The centre of the modern city is an amalgamation of three settlements founded in theAnglo-Saxon era:Monkwearmouth, on the north bank of the Wear, and Sunderland andBishopwearmouth on the south bank. Monkwearmouth containsSt Peter's Church, which was founded in 674 and formed part ofMonkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey, a significant centre of learning in the seventh and eighth centuries. Sunderland was a fishing settlement and later a port, being granted a town charter in 1179. The city traded incoal andsalt, also developing shipbuilding industry in the fourteenth century and glassmaking industry in the seventeenth century.
Sunderland was once known as 'the largest shipbuilding town in the world' and once made a quarter of all of the world's ships from its yards.[citation needed] Following the decline of its traditional industries in the late 20th century, the area became anautomotive building centre. In 1992, the borough of Sunderland was grantedcity status. Sunderland is historically part ofCounty Durham, being incorporated to the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in 1974.
Locals are sometimes known asMackems, a term which came into common use in the 1970s. Its use and acceptance by residents, particularly among the older generations, is not universal.[6][7] The term is also applied to the Sunderland dialect, which shares similarities with the other North-East England dialects.
Inc. 674,King Ecgfrith grantedBenedict Biscop a "sunder-land". In 685The Venerable Bede moved to the newly foundedJarrow monastery. He had started his monastic career at Monkwearmouth monastery and later wrote that he was "ácenned onsundorlande þæs ylcan mynstres" (born in aseparate land of this same monastery). This can be taken as "sundorlande" (being Old English for "separate land") or the settlement of Sunderland.[8][9] The name may also be descriptive of the original settlement's location, being almost cut off (sundered) from the rest of the mainland by creeks and gullies from both the sea and the River Wear.[10]
It is believed theBrythonic-speakingBrigantes inhabited the area around theRiver Wear in pre-Roman Britain. There is a long-standing local legend that there was a Roman settlement on the south bank of the River Wear on what is the site of the former Vaux Brewery, although no archaeological investigation has taken place.[13]
Roman artefacts have been recovered in the River Wear atNorth Hylton, including four stone anchors, which may support the theory there was a Roman dam or port on the River Wear.[14]
The areas that are now Sunderland were once part of the BrythonicHen Ogledd lands in theDark Ages; the land was Anglicised over time and merged intoNorthumbria.St Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth. Only the porch and part of the west wall remain from the original monastery built in 674.
Recorded settlements at the mouth of the Wear date toc. 674, when anAnglo-Saxon nobleman, Benedict Biscop, was granted land by King Ecgfrith and founded the Wearmouth–Jarrow (St Peter's)monastery on the north bank of the river—an area that became known as Monkwearmouth.[15] Biscop's monastery was the first built of stone inNorthumbria. He employed glaziers fromFrance and in doing so he re-establishedglass making in Britain.[16] In 686, the community was taken over byCeolfrid, and Wearmouth–Jarrow became a major centre of learning and knowledge inAnglo-Saxon England with a library of around 300 volumes.[17]
TheCodex Amiatinus, described by biblical scholarHenry Julian White (1859–1934) as the 'finest book in the world',[18][19] was created at themonastery and was likely worked on byBede, who was born at Wearmouth in 673.[20] This is one of the oldest monasteries still standing in England. While at the monastery, Bede completed theHistoria ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum(The Ecclesiastical History of the English People) in 731, a feat which earned him the titleThe father of English history.[21]
In the late 8th century theVikings raided 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 theBishop of Durham byAthelstan of England in 930; these became known as Bishopwearmouth and included settlements such asRyhope which fall within the modern boundary of Sunderland.[22][23]
In 1100, Bishopwearmouth parish included afishing village at the southern mouth of the river (now the East End) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland').[24] This settlement was granted acharter in 1179 under the name of the borough of Wearmouth byHugh Pudsey, then theBishop of Durham (who had quasi-monarchical power within theCounty Palatine of Durham).[25][26] The charter gave its merchants the same rights as those ofNewcastle-upon-Tyne, but it nevertheless took time for Sunderland to develop as aport.[27] Fishing was the main commercial activity at the time: mainlyherring in the 13th century, thensalmon in the 14th and 15th centuries.[28] From 1346ships were built at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville,[29] and by 1396 a small amount of coal was being exported.[28]
Rapid growth of the port was prompted by the salt trade.[28] Salt exports from Sunderland are recorded from as early as the 13th century, by 1589salt pans were laid at Bishopwearmouth Panns (the modern-day name of the area the pans occupied is Pann's Bank, on the river bank between the city centre and the East End).[30] Large vats ofseawater were heated using coal; as the water evaporated, the salt remained. As coal was required to heat the salt pans, acoal mining community began to emerge. Only poor-quality coal was used in salt panning; better-quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow.[31]
