Pallion | 10,385 |
| Ryhope | 11,217 |
| St Anne's | 11,409 |
| St Chad's | 10,922 |
| St Michael's | 11,626 |
| Sandhill | 11,319 |
| Silksworth | 11,245 |
| Southside total: | 123,299 |
| City total: | 182,758 |
Sunderland is the 26th largest city in England. At 3,874 hectares, Sunderland is the 45th largest urban area in England by measure of area, with a population density of 45.88 people per hectare.
According to statistics based on the 2001 census, 60% of homes in the Sunderland metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
are owner occupied, with an average household size of 2.4 people. Three percent of the homes have no permanent residents.
66% (men) and 54.7% (women) of the population within working age
Legal working age
The legal working age is the minimum age required by law for a person to work, in each country or jurisdiction.Some types of labor are commonly prohibited even for those above the working age, if they have not reached yet the age of majority. Activities that are dangerous, harmful to the health or...
are economically active. 6.7% of men and 3% of women are unemployed. 12.2% of men and 8.6% women are permanently sick or disabled.
Immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
into Sunderland is 2.4%, emigration
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
is 2.2%.
Ethnicity
At the 2001 census, 98.1% of the population were whiteWhite people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, with 1% Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
and 0.4% mixed-race
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
.
The most ethnically diverse ward of the city was the (now defunct) Thornholme area. This ward, which included Eden Vale, Thornhill, as well as parts of Hendon, Ashbrooke and the city centre, has long been the focus of Wearside's Bangladeshi community. In Thornholme, 89.4% are white, 7.8% are Asian and 1.3% are mixed-race. The 2001 census also recorded a substantial concentration of Greek nationals, living mainly in Central and Thornholme wards. The least ethnically diverse wards are in the north of the city. The area of Castletown is made up of 99.3% white, 0.4% Asian and 0.2% mixed-race.
With recent inward migration of refugees, workers and students, it is expected that the 2011 census will record a significant change in the ethnic composition of the city, with substantial African, Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
and Eastern European communities centred on the areas of Chester Road, Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
, Hendon, Thornhill, Ashbrooke
Ashbrooke
Ashbrooke is a residential area of Sunderland, North East England directly south and south-west of the city centre.Ashbrooke developed through the Victorian era as Sunderland's first suburb...
and Roker
Roker
Roker is a tourist resort and affluent area of Sunderland, North East England, bounded on the south by the River Wear and Monkwearmouth, on the east by the North Sea, to the west by Fulwell and on the north by Seaburn. It is administered as part of the City of Sunderland.The majority of the...
Avenue.
Religion
According to census statistics, 81.5% of Sunderland residents class themselves as ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, 9.6% are irreligious
Irreligion
Irreligion is defined as an absence of religion or an indifference towards religion. Sometimes it may also be defined more narrowly as hostility towards religion. When characterized as hostility to religion, it includes antitheism, anticlericalism and antireligion. When characterized as...
, 0.7% are Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and 7.6% did not wish to give their religion.
114 people of Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
faith were recorded as living in Sunderland, a vanishingly small percentage. There was no Jewish community before 1750, though subsequently a number of Jewish merchants from across the UK and Europe settled in Sunderland, A Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
from Holland was established in the city in 1790. The once thriving Jewish community has been in slow decline since the mid 20th century. Many Sunderland Jews left for stronger Jewish communities in Britain or to Israel. The Jewish primary school, the Menorah School, closed in July 1983. The synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
on Ryhope Road, opened in 1928, closed at the end of March 2006. (See also Jews and Judaism in North East England
Jews and Judaism in North East England
The Jewish presence in north east England is focused on a number of important towns.-Gateshead:Gateshead is the home to a small community of Haredi Jews, acclaimed for its higher educational institutions. Talmudic students from many countries come to Gateshead to attend its yeshivas and kollels...
)
Hinduism arrived from the early 1900s and adherents now number around 1000.
Economy
| Employment in Sunderland by sector – 2004 |
|
| Sector | % Employed |
| Public Administration, Education and Health |
29.7 |
| Distribution, Hotels and Restaurants |
22.7 |
| Manufacturing | 16.8 |
| Finance, IT and other business activities |
16.3 |
| Construction | 4.4 |
| Other services | 4.3 |
| Transport and Communications | 4.2 |
| Agriculture, Energy & Water | 1.6 |
Sunderland has some of the most deprived areas in England with 11 of the 24 wards featuring in the list of the 2000 most deprived wards in England and in the 1980s it was one of the most deprived cities in England.
The most deprived areas are Southwick and Marley Potts to the north of the river and Hendon and Farringdon to the south – both with chronic levels of unemployment, high murder rates and car crimes, although the city is performing better than the North East as a whole.
Ship building and coal mining
Once famously hailed as the "Largest Shipbuilding Town in the World", ships were built on the Wear from at least 1346 onwards and by the mid-eighteenth century Sunderland was one of the chief shipbuilding towns in the country. The Port of Sunderland was significantly expanded in the 1850s with the construction of Hudson Dock to designs by River Wear Commissioner's Engineer John Murray, with consultancy by Robert StephensonRobert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
. One famous vessel was the Torrens, the clipper in which Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
sailed, and on which he began his first novel. As Basil Lubbock states, Torrens was one of the most successful ships ever built, besides being one of the fastest, and for many years was the favourite passenger ship
Passenger ship
A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
to Adelaide. She was one of the most famous ships of her time and can claim to be the finest ship ever launched from a Sunderland yard. She was built in ten months by James Laing at his Deptford yard on the Wear in 1875.
Between 1939 and 1945 the Wear yards launched 245 merchant ships totalling 1.5 million tons, a quarter of the merchant tonnage produced in the UK at this period.
Competition from overseas caused a downturn in demand for Sunderland built ships toward the end of the twentieth century. The last shipyard in Sunderland closed in 1988.
Sunderland, part of the Durham coalfield, has a coal-mining heritage that dates back centuries. At the peak in 1923, 170,000 miners were employed in County Durham alone, as labourers from all over Britain, including many from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, entered the region. As demand for coal slipped following World War II, mines began to close across the region, causing mass unemployment. The last coal mine closed in 1994. The site of the last coal mine, Wearmouth Colliery, is now occupied by the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
, and a miner's Davy lamp
Davy lamp
The Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
monument stands outside of the ground to honour the heritage of the site. Documentation relating to the region's coalmining heritage are stored at the North East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre (NEEMARC).
Other industry
Pyrex
Pyrex is a brand name for glassware, introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915.Originally, Pyrex was made from borosilicate glass. In the 1940s the composition was changed for some products to tempered soda-lime glass, which is the most common form of glass used in glass bakeware in the US and has...
manufacturing site also closed, bringing to an end commercial glass-making in the city. However there has been a modest rejuvenation with the opening of the National Glass Centre
National Glass Centre
The National Glass Centre is a cultural venue and visitor attraction located in Sunderland, North East England.-Background:The National Glass Centre is located in Monkwearmouth, on the north banks of the River Wear, on the former site of J.L. Thompson and Sons shipyard. The centre is close to the...
which, amongst other things, provides international glass makers with working facilities and a shop to showcase their work, predominantly in the artistic rather than functional field.