Both salt and coal continued to be exported through the 17th century, with the coal trade growing significantly (2–3,000 tons of coal were exported from Sunderland in the year 1600; by 1680 this had increased to 180,000 tons).[28] Difficulty for colliers trying to navigate the Wear's shallow waters meant coal mined further inland was loaded ontokeels (large, flat-bottomed boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. A close-knit group of workers manned the Keels as 'keelmen'.[32] In 1634 a market and yearly fair charter was granted by BishopThomas Morton.[33] Morton's charter acknowledged that the borough had been called Wearmouth until then, but itincorporated the place under the name of Sunderland, by which it had become more generally known.[34]
Before the outbreak of theEnglish civil war, the North, with the exception ofKingston upon Hull, declared for the King. In 1644 the North was captured by the Roundheads (Parliamentarians), the area around Sunderland itself being taken in March of that year. One artefact of the civil war in the area was the long trench; a tactic of later warfare. In the village ofOfferton roughly three miles inland from the present city centre, skirmishes occurred. The Roundheads blockaded theRiver Tyne, crippling the Newcastle coal trade, which allowed a short period of flourishing coal trade on the Wear.[35][36][37][38]
In 1669, after theRestoration, KingCharles II grantedletters patent to one Edward Andrew,Esq. to 'build a pier and erect a lighthouse or lighthouses and cleanse the harbour of Sunderland'. Atonnageduty was levied on shipping in order to raise the necessary funds.[39] There were a growing number of shipbuilders or boatbuilders active on the River Wear in the late 17th century.[40]
Rare surviving early 18th-century merchant's house (later used as a warehouse) in Church Street, Sunderland
By the start of the 18th century the banks of the Wear were described as being studded with small shipyards, as far as the tide flowed.[40] After measures were taken in 1717 to increase the depth of the river, Sunderland's shipbuilding trade grew substantially, in parallel with its coal exports.[41] A number of warships were built, along with many commercial sailing ships. By the middle of the century the town was probably the premier shipbuilding centre in Britain.[42] Ships built in Sunderland were known as 'Jamies'.[43] By 1788 Sunderland was Britain's fourth largest port by measure of tonnage, after London, Newcastle and Liverpool; among these it was the leading coal exporter (though it did not rival Newcastle in terms of home coal trade).[41] Still further growth was driven across the region, towards the end of the century, by London's insatiable demand for coal during theFrench Revolutionary Wars.[40]
Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, completed in 1719
Until 1719 the borough of Sunderland formed part of the wider parish of Bishopwearmouth. Following the completion ofHoly Trinity Church, Sunderland (today also known as Sunderland Old Parish Church) in 1719, the borough was made a separate parish called Sunderland.[44] Later, in 1769, St John's Church was built as achapel of ease within Holy Trinity parish; built by a local coal fitter, John Thornhill, it stood in Prospect Row to the north-east of the parish church. St John's was demolished in 1972.[45] By 1720 the port area was completely built up, with large houses and gardens facing theTown Moor and the sea, and labourers' dwellings vying with manufactories alongside the river.[28] The three original settlements - Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland - had started to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland, salt panning and shipbuilding along the banks of the river. Around this time, Sunderland was known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'.[46]
Sunderland's third-biggest export, after coal and salt, was glass.[47] The town's first modern glassworks were established in the 1690s and the industry grew through the 17th century.[48] Its flourishing was aided by trading ships bringing good-quality sand (asballast) fromthe Baltic and elsewhere which, together with locally available limestone (and coal to fire the furnaces) was a key ingredient in theglassmaking process. Other industries that developed alongside the river includedlime burning andpottery making (the town's first commercial pottery manufactory, the Garrison Pottery, had opened in old Sunderland in 1750).[49]
A south east view of Wearmouth Bridge (c. 1796)
By 1770 Sunderland had spread westwards along its High Street to join up with Bishopwearmouth.[28] In 1796 Bishopwearmouth in turn gained a physical link with Monkwearmouth following the construction of a bridge, theWearmouth Bridge, which was the world's second iron bridge (after the famous span atIronbridge).[50] It was built at the instigation ofRowland Burdon, theMember of Parliament (MP) forCounty Durham, and described byNikolaus Pevsner as being 'a triumph of the new metallurgy and engineering ingenuity [...] of superb elegance'.[28] Spanning the river in a single sweep of 236 feet (72 m), it was over twice the length of the earlier bridge at Ironbridge but only three-quarters the weight. At the time of building, it was the biggest single-span bridge in the world;[51] and because Sunderland had developed on a plateau above the river, it never suffered from the problem of interrupting the passage of high-masted vessels.