Vaux Breweries was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110 years was a major employer. Following a series of consolidations in the British Brewing industry, however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999. Vaux in Sunderland and Wards
Wards Brewing Company
Wards Brewing Company was a brewing company based at Sheaf Brewery on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, England. Now a subsidiary of Double Maxim Beer Company. The most famous brand produced was Wards Best Bitter.-Early years:...
in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
had been part of the Vaux Group, but with the closure of both breweries it was re-branded The Swallow Group, concentrating on the hotel side of the business. This was subject to a successful take-over by Whitbread PLC
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
in the autumn of 2000. It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area that could be targeted for redevelopment
Regeneration
Since the mid 1980s Sunderland has undergone massive regeneration, particularly around the central business district and the river corridor.1985 to 2009
Doxford International Business Park
Doxford International is a business park located at the A19 / A690 interchange on the outskirts of Sunderland, in the North East of England. Previously it was a greenfield site, it was designated as an Enterprise Zone in 1990 in response to the decline of the area's former ship building and coal...
in the south west of the city, attracting a host of national and international companies. Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use of Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, in both 2004 and 2005.
The former shipyard areas along the Wear were transformed with a mixture of residential, commercial and leisure facilities including St. Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland, University accommodation along the Fish Quay on the South side of the river, the North Haven housing and marina development, the National Glass Centre, the Stadium of Light and Hylton Riverside Retail Park. Also in 2007, the Echo 24 luxury apartments opened on Pann's Bank overlooking the river. In 2008 the Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre is an indoor sports complex next to the Stadium of Light in the city of Sunderland, England. It contains an Olympic-size swimming pool, a diving pool and a gymnasium...
opened adjacent to the Stadium of Light, containing the only Olympic-size swimming pool between Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
In 2000, The Bridges
The Bridges
The Bridges is a shopping centre based in the city centre of Sunderland, England.The shopping centre in Sunderland contains over 100 stores, which include; Boots, Burton, HMV, Debenhams, Disney, H&M, Starbucks, Lush, USC, Next, TK Maxx, Schuh, Waterstones, New Look, Topshop, River Island, Monsoon,...
shopping centre
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central Bus Station
Bus station
A bus station is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. It is larger than a bus stop, which is usually simply a place on the roadside, where buses can stop...
, attracting national chain store
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
s including Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, Schuh
Schuh
Schuh is a Scottish high street and internet branded footwear retailer, operating throughout the British Isles.-History:Schuh was established by Founding Director Sandy Alexander in 1981, with a single shop in North Bridge Arcade, Edinburgh. The company became part of the Glasgow-based Goldbergs...
, Disney Store
Disney Store
Disney Store is an international chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive. Disney Store is a business unit of Disney Consumer Products. James Fielding serves as the President....
, Pandora (jewelry), La Senza
La Senza
La Senza Corporation is a Canadian fashion retailer based in Dorval, Quebec, Canada, which sells lingerie and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands.- History :...
, TopShop
Topshop
Topshop is a British clothes retailer with shops in over 20 countries and online operations in a number of its markets. Its sales come primarily from women's clothing and fashion accessories...
and Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
. This was followed by adjacent redevelopments on Park Lane.
Sunderland Corporation's massive post-war housing estate developments, such as Farringdon, Pennywell and Grindon have all passed into the ownership of Gentoo (previously 'Sunderland Housing Group'), a private company and a Registered Social Landlord. Since the housing stock transfer in 2000 there have been considerable improvements to the quality of social housing in the city.
In 2004, redevelopment work began on the Sunniside area of the east-end of the city centre, including a multiplex cinema, a multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
, restaurants, a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and tenpin bowling. Originally called the River Quarter, the site was renamed Limelight in 2005, and then was renamed again in 2008, when it became Sunniside Leisure.
Aside from the leisure site, Sunniside Gardens were landscaped, and a number of new cafes, bars and restaurants were opened. Up-market residential apartments were developed, including the Echo 24 building.
2010 and Beyond
Sunderland City Council's Unitary Development Plan (UDP) outlines ambitious regeneration plans for a number of sites around the city.The plans are supported by Sunderland Arc
Sunderland Arc
Sunderland Arc was a privately-owned, non-profit, urban regeneration company based in Sunderland, North East England.It ceased operations in 2011.-History:...
, an urban regeneration company funded by the City council, One NorthEast
One NorthEast
One North East is the regional development agency for the North East England region.-History:It was established in April 1999. The North East receives a lot of government aid for regeneration....
and the Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
.
The Holmeside Triangle
The Holmeside Triangle is an area adjacent to the Park Lane transport interchange, enclosed on three sides by Park Lane, Holmeside and railway tracks. Sunderland arc own 75% of the land, currently occupied by a mixture of retail and commercial units including Park Lane Market.
£147 million plans for the site include the creation of extensive retail space, public meeting spaces, cafes, bars and restaurants, and a 33 storey Skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
called the Spirit of Sunderland
Spirit of Sunderland
The Spirit of Sunderland is a skyscraper proposed for Sunderland, North East England, by the designs of Sunderland Arc and Thornfield Properties Ltd...
, which would be the tallest building in North East England.
Vaux and Farringdon Row
Since the closure of the Vaux brewery
Vaux Breweries
Vaux Breweries was a major brewer based in Sunderland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange.-History:The Company was founded by Cuthbert Vaux in Sunderland in 1837 and for nearly 170 years was a major employer in the town....
in 1999, a 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) brownfield site has lain dormant in the centre of Sunderland. The land is subject to dispute between supermarket chain Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, who bought the site in 2001, and Sunderland arc, who submitted plans for its redevelopment in 2002. During formal negotiations, Tesco stated they would be willing to sell the land to arc, if an alternative city centre site could be found. Possibilities include Holmeside Triangle, and the Sunderland Retail Park in Roker. Arc hope to begin development in 2010.
Arc's plans for the site were approved by the Secretary of State in 2007, and include extensive office space, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s, leisure and retail units, residential apartments and a new £50 m Crown and Magistrates court. The central public arcade will be located under an expansive glass canopy. It is hoped an evening economy can be encouraged which will complement the city's nightlife.
Stadium Village
Redevelopment of the Monkwearmouth Colliery site, which sits of the north bank of the river Wear opposite the Vaux site, began in the mid 1990s with the creation of the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
. In 2008, it was joined by the Sunderland aquatic centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre
Sunderland Aquatic Centre is an indoor sports complex next to the Stadium of Light in the city of Sunderland, England. It contains an Olympic-size swimming pool, a diving pool and a gymnasium...
.
The Sheepfolds industrial estate occupies a large area of land between the Stadium and the Wearmouth Bridge.
Sunderland arc are in the process of purchasing land in the Sheepfolds, with a view to relocate the businesses and redvelop the site. The emphasis of development plans include further sporting facilities, in order to create a Sports Village. Other plans include a hotel, residential accommodation, and a footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
linking the site with the Vaux development.
Grove and Transport Corridor
The Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC) is a proposed transport link from the A19, through the city centre, to the port. A major phase of the plan is the creation of a new bridge
New Wear Bridge
A New Wear Bridge is planned for Sunderland, North East England. The proposed design stands at 180 metres , which when constructed will make it the tallest bridge in England.. Originally designed by Spence Associates Architects in 2005, the plans were kept confidential for several years due to...
, which will link the A1231
A1231 road
The A1231 road runs between Sunderland and Washington in Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is the main road joining Sunderland and Washington and is one of the main trunk roads leading in and out of Sunderland city centre...
Wessington Way on the north of the river with the Grove site in Pallion, on the south of the river.
In 2008, Sunderland City Council offered the residents of Sunderland the opportunity to vote on the design of the bridge. The choices were a 180 m iconic cable-stayed bridge
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
, which would result in a temporary increase in council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
, or a simple box structure which would be within the council's budget.
The results of the consulatation were inconclusive, with residents keen to have an iconic bridge, but reluctant to have a subsequent increase in tax to fund it.
Regardless of the ultimate design of the new bridge, the landing point will be the former Grove Cranes site in Pallion
Pallion
Pallion is a suburb, civil parish and electoral ward of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for wealthy shipbuilders, but also smaller one storey cottages in other areas...
. Plans for this site focus around the creation of a new residential area, with homes, community buildings, commercial and retail space.
The Port
The Port of Sunderland is owned by the city council, and has been earmarked for medium-term redevelopment with a focus on mixed-use industry.
Rail
Sunderland station
Sunderland Station is a National Rail and Tyne and Wear Metro station in the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It is the only station in the country where both heavy rail and light rail services use the same platforms...
was opened in 1879 but was completely redesigned to facilitate football teams and officials from countries who were drawn to play at Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
during England's hosting of the 1966 World Cup. The station as it currently stands was opened on 4 November 1965 and since then little has changed in terms of the general appearance of the station. Situated on an underground level, the station is generally considered an eyesore and is currently undergoing renovation, backed by the artistic team which designed the stations along the Wearside extension of the Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
in 2002. It is situated on the Durham Coast Line
Durham Coast Line
The Durham Coast Line is the name given to the railway line which links Newcastle upon Tyne with Middlesbrough, via Sunderland and Hartlepool...
served by direct Northern Rail
Northern Rail
Northern Rail is a British train operating company that has operated local passenger services in Northern England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-Abellio, is a consortium formed of Abellio and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems...
services to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Hartlepool
Hartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
, Stockton
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
and Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, as well as further afield to Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
, Carlisle and the Gateshead MetroCentre. These services run hourly in each direction, cut from half-hourly on 12 December 2005.
From 1998 to 2004, Northern Spirit
Northern Spirit
This article is about the railway company Northern Spirit. For the Australian football club of the same name, see Northern Spirit FC.Northern Spirit was a UK train operating company which ran local and regional train services in the north east of England during the late 1990s.-Operations:Created...
and subsequently Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern
Arriva Trains Northern was a train operating company that operated passenger trains in Yorkshire and the North East of England. The company had previously been known as Northern Spirit before being taken over by Arriva....
ran bihourly direct trains from Sunderland to Liverpool Lime Street
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
via Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The services were withdrawn due to a change of franchise which saw the Transpennine Express route gain a franchise in its own right, distinct from the Regional Railways network which Arriva had inherited. Services now terminate at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, and a separate service also travels to Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, but both only stretch as far as Manchester Airport.
In 2006, Grand Central Railway announced plans to operate a direct service between Sunderland and London King's Cross via York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
, a service which had been stripped from Wearside twenty years earlier. A scaled-down service of one train each day began in December 2007, twelve months after the initial launch date, due to delays caused by restoring rolling stock and a protracted court case against the now defunct GNER franchise (which Grand Central won). The service increased to three departures daily each way on 1 March 2008, connecting a line which can run from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The service has proved so popular that a fourth direct train is now in operation.
Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro
The Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
was extended to Sunderland in an official ceremony attended by The Queen, twenty-two years after it originally opened in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. The line now stretches deeper into South Tyneside
South Tyneside
South Tyneside is a metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear in North East England.It is bordered by four other boroughs - Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead to the west, Sunderland in the south, and North Tyneside to the north. The border county of Northumberland lies further north...
and into Sunderland, incorporating Seaburn
Seaburn
Seaburn is a seaside resort and suburb of Sunderland, North East England. The village of Whitburn borders the area to the north. To the west and south-west is Fulwell and to the south the coastal resort of Roker....
, Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
, Pallion
Pallion
Pallion is a suburb, civil parish and electoral ward of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, England. Most of the buildings in the area were built during the Victorian Era and consist of large terraced houses built for wealthy shipbuilders, but also smaller one storey cottages in other areas...
, as well as Sunderland's mainline railway station and stations at the Park Lane Transport Interchange
Park Lane Interchange
Park Lane Interchange is a busy transport interchange on the south-western fringe of the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It offers Tyne and Wear Metro services, long distance coach services and also local bus services. It is on the site of the Park Lane Bus Station that was built in...
and both campuses of the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
before terminating at South Hylton
South Hylton
South Hylton is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Lying west of Sunderland city centre on the south bank of the River Wear, South Hylton has a population of 10,317...
. At first, six trains per hour ran along the route, but much lower patronage than expected between central Sunderland and South Hylton, as well as scheduling issues, meant that service was cut to five trains per hour to Park Lane, with three or four trains terminating in South Hylton. Upon the opening of the Metro extension, the mainline rail service frequency to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
was halved to one per hour. In many quarters, the Metro extension has not been viewed as a huge success due to this cut in the frequency of services. Moreover, fare-dodging is an issue, with the lack of service checks and ticket barriers at stations leading to perceptions of a lack of demand.
Road
A19 road
The A19 is a major road in England running approximately parallel to and east of the A1 road, although the two roads meet at the northern end of the A19, the two roads originally met at the southern end of the A19 in Doncaster but the old route of the A1 was changed to the A638. From Sunderland...
, which runs north-to-south along the western edge of the urban area, crossing the River Wear at Hylton. The A19 originally ran through the city centre until the bypass was built in the 1970s, the route is now the A1018.
There are four main roads which support the city centre. The A690
A690 road
The A690 is a road in County Durham running from Sunderland in the east through Durham to Crook.-Sunderland section:Throughout the Sunderland section it is known as either Durham Road or New Durham Road, and is one of the major routes in and out of the city. A single carriageway section runs from...
Durham Road terminates in the city centre, and runs all the way to Crook, County Durham
Crook, County Durham
Crook is a market town in County Durham, England. It is situated about 10 miles south-west of Durham.Crook lies a couple of miles north of the River Wear, on the A690 from Durham...
via the city of Durham. This is the main road supporting the south-west of the city.
The A1231
A1231 road
The A1231 road runs between Sunderland and Washington in Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is the main road joining Sunderland and Washington and is one of the main trunk roads leading in and out of Sunderland city centre...
starts in the city centre, crosses the Queen Alexandra Bridge and runs through Washington to the A1. Most of this road is national speed limit dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
.