Early 19th century map showing the 18th-century barracks, battery and piers to the east, with the bridge and nearby 'Pann Field' to the west
During theWar of Jenkins' Ear a pair ofgun batteries were built (in 1742 and 1745) on the shoreline to the south of the South Pier, to defend the river from attack (a further battery was built on the cliff top in Roker, ten years later).[52] One of the pair was washed away by the sea in 1780, but the other was expanded during theFrench Revolutionary Wars and became known as the Black Cat Battery.[53] In 1794Sunderland Barracks were built, behind the battery, close to what was then the tip of the headland.[54]
Commemorative plate, with pink 'splash lustre', depicting Wearmouth Bridge of 1796Grimshaw and Webster's Patent Ropery of 1797: the world's oldest factory for machine-made rope
The world's first steamdredger was built in Sunderland in 1796-7 and put to work on the river the following year.[55] Designed by Stout's successor as Engineer, Jonathan Pickernell jr (in post from 1795 to 1804), it consisted of a set of 'bag and spoon' dredgers driven by a tailor-made 4-horsepowerBoulton & Watt beam engine. It was designed to dredge to a maximum depth of 10 ft (3.0 m) below the waterline and remained in operation until 1804, when its constituent parts were sold as separate lots.[55] Onshore, numerous small industries supported the business of the burgeoning port. In 1797 the world's first patent ropery (producing machine-maderope, rather than using aropewalk) was built in Sunderland, using a steam-powered hemp-spinning machine which had been devised by a local schoolmaster, Richard Fothergill, in 1793;[47] the ropery building still stands, in the Deptford area of the city.[56]
Sunderland's shipbuilding industry continued to grow through most of the 19th century, becoming the town's dominant industry and a defining part of its identity.[47] By 1815 it was 'the leading shipbuilding port for wooden trading vessels' with 600 ships constructed that year across 31 different yards.[58] By 1840 the town had 76 shipyards and between 1820 and 1850 the number of ships being built on the Wear increased fivefold. From 1846 to 1854 almost a third of the UK's ships were built in Sunderland, and in 1850 theSunderland Herald proclaimed the town to be the greatest shipbuilding port in the world.[59]
TheDurham & Sunderland Railway Co. built a railway line across the Town Moor and established a passenger terminus there in 1836. In 1847 the line was bought byGeorge Hudson'sYork and Newcastle Railway. Hudson, nicknamed 'The Railway King', wasMember of Parliament forSunderland and was already involved in a scheme to build a dock in the area. In 1846 he had formed theSunderland Dock Company, which received parliamentary approval for the construction of a dock between the South Pier and Hendon Bay.[60]
Increasing industrialisation had prompted residential expansion away from the old port area in the suburban terraces of the Fawcett Estate andMowbray Park. The area around Fawcett Street itself increasingly functioned as the civic and commercial town centre.