The A1018
A1018 road
The A1018 is a road in North East England. It runs between South Shields, at the mouth of the River Tyne, and the A19 near Seaham, County Durham. Most of the route it follows is the old alignment of the A19, before it by-passed Sunderland to meet the Tyne Tunnel.-South Tyneside section:The road...
and A183
A183 road
The A183 road runs from South Shields in Tyne and Wear, through Sunderland and ends at Chester-le-Street in County Durham. It is a major route in South Tyneside, Sunderland and Chester-le-Street serving many areas and landmarks along its route....
roads both start in the centre of South Shields and enter Sunderland from the north, before merging to cross the Wearmouth Bridge. The A1018 follows a direct route from Shields to Sunderland, the A183 follows the coast. After crossing the bridge, the A1018 follows a relatively straight path to the south of Sunderland where it merges with the A19. The A183 becomes Chester Road and heads west out of the city to the A1 at Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
.
In Autumn 2007 the Southern Radial Route was opened. This is a bypass of the A1018 through Grangetown and Ryhope – a stretch that commonly suffered from congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
, especially during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. The bypass starts just south of Ryhope, and runs parallel to the cliff tops into Hendon, largely avoiding residential areas.
Bus
A multi-million pound transport interchange at Park LanePark Lane Interchange
Park Lane Interchange is a busy transport interchange on the south-western fringe of the city centre of Sunderland, North East England. It offers Tyne and Wear Metro services, long distance coach services and also local bus services. It is on the site of the Park Lane Bus Station that was built in...
was opened on 2 May 1999 by the then Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
actor Michael Starke
Michael Starke (actor)
Michael Starke , is a British actor best known for his role as Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney which he played for 16 years in the soap opera Brookside...
. With 750,000 passengers per year it is the busiest bus and coach station in Britain after Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line...
in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, and has won several awards for innovative design. The majority of bus services in Sunderland are provided by Arriva North East
Arriva North East
Arriva North East is a division of the transport group Arriva. It is a major provider of bus services around north east England, alongside Stagecoach North East, and Go North East...
, Go North East
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
and Stagecoach in Sunderland
Stagecoach North East
Stagecoach North East is a major operator of bus services in North East England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group. The company is made up of two formerly municipal operations; Busways and Transit...
and a new Metro station was built underneath the bus concourse to provide a direct interchange as part of the extension to South Hylton in 2002.
Cycle
There are a number of cycle routes that run through and around Sunderland. The National Cycle NetworkNational Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
National Route 1 runs from Ryhope in the south, through the centre of the city, and then along the coast towards South Shields.
Britain's most popular long-distance cycle route
Segregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
– The 'C2C' Sea to Sea Cycle Route
Sea to Sea Cycle Route
The Coast to Coast or Sea to Sea Cycle Route is Great Britain's most popular long-distance cycle route and is based on minor roads, disused railway lines, off-road tracks and specially constructed cycle paths...
– traditionally starts (or ends) when the cyclist dips their wheel in the sea on Roker beach. The 'W2W
W2W
The W2W is the name of a cross-country cycle route in Northern England, regional route 20. It runs from Walney Island in Cumbria to Sunderland on the River Wear .-History:...
' 'Wear-to-Walney' route, and the 'Two-Rivers' (Tyne and Wear) route also terminate in Sunderland.
Literature and art
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
was a frequent visitor to the area. He wrote most of Jabberwocky
Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense verse poem written by Lewis Carroll in his 1872 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, a sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
at Whitburn
Whitburn
Whitburn is the name of more than one place:* Whitburn, South Tyneside, England* Whitburn, West Lothian, ScotlandWhitburn can also refer to the following people:*Joel Whitburn, music historian*Vanessa Whitburn, radio producer...
as well as "The Walrus and the Carpenter
The Walrus and the Carpenter
"The Walrus and the Carpenter" is a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll that appeared in his book Through the Looking-Glass, published in December 1871. The poem is recited in chapter four, by Tweedledum and Tweedledee to Alice. The poem is composed of 18 stanzas and contains 108 lines, in an...
". Some parts of the area are also widely believed to be the inspiration for his Alice in Wonderland stories, such as Hylton Castle and Backhouse Park. There is a statue to Carroll in Whitburn library. Lewis Carroll was also a visitor to the Rectory of Holy Trinity Church, Southwick; then a township independent of Sunderland. Carroll's connection with Sunderland, and the area's history, is documented in Bryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:...
's 2007 graphic novel Alice in Sunderland
Alice in Sunderland
Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment is a graphic novel by comics writer and artist Bryan Talbot. It explores the links between Lewis Carroll and the Sunderland area, with wider themes of history, myth and storytelling — and the truth about what happened to Sid James on stage at the Sunderland...
. More recently, Sunderland-born Terry Deary
Terry Deary
Terry Deary is a children's author now living in Burnhope, County Durham, England.A former actor, theatre-director and drama teacher, Deary says he began writing when he was 29...
, writer of the series of Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books published in the United Kingdom by Scholastic. They are designed to engage children in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant. The series has proved exceptionally successful in commercial terms...
books, has achieved fame and success, and many others such as thriller writer Sheila Quigley
Sheila Quigley
Sheila Quigley is a British author of thrillers.-Career:Sheila Quigley became a national news story when Random House acquired her first novel, Run For Home, with major coverage throughout the press and television. A documentary about Sheila and the making of Run for Home was broadcast on BBC1...
, are following his lead.
The Salford-born painter, L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
, was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland. Many of his paintings of seascapes and shipbuilding are based on Wearside scenes. The Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art
Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art
Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art is a contemporary art gallery which is based in Sunderland, England. The gallery focuses on producing exhibitions of new work by emerging and established international artists. The main gallery is a 35 x 17m space which is regularly configured for each...
on Fawcett Street and Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens is a municipal museum in Sunderland, England. It is part of the Tyne and Wear Museums group, and is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It contains the only known British example of a gliding reptile, the oldest known vertebrate capable of...
showcase exhibitions and installations from up-and-coming and established artists alike, with the latter holding an extensive collection of LS Lowry. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures.
Music
Sunderland musicians that have gone on to reach international fame include Dave StewartDavid A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
of the Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
and all four members of Kenickie
Kenickie
Kenickie were a four-piece rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. The band were formed in 1994 and consisted of lead vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Lauren Laverne , drummer Johnny X , lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Marie du Santiago and bass guitarist Emmy-Kate Montrose...
and whose vocalist Lauren Laverne
Lauren Laverne
Lauren Cecilia Fisher , known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, television presenter, author and singer...
later became known as a TV presenter. In recent years, the underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene in Sunderland has helped promote the likes of The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
, The Golden Virgins
The Golden Virgins
The Golden Virgins were a four piece musical group from Sunderland, United Kingdom.The members of the band were Lucas Renney , Neil Bassett , Dave Younger and Allan Burnup .The band split up in late 2006....
and Field Music
Field Music
Field Music are a band from Sunderland, England who formed in 2004. The band's core consists of brothers David and Peter Brewis , with Andrew Moore. Their line-ups have at times featured members of both Maxïmo Park and The Futureheads...
.
Other Mackem musicians include punk rockers The Toy Dolls ("Nellie the Elephant", December 1984), punk band Leatherface
Leatherface
Leatherface is the main antagonist in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror-film series and its spin-offs. He wears masks made of human skin and engages in murder and cannibalism alongside his inbred family. He is considered by many to be one of the first major slasher film villains alongside Michael...
, the lead singer of dance outfit Olive
Olive (band)
Olive was a breakbeat/trip hop group from the North of England. The founding membership consisted of producer, instrumentalist and songwriter Tim Kellett, producer and keyboard programmer Robin Taylor-Firth, and singer Ruth-Ann Boyle...
, Ruth Ann Boyle ("You're Not Alone", May 1997) and A Tribe of Toffs
A Tribe of Toffs
A Tribe of Toffs were a novelty pop band from Sunderland, England, best remembered for their 1988 Top 40 single, "John Kettley is a Weatherman"....
("John Kettley is a Weatherman
John Kettley is a Weatherman
"John Kettley Is a Weatherman" is a 1988 novelty record by the band A Tribe of Toffs, from Sunderland, UK. The song peaked at 21 in the UK Singles Chart....
", December 1988). Alex Kapranos
Alex Kapranos
Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley , commonly known as Alex Kapranos, is a United Kingdom-based musician who is the lead singer and the guitarist of the Glasgow band Franz Ferdinand.-Early life:...
of the band Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
also grew up in Sunderland and South Shields
South Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
In May 2005, Sunderland played host to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Big Weekend
Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is a music festival run by BBC Radio 1. It is held once a year, in a different location within the United Kingdom each time...
concert at Herrington Country Park
Herrington
Herrington is an area in the south of Sunderland, formerly in County Durham in North East England.The Herringtons are split into East & Middle and West and New villages. East and Middle Herrington is now a largely residential area just off the A690...
, attended by 30,000 visitors and which featured Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Kasabian, KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist from St Andrews, Scotland. She broke into the public eye with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
, Chemical Brothers and The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
.
The Sunderland Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
, home to Sunderland AFC, is recognised as a major stadium concert venue, having hosted world tours by Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, P!nk
P!nk
Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
and Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
since 2009. Since opening in 1997, it has also played host to Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean is a Trinidad-born English Grammy Award winning popular music performer who had a string of rhythm and blues international pop hits in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the most popular British-based R&B singer / songwriter of the early to mid-1980s...
, Go West
Go West (band)
Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
, Toyah
Toyah (band)
Toyah is the name of the band fronted by Toyah Willcox between 1977 and 1983. The only other consistent band member throughout this period was Joel Bogen, Willcox's principal co-writer and guitarist.-Background :...
, Tasmin Archer
Tasmin Archer
Tasmin Archer is an English pop singer. Her first album, Great Expectations, spawned the hit "Sleeping Satellite" which reached number one in the United Kingdom and Ireland.-Biography:...
, Republica
Republica
Republica are an English alternative rock band formed in 1994. The height of their popularity spanned from 1996 to 1999. The Republica sound was described by the band as "techno-pop punk rock"...
, Shola Ama
Shola Ama
Shola Ama is an English singer who scored her biggest hit in 1997 with a cover of Turley Richards' "You Might Need Somebody".-Early life and career:...
, Sweet Female Attitude
Sweet Female Attitude
Sweet Female Attitude was a UK garage duo, consisting of Leanne Brown and Catherine Cassidy, who are considered a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom. Their April 2000 single "Flowers", with music video directed by Pete Nilsen and Ryan Davids, made it to number two in the UK Singles Chart...
, Liberty X
Liberty X
Liberty X were a British pop vocal group formed by the five contestants eliminated from the final ten qualifiers from the 2001 ITV show Popstars. The group consisted of Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Michelle Heaton, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor...
, Damage
Damage (British band)
Damage were a British R&B boy band who achieved success in the 1990s with eleven hit singles, including four Top 10 successes in the UK Singles Chart.-Biography:...
, Precious
Precious (band)
Precious were a British girl group, comprising Louise Rose, Anya Lahiri, Sophie McDonnell, Kalli Clark-Sternberg and Jenny Frost. They first achieved fame as the UK's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest and went on to become a moderately popular act until they decided it was time to go their own...
, Jessica Garlick
Jessica Garlick
Jessica Julie Anne Garlick is a Welsh pop singer.Garlick made her first steps into showbusiness when she was 16. At that age she won the Welsh final of the TV talent show Star For A Night. The same year she also featured in Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music...
, Status Quo and Sunderland Symphony Orchestra
Sunderland Symphony Orchestra
Sunderland Symphony Orchestra was founded by John Lennox, Mark Greenfield and Mrs. Winifred Lundgren to mark the turn of the current millennium. It gave its first performance in February 2000, and performed its first full symphony – Dvořák's 9th – on April 7, 2001...
, founded in 2000.
The Empire Theatre sometimes plays host to music acts. Since its refurbishment in 2004, it has hosted acts as diverse as Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
, Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue
Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop band formed in Glasgow during 1985. Their name was taken from the title of the Steely Dan song "Deacon Blues". The band consists of vocalist Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond....
, McFly
McFly
McFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
, Journey South
Journey South
Journey South are an English singing duo, consisting of brothers Andy and Carl Pemberton. They are originally from Middlesbrough, Teesside, and performed in pubs and clubs throughout the United Kingdom for over eight years, prior to achieving third place on the second UK series of television talent...
, Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald
Jane McDonald is a British singer, actress and media personality and broadcaster, who first became famous following her appearance on the BBC docusoap The Cruise...
and The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
and in its distinguished history it has also welcomed world-renowned bands such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. In 2011 it hosted Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
and Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. His father is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, although both his parents are Scottish, his family having been in Scotland for three generations....
among others.
Independent, a city centre nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
/music venue, satisfies underground music lovers, having previously played host to Keane, Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park are a British alternative rock band, formed in 2000. They are signed to Warp Records. The band consists of Paul Smith , Duncan Lloyd , Archis Tiku , Lukas Wooller and Tom English...
and Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
when they were largely unknown and had not yet achieved commercial success. In the past year, the club has hosted gigs from established bands such as The Zutons
The Zutons
The Zutons are an English indie rock band from Liverpool. They were formed in 2001 but did not release their first album, Who Killed...... The Zutons?, until May 2004. They achieved their biggest hits with "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love?" and "Valerie", both taken from their second studio album...
, The Maccabees
The Maccabees
The Maccabees are a indie rock band from Brighton, England. They have released two albums so far, Colour It In in 2007, with a follow-up, Wall of Arms, released on 4 May 2009...
, The Young Knives
The Young Knives
Young Knives are an English indie rock band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. The name is based on a misunderstanding of "young knaves", which was found by the band when rummaging through a book....
, Robots In Disguise
Robots in Disguise
Robots in Disguise are an English electropunk band. The group is composed of Dee Plume , Sue Denim , and a rolling live line-up of backing musicians...
, Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
, The Mystery Jets, Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007....
and The Futureheads. In 2009 it hosted Finley Quaye
Finley Quaye
Finley Quaye is a British musician. He won the 1997 Mobo Award for best reggae act, and the 1998 BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist.-Life:...