Marine engineering works were established from the 1820s onwards, initially providing engines forpaddle steamers; in 1845 a ship namedExperiment was the first of many to be converted tosteam screw propulsion.[40] Demand for steam-powered vessels increased during theCrimean War; nonetheless, sailing ships continued to be built, including fastfully-riggedcomposite-builtclippers, including theCity of Adelaide in 1864 andTorrens (the last such vessel ever built), in 1875.[57]
By the middle of the century glassmaking was at its height on Wearside.James Hartley & Co., established in Sunderland in 1836, grew to be the largest glassworks in the country and (having patented an innovative production technique forrolled plate glass) produced much of the glass used in the construction ofthe Crystal Palace in 1851.[49] A third of all UK-manufactured plate glass was produced at Hartley's by this time.[47] Other manufacturers included the Cornhill Flint Glassworks (established at Southwick in 1865), which went on to specialise inpressed glass, as did the Wear Flint Glassworks (which had originally been established in 1697).[48] In addition to the plate glass and pressed glass manufacturers there were 16 bottle works on the Wear in the 1850s, with the capacity to produce between 60 and 70,000 bottles a day.[49]
River Wear (top) in 1969, with Hudson Dock, Hendon Dock, and associated railway links to the south
In 1854 the Londonderry, Seaham & Sunderland Railway opened linking collieries to a separate set of staiths at Hudson Dock South, it also provided a passenger service from Sunderland to Seaham Harbour.[61]
In 1886–90Sunderland Town Hall was built in Fawcett Street, just to the east of the railway station, to a design byBrightwen Binyon.[28] By 1889 two million tons of coal per year was passing through Hudson Dock,[62] while to the south of Hendon Dock, the Wear Fuel Works distilledcoal tar to produce pitch, oil and other products.[63]
King George V visiting women workers at Sir James Laing & Sons shipyard, 15 June 1917
The First World War increased shipbuilding, leading to the town being a target in a 1916Zeppelin raid. Monkwearmouth was struck on 1 April 1916 and 22 people died. Over 25,000 men from a population of 151,000 served in the armed forces during the war.[66]
Through theGreat Depression of the 1930s, shipbuilding dramatically declined: shipyards on the Wear went from 15 in 1921 to six in 1937.[58] The small yards of J. Blumer & Son (at North Dock) and the Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (at Hudson Dock) both closed in the 1920s, and other yards were closed down byNational Shipbuilders Securities in the 1930s.[67]
By 1936 Sunderland AFC had been league champions on six occasions. They won their firstFA Cup in1937.
Sunderland viewed from above in 1967
With the outbreak ofWorld War II in 1939, Sunderland was a key target of theGermanLuftwaffe bombing. Luftwaffe raids resulted in the deaths of 267 people and destruction of local industry[68] while 4,000 homes were also damaged or destroyed.[69]
Many old buildings remain despite the bombing that occurred during World War II.[70] 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 asSunderland Minster and St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part of which dates from 674AD, and was the original monastery.St Andrew's Church, Roker, known as the "Cathedral of theArts and Crafts Movement", contains work byWilliam Morris,Ernest Gimson andEric Gill.[71]St Mary's Catholic Church is the earliest surviving Gothic revival church in the city.[72] After the war, more housing was built and the town's boundaries expanded in 1967 when neighbouringRyhope,Silksworth,Herrington,South Hylton andCastletown were incorporated. Sunderland AFC won their only post-World War II major honour in 1973 when they won asecond FA Cup.
Shipbuilding ended in 1988 and coal-mining in 1993 after a mid-1980s unemployment crisis with 20 per cent of the local workforce unemployed.[73]
Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd in Sunderland. Factory complex, including wind turbines, taken from Penshaw Monument.
Electronic, chemical, paper and motor manufacturing as well as the service sector expanded during the 1980s and 1990s to fill unemployment from heavy industry.[74] In 1986 Japanese car manufacturerNissan opened itsNissan Motor Manufacturing UK factory in Washington, which has since become the UK's largest car factory.[75]
Sunderland received city status in 1992.[76] Like many cities, Sunderland comprises a number of areas with their own distinct histories,Fulwell, Monkwearmouth,Roker, andSouthwick on the northern side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth andHendon to the south. From 1990, the Wear's riverbanks were regenerated with new housing, retail parks and business centres on former shipbuilding sites; theNational Glass Centre a newUniversity of Sunderland campus on theSt Peter's site were also built. The formerVaux Breweries site on the north west fringe of the city centre was cleared for further development opportunities.[77][78][79]
After 99 years at the historicRoker Park stadium,[80] the city's football club,Sunderland AFC moved to the 42,000-seatStadium of Light on the banks of the River Wear in 1997. At the time, it was the largest stadium built by an English football club since the 1920s, and has since been expanded to hold nearly 50,000 seated spectators.[81]
On 24 March 2004, the city adopted Benedict Biscop as itspatron saint.[82] In 2018 the city was ranked as the best to live and work in the UK by the finance firm OneFamily.[83] In the same year, the city was ranked as one of the top 10 safest in the UK.[84]
The city council is based atCity Hall on Plater Way (formerly the site of the Vaux Brewery), which opened in 2021.[86] Prior to that the council was based at theCivic Centre on Burdon Road, which had been built in 1970.[87]
Historic map of County Durham. Sunderland was part ofCounty Durham until the local government changes in 1974.