, General Fiasco
General Fiasco
General Fiasco are an indie rock group from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. Since their formation in 2007, they have toured with Fighting With Wire, The Wombats, One Night Only, The Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy, Jet and Kids In Glass Houses...
, Attack! Attack!
Attack! Attack!
Attack! Attack! are a Welsh rock band from Caerphilly and Aberdare, formed in 2006. They have toured across the UK with other Welsh bands such as The Blackout, Funeral for a Friend, Lostprophets, SaidMike, Kids in Glass Houses and also English bands You Me at Six and Go:Audio and have toured with...
, Hot Club de Paris
Hot Club De Paris
Hot Club de Paris are an English band from Liverpool. They are signed to the London-based Moshi Moshi Records and released their debut album Drop It 'Til It Pops in October 2006...
and The Automatic
The Automatic
The Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
as well as a DJ set from Andrew Weatherall
Andrew Weatherall
Andrew Weatherall is a DJ, producer, and remixer.Andrew, Terry Farley, Cymon Eckel and Steve Mayes started Boy's Own initially as a fanzine commenting on fashion, records, football, and other issues...
.
The Manor Quay, the students' union nightclub on St. Peter's Riverside at the University of Sunderland
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
, has also hosted the Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band. Formed in 2002 in High Green, a suburb of Sheffield, the band currently consists of Alex Turner , Jamie Cook , Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders...
, Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park
Maxïmo Park are a British alternative rock band, formed in 2000. They are signed to Warp Records. The band consists of Paul Smith , Duncan Lloyd , Archis Tiku , Lukas Wooller and Tom English...
, 911
911 (band)
911 is a British boyband that consists of Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable Spike Dawbarn and for a short period Lee Womack who left the band to study at Huddersfield University. The band were formed in 1995 and released their debut single in May 1996...
, the Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
and Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
. In 2009, the club was taken into private ownership under the name Campus and hosted N-Dubz
N-Dubz
N-Dubz are a British hip hop group from Camden Town, London. The group consists of members Dappy, Tulisa Contostavlos and Fazer.N-Dubz were previously signed to Polydor Records before joining All Around the World Records...
, Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene
Ocean Colour Scene are an English Britpop band formed in Moseley, Birmingham in 1989. They have had five Top 10 albums and six Top 10 singles to date.-Early days :...
, Little Boots
Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
and Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy
Showaddywaddy are a 1970s pop group from Leicester, England. They specialised in revivals of hit songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, and dressed as Teddy Boys.-History:...
but has since been returned to the university. The former students' union Wearmouth Hall hosted Voice of the Beehive
Voice of the Beehive
Voice of the Beehive is an Anglo-American alternative pop rock band formed in London in 1986 by Californian sisters Tracey Bryn and Melissa Brooke Belland, daughters of The Four Preps singer, Bruce Belland.- Career :...
and Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
before closing in 1992.
Since 2009, Sunderland: Live in the City has played host to a series of free and ticketed live music events throughout venues in the city centre. Sunderland also hosts the yearly Split Music Festival at Ashbrooke Cricket Club which was first celebrated in October 2009 and will return in 2010 with Maxïmo Park and The Futureheads headlining.
Theatre
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
, the Empire is the only theatre between Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
with sufficient capacity to accommodate large West End productions. It is infamous for playing host to the final performance of British comic actor Sid James who died of a heart attack whilst on stage in 1976.
The Royalty Theatre on Chester Road is the home to the amateur Royalty Theatre Group who also put on a number of low-budget productions throughout the year. Renowned film producer David Parfitt
David Parfitt
David Parfitt is a film producer and actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love....
belonged to this company before achieving worldwide fame and is now a patron of the theatre.
The Sunniside
Sunniside, Sunderland
Sunniside is a district of Sunderland, North East England, situated towards the eastern side of the city centre, bounded to the west by Fawcett Street, to the south by Borough Road, and to the north and east by Sunderland's Inner Ring road. A significant programme of urban development has...
area plays host to a number of smaller theatrical workshops and production houses, as well as the Theatre Restaurant, which combines a dining experience with a rolling programme of musical theatre.
Media, film and television
Sunderland has two local newspapers: the daily evening tabloid The Sunderland EchoSunderland Echo
The Sunderland Echo is an evening newspaper serving the Sunderland, South Tyneside and East Durham areas of North East England. The newspaper was founded by Samuel Storey, Edward Backhouse, Edward Temperley Gourley, Charles Palmer, Richard Ruddock, Thomas Glaholm and Thomas Scott Turnbull in 1873,...
, founded in 1873, and the Sunderland Star – a free newspaper
Free daily newspaper
Free daily newspapers are distributed free of charge, either in central places in cities and towns, or with other newspapers. The revenues of such newspapers are based on advertising.-In the U.S.:...
. It also has its own local radio
Independent Local Radio
Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.-Development of ILR:...
station Sun FM
Sun FM
Sun FM is a radio station serving the City of Sunderland and also available in Tyne and Wear, northern parts of County Durham in England. It broadcasts on the frequency 103.4 MHz and plays a mix of contemporary and classic popular music alongside local news, travel and covered ground breaking...
,a community radio station Spark FM and a hospital radio station – Radio Sunderland for Hospitals
Radio Sunderland for Hospitals
Radio Sunderland is the hospital radio station for Sunderland Royal Hospital and the St Bendedict's Hospice in the City of Sunderland, England. On the air since 1953, the station provides music, entertainment and information for patients...
, and can receive other north-eastern independent radio stations Metro Radio
Metro Radio
Metro Radio is an independent local radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne and broadcasting to Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. The station's output is principally contemporary pop and dance music...
, Magic 1152
Magic 1152
Magic 1152 is the name of an Independent Local Radio station in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It forms part of the Magic network owned by Bauer Radio. It shares a studio complex with sister station Metro Radio at the 55 Degrees North complex, next to the Tyne Bridge...
, Galaxy North East and
Century Radio
Century Radio
Century Radio, also marketed as Century 100 and later Century FM, was an early short-lived national commercial radio station in Ireland .-Transmission:...
. The current regional BBC radio station is BBC Radio Newcastle
BBC Radio Newcastle
BBC Newcastle is the BBC Local Radio service English metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, broadcasting from studios on Barrack Road in Newcastle upon Tyne.- Technical :...
University of Sunderland student radio station Utopia FM
Utopia FM
107 Spark FM is a station serving 15- to–24-year-olds in Sunderland. The station creates opportunities for young people to tell their stories, contribute and even lead discussions that affect them. 107 Spark FM is owned by the University of Sunderland in the area of North East England...
has recently won awards for innovation and broadcasts for part of the year. In September 2007, Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
, the media regulator, awarded a 5 year full-time community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
licence to Utopia FM to start broadcasting in 2008. The regional DAB multiplex for the Sunderland area is operated by Bauer DIGITAL RADIO LTD. – owned by Bauer Digital Radio plc. The city is covered by BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria is the BBC English Region covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Teesside and all but the southern part of Cumbria...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Tyne Tees
Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
franchise, which has a regional office in the University's Media Centre. Sunderland and its surrounding area is also referenced in The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta. Tate also stars in all but one of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
numerous times.
Sunderland's first film company was established in 2008; and is known as "Tanner Films Ltd" and is based in the Sunniside
Sunniside, Sunderland
Sunniside is a district of Sunderland, North East England, situated towards the eastern side of the city centre, bounded to the west by Fawcett Street, to the south by Borough Road, and to the north and east by Sunderland's Inner Ring road. A significant programme of urban development has...
area of the city. The companies first film, "King of the North" starring Angus MacFadyen
Angus Macfadyen
Angus Macfadyen is a Scottish actor.Angus Macfadyen was born in Glasgow and was brought up partly in Africa, France, the Philippines and Singapore. His father was a doctor in the World Health Organisation. He was once engaged to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.Angus attended the University of...
and set in the Hetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole is a town and civil parish situated in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the A182 between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane. It is located on the southwest corner of Sunderland on the A182, off A690 close to the A1. It has a population of 14,402 but this...
area of the city; is currently under production.
Events
Each year on the last weekend in July, the city hosts the Sunderland International Airshow. It takes place primarily along the sea front at Roker and Seaburn, and is attended by over 1.2 million people annually. It is the largest free airshow in Europe.Sunderland also hosts the free International Festival of Kites, Music and Dance, which attracts kite-makers from around the world to Northumbria Playing Fields, Washington.
Every year the city hosts a large Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
memorial service, the largest in the UK outside of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 2006.
At a special meeting of the Council on 19 December 1973, the Honorary Freedom of the then County Borough of Sunderland was conferred on 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, the North East Gunners, in recognition of the number of members of the Regiment who have been recruited from Wearside. The Regiment exercised its Freedom in April 2000 and following a successful tour of Afghanistan in July 2008.
HMS Ocean
HMS Ocean (L12)
HMS Ocean of the Royal Navy is an amphibious assault ship , the sole member of her class. She is designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force...
, an active Helicopter Landing Platform
Landing Platform, Helicopter
LPH is the hull classification used by a number of the world's navies to designate a type of amphibious warfare ship designed primarily to operate as a launch and recovery platform for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, is Sunderland's adopted ship. The crew of Ocean regularly visit the city.
At Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, Sunderland used to host a German market in the city centre selling quality German-made wooden goods, and German food
German cuisine
German cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of Germany. It has evolved as a national cuisine through centuries of social and political change with variations from region to region. The southern regions of Germany, including Bavaria and neighbouring Swabia, share many dishes....
. It also hosts a large ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
near the Empire Theatre, which forms part of the wider, regional North East Winter Festival. In 2007 the City Council introduced a weekly firework show in Mowbray Park (Thursday nights), starting with the switch on of the Christmas lights.
Sunderland's inaugural film festival took place in December 2003 at the Bonded Warehouse on Sunderland riverside, in spite of the lack of any cinema facilities in the city at that time, featuring the films of local and aspiring directors as well as reshowings of acclaimed works, such as Alan Bleasdale
Alan Bleasdale
Alan Bleasdale is an English television dramatist, best known for writing several social realist drama serials based on the lives of ordinary people.The Bleasdales live in prescot,liverpool,wales and london.-Early life:Bleasdale is an only child; his father worked in a food factory and his mother...
's The Monocled Mutineer
The Monocled Mutineer
The Monocled Mutineer is a British television series made by the BBC in 1986, and shown on BBC1, the first episode being transmitted on 31 August 1986, intended to head BBC1's autumn season of drama...
, accompanied by analysis. By the time of the second festival commencing on 21 January 2005, a new cinema multiplex had opened in Sunderland to provide a venue which allowed the festival to showcase over twenty films including the UK premieres of Shall We Dance?
Shall We Dance? (2004 film)
Shall We Dance? is a 2004 American film. It is a remake of the award-winning Masayuki Suo 1996 Japanese film, Shall We Dance?. The film made its US premier at the Hawaii International Film Festival.-Plot:...
starring Richard Gere
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere is an American actor. He began acting in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and a starring role in Days of Heaven. He came to prominence in 1980 for his role in the film American Gigolo, which established him as a leading man and a sex symbol...
and Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
's The Door In The Floor, as well as a special screening of Shakespeare In Love
Shakespeare in Love
Shakespeare in Love is a 1998 British-American comedy film directed by John Madden and written by Marc Norman and playwright Tom Stoppard....
, presented by its producer, Sunderland-born David Parfitt
David Parfitt
David Parfitt is a film producer and actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1998 for Shakespeare in Love....
.
Attractions
Notable attractions for visitors to Sunderland include the 14th century Hylton CastleHylton Castle
Hylton Castle is a ruined stone castle in the North Hylton area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. Originally built from wood by the Hilton family shortly after the Norman Conquest in 1066, it was later rebuilt in stone in the late 14th to early 15th century...
and the beaches of Roker and Seaburn.
The National Glass Centre opened in 1998, reflecting Sunderland's distinguished history of glass-making. Despite substained support from the Arts Council
Arts council
An arts council is a government or private, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing events at home and abroad...
the centre has struggled to meet visitor targets since it opened.
Sunderland Lustreware
Sunderland Lustreware is a type of pottery originating from Sunderland, England.Several potteries were located along the banks of the River Wear in Sunderland in the Nineteenth Century. Though many made everyday tableware, some of them made a distinct type which became known as Sunderland Lustreware...
pottery. The City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, also houses the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art.
The City of Sunderland has been commended several times on its commitment to preserving its natural faculties. As such, Sunderland has been awarded prestigious titles by the Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
collective in 1993, 1997 and 2000.
Sunderland has also recently been voted as one of the best nights out in the country, finishing eighth behind larger cities such as Leeds, Manchester, London; this is largely due to "The circuit", which comprises around 65 bars and 9 clubs all within minutes of each other based in the St Michaels and Park Lane areas of the City Centre.
Sport
The only professional sporting team in Sunderland is the football team, Sunderland A.F.C.Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, which was formed in 1879 and became founder members of the Football League in 1888. Finishing 10th in the Premier League in the 2010–11 season, Sunderland retains its status in the country's top division in 2011–12
2011–12 Premier League
The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...
and plays its home games at the 49,000 seat capacity Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
. Sunderland also has the north-east's top women's football team, Sunderland A.F.C. Women
Sunderland A.F.C. Women
Sunderland AFC Women is a women's football club based in Sunderland, North East England. They play their home games at The Hetton Centre in Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne and Wear.-History:...
, who have been financially separated from the men's team since summer 2005. They currently play in the top tier of English women's football – FA Women's Premier League National Division
FA Women's Premier League National Division
The FA Women's Premier League National Division is the second level of the English women's football league pyramid. From 1991 until the introduction of the summer competition FA Women's Super League the National Division functioned as the top league in England. Below it are simultaneously the...