The original settlement of Sunderland was historically part of theancient parish of Bishopwearmouth in County Durham. It was anancient borough, having been granted a charter in 1179 under the name of 'Wearmouth'.[25] The original borough covered a relatively small area in the north-east corner of the old Bishopwearmouth parish, lying on the south side of the mouth of the River Wear. The borough was granted a further charter in 1634 which gave it the right to appoint a mayor and incorporated the town under the name of Sunderland rather than Wearmouth.[34][88] The area of the borough was made a separate parish from Bishopwearmouth by an act of parliament in 1719.[44]
The ancient borough's powers were relatively modest. Unlike most such boroughs, it did not hold its own courts, nor did it have any meaningful municipal functions.[88] A separate body ofimprovement commissioners was established in 1810 with responsibilities to pave, light and clean the streets, provide awatch, and improve the market.[89] In 1832 aparliamentary borough (constituency) ofSunderland was created, covering the parishes or townships of Sunderland, Bishopwearmouth, Bishopwearmouth Panns, Monkwearmouth, Monkwearmouth Shore and Southwick.[90]
In 1836 Sunderland was reformed to become amunicipal borough under theMunicipal Corporations Act 1835, which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country.[91] The municipal boundaries were enlarged at the same time to match the constituency, although later that year the municipal boundaries were reduced to remove Southwick and the parts of Bishopwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth Panns which fell more than one mile from the centre of Wearmouth Bridge.[92] The improvement commissioners were wound up in 1851 and their functions transferred to the council.[93]
When elected county councils were established in 1889, Sunderland was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it was made acounty borough, independent from the newDurham County Council.[94] The borough boundaries were enlarged on several occasions, notably in 1867,[93] 1928 (when it gained areas includingFulwell,Southwick and the remainder of the old Bishopwearmouth parish), 1936, 1951, and 1967 (when it gainedNorth Hylton,South Hylton,Ryhope,Silksworth, andTunstall).[95]
From 1974 until 1986 the borough council was a lower-tier district authority, withTyne and Wear County Council providing county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1986, with the borough council taking on county-level functions. Some functions are provided across Tyne and Wear by joint committees with the other districts. The county of Tyne and Wear continues to exist as aceremonial county for the purposes of lieutenancy, but has had no administrative functions since 1986.[98] The borough of Sunderland was awarded city status in 1992.[99]
The Wearmouth Bridge (right) and railway bridge (left). This road was the route of the old A19, now it is the A1018.
Much of the city is located on a low range of hills running parallel to the coast. On average, it is around 80 metresabove 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. Several smaller bodies of water, such asHendon Burn and the Barnes Burn, run through the suburbs. The three road bridges connecting the north and south portions of the city are theQueen Alexandra Bridge at Pallion, theWearmouth Bridge just to the north of the city centre and most recently theNorthern Spire Bridge between Castletown and Pallion. A pedestrian and cycle bridge called theKeel Crossing was constructed between 2023 and 2025.[106] To the west of the city, theHylton Viaduct carries theA19 dual-carriageway over the Wear (see map below).
The city has a number of public parks. Several of these are historic, includingMowbray Park,Roker Park andBarnes Park. In the early 2000s,Herrington Country Park was opened oppositePenshaw Monument. The city's parks have secured several awards for its commitment to preserving natural facilities, receiving theBritain in Bloom collective in 1993, 1997 and 2000.
Approximately 70% of the population of the built-up area lives on the south side of the river and 30% on the north side. The built-up area extends to the seafront at Hendon and Ryhope in the south andSeaburn in the north.