, despite their financial struggles. Sunderland were league champions six times within the Football League's
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
first half century, but have not achieved this accolade since 1936. Their other notable successes include FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
glory in 1937 and 1973 and winning the Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
title with a (then) English league
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
record of 105 points in 1999. Sunderland's longest stadium occupancy so far was of Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
for 99 years beginning in 1898, with relocation taking place due to the stadium's confined location and the need to build an all-seater stadium. The initial relocation plan had been for a stadium to be situated alongside the Nissan factory, but these were abandoned in favour of the Stadium of Light at Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear. It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland, the area now known as the East End. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church...
on the site of a colliery that had closed at the end of 1993. The city also has two non-league sides, Sunderland Nissan F.C.
Sunderland Nissan F.C.
Sunderland Nissan F.C. was a football club based in Sunderland, England. They joined the Wearside League Division Two as founding members in 1988. Their original name was Washington Nissan. In the 2005-06 and 2008-09 seasons, they reached the 2nd round of the FA Vase. For the 2008-09 season, their...
of the Northern League Division One and Sunderland Ryhope Community Association F.C. of the Northern League Division Two.
Sunderland's amateur Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
clubs are both based in Ashbrooke
Ashbrooke
Ashbrooke is a residential area of Sunderland, North East England directly south and south-west of the city centre.Ashbrooke developed through the Victorian era as Sunderland's first suburb...
. The Ashbrooke ground was opened on 30 May 1887. The cricket club dates back to 1801, when a game was recorded on July 25 at Monkwearmouth shore. The rugby union football club was established in 1873; it is recorded that practices took place in December, probably on the town moor. In January 1874 games were played and won against both Houghton and Darlington. In its early years, the rugby club was made up of former public school boys and well educated and successful business and industrial leaders of the locality. In 1881, Sunderland were recorded as being the first winners of the Durham County Senior Challenge Cup, beating Houghton 9-0. This was the first of five successes, the last being in 1959, when they beat 6-0 a Durham City team that had included several county players and internationals. The last appearance in the final was 1997, when they were beaten by Stockton.
Sunderland had an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team from 1977 and temporarily inherited the Durham Wasps
Durham Wasps
The Durham Wasps was an ice hockey team located in Durham and was one of England's most well-known names in ice hockey. The team was bought by Sir John Hall and moved to the neighbouring city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in August 1996...
in 1994 when Durham City's ice rink closed and the team was bought by John Hall
John Hall (businessman)
Sir John Hall is a property developer in North East England. He is also life president and former chairman of Newcastle United.-Biography:...
. They played home games at Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre until Newcastle Arena opened in 1995 and the team relocated again. Durham's ice hockey team has since undergone several name changes and is currently the Newcastle Vipers
Newcastle Vipers
The Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Former members of the Elite Ice Hockey League, the club previously held membership in the British National League.- History :...
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team, winners of the national championship play-off final, at Wembley, in 1981 and 1983. The team qualified for European competition in 1982, and were also play-off runners-up, to Crystal Palace, in 1982. Named 'Sunblest Sunderland' the team played at the Crowtree Leisure Centre.
The Crowtree Leisure Centre has also played host to a number of important boxing matches and snooker championships including the 2003 Snooker World Trickshot and Premier League Final. In September 2005, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
TV cameras captured international boxing bouts featuring local boxers David Dolan
David Dolan
David Dolan is a British professional boxer who has competed at both heavyweight and cruiserweight. As an amateur he won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in the super heavyweight division...
, Stuart Kennedy and Tony Jeffries
Tony Jeffries
Tony David Jeffries is an English professional boxer who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics...
. The latter became Sunderland's first Olympic medallist when he won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the light heavyweight boxing category for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
On 18 April 2008, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre was opened. Constructed at a cost of £20 million, it is the only Olympic sized 50 m pool between Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and has six diving boards, which stand at 1 m, 3 m and 5 m.
Athletics is also a popular sport in the city, with Sunderland Harriers Athletics Club based at Silksworth Sports Complex. 800 m runner Gavin Massingham represented the club at the AAA Championships in 2005. On 25 June 2006, the first Great Women's Run took place along Sunderland's coastline. Among the field which lined up to start the race were Olympic silver medallists Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan
Sonia O'Sullivan in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century...
of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and Gete Wami
Gete Wami
Getenesh Wami is a female Ethiopian cross country and track runner....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, who eventually won the race. The race quickly became an annual fixture in the city's sporting schedule, with races in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the race will be relaunched as the Great North 10k Run, allowing male competitors to take part for the first time, on 12 July. The route will also be extended to incorporate the city centre, as well as Sunderland's riverside and coastline. The Great North Walk, which began in June 2008, will also return to Sunderland in 2009.
Speedway racing was staged at the greyhound stadium in nearby East Boldon. The Sunderland Saints of 1964 closed after 8 meetings. The track re-opened in the early 1970s and known as the Stars and then the Gladiators, raced in the National league Division Two.
Education
University of Sunderland
The University of Sunderland is located in Sunderland, north east England. The university has more than 17,500 students, including 7,000-plus international students from some 70 countries....
in 1992. The institution currently has over 17,000 students. The university is split into two campuses; the City Campus (site of the original Polytechnic) is just to the west of the city centre, as is the main university library and the main administrative buildings. The 'Award-Winning' St Peter's Riverside Campus is located on the north banks of the river Wear, next to the National Glass Centre and houses the School of Business, Law and Psychology, as well as Computing and Technology and The Media Centre.
The University of Sunderland was named the top university in England for providing the best student experience by The Times Higher Education Supplement
The Times Higher Education Supplement
The Times Higher Education , formerly Times Higher Education Supplement , is a weekly British magazine based in London reporting specifically on news and other issues related to higher education...
(THES) in 2006. Since 2001 Sunderland has been named the best new university in England by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and Government performance indicators showed Sunderland as the best new university in England for the quality, range and quantity of its research.
The City of Sunderland College
City of Sunderland College
Sunderland College, is a Further Education, Higher Education College based in Sunderland, North East England. The enrolment includes around 6,300 part-time learners and approximately 4,800 full-time students...
is a further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
establishment with five campuses located at the Bede centre on Durham Road, Shiney Row
Shiney Row
Shiney Row is a village in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear. Shiney Row enjoys good travel links with the rest of Sunderland. One of the City of Sunderland College's main centres is located in Shiney Row...
, Hylton, Doxford International Business Park and 'Phoenix House' in the city centre. It has over 14,000 students, and based on exam results is one of the most successful colleges. St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the University, opened in September 2008. The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College.
There are twenty secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. According to exam results, the most successful was the Sunderland High School
Sunderland High School
Sunderland High School is an independent junior school and senior school in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England.The school lays stress on the creation of a Christian atmosphere. The school welcomes pupils of all faiths or none. The curriculum is broad and, from Year 10, is built around pupil choice...
, an independent selective school
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
in Ashbrooke. However, comprehensive schools also thrive, particularly the Roman Catholic single-sex schools St. Anthony's (for girls) and St. Aidan's (for boys). Both continue to attain high exam results. There are seventy-six primary schools in Sunderland. According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, in Doxford Park
Doxford Park
Doxford Park is a suburb of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, located to the south-west of the city centre.Doxford Park is also the name of a wooded area of land located within the suburb....
.