The built-up area is surrounded by the Tyne and Wear Green Belt,[107] with its portion in much of its surrounding rural area of the borough. It is a part of the localdevelopment plan, of which its stated aims[107] are as follows:
A Green Belt will be maintained which will:-
(i) Check the unrestricted sprawl of the built up area of Sunderland; (ii) Assist in safeguarding the city's countryside from further encroachment; (iii) Assist in the regeneration of the urban area of the city; (iv) Preserve the setting and special character of Springwell Village;
(iv) Prevent the merging of Sunderland with Tyneside, Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham, and the merging of Shiney Row with Washington, Chester-le-Street and Bournmoor.
In the Sunderland borough boundary, as well as the aforementioned areas, landscape features and facilities such as much of the River Don and Wear basins, the George Washington Hotel Golf and Spa complex, Sharpley Golf Course, Herrington Country Park, Houghton Quarry and Penshaw Hill are within the green belt area.
Sunderland has a temperateoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb). Its location in therain shadow of thePennines, as well as other mountain ranges to the west, such as those of theLake District and southwestern Scotland, make Sunderland one of the least rainy cities of Northern England. The climate is heavily moderated by the adjacentNorth Sea, giving it cool summers, and winters that are mild considering its latitude.[citation needed] The closest weather station is inTynemouth, about 8 miles (13 km) north of Sunderland. As a result, Sunderland's coastline is likely slightly milder given the more southerly position. Another relatively nearby weather station inDurham has warmer summer days and colder winter nights courtesy of its inland position.
At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Sunderland had a population of 168,315,[109] and the wider borough had a population of 274,200.[110] The 2011 census had defined a much largerSunderland built-up area covering all the built-up areas in the borough and some areas beyond it, notably includingChester-le-Street.
The majority of theBAME population live in Sunderland East – more specifically Hendon and Millfield where there is a larger population of Bangladeshi/Bangladeshi British and Indian/Indian British than elsewhere. There is also a significant Chinese population in these areas. Sunderland West has a population of Indian, Pakistani and other Asian ethnicities. Sunderland North has a substantial Chinese population, notably in St.Peter's. This is believed to be influenced by the studentpopulation in which:
147 nationalities are represented
51.27% students are White, 13.92% Asian, 12.78% Asian Other and 5.12% Black African, with other ethnicities in much smaller numbers
While BAME populations are more concentrated in some areas within Sunderland, ethnic diversity is too low in the city to determine if any groups are particularly segregated.[113]
The 2011 census recorded that 70.2% of the population identified as Christian, 1.32% as Muslim, 0.29% as Sikh, 0.22% as Hindu, 0.19% as Buddhist, 0.02% as Jewish, and 21.90% as having no religion.[115]
Jewish heritage in the city, once part of a thriving community, can be dated back to around 1750, when a number of Jewish merchants from across the UK and Europe settled in Sunderland,[116] eventually forming a congregation in 1768. Arabbi fromHolland was established in the city in 1790. After a rapid growth in numbers during the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Jewish community in Sunderland reached its height in the mid-1930s, when around 2,000 Jews were recorded to be living in the town.[116] The community has been in slow decline since the mid-20th century. Many Sunderland Jews left for stronger Jewish communities in Britain, including Gateshead,[117] or to Israel.[118] The Jewish primary school, the Menorah School, closed in July 1983, and theyeshiva moved to Gateshead in June 1988.[119] Thesynagogue on Ryhope Road, opened in 1928, closed at the end of March 2006.[120] (See alsoHistory of the Jews in North East England.) The Jewish population of the Sunderland Metropolitan Borough is continually diminishing, as the Jewish population fell from 114 people in 2001, to 87 people in 2021.[121]
In 1998, following the grant of city status to Sunderland, the erstwhileparish church of Bishopwearmouth (St Michael's) was redesignated asSunderland Minster with a city-wide role. It was believed to have been the first creation of aminster church in England since theReformation.[47]
The ReverendAlexander Boddy (1854–1930) was appointed vicar ofAll Saints' Church, Monkwearmouth in 1884. During his ministry at Monkwearmouth, Boddy was influenced by the1904–1905 Welsh revival and also by the British-born Norwegian preacherThomas Ball Barratt. In the early years of the 20th century All Saints, Monkwearmouth became an important centre for the development of the Pentecostal Movement in Britain.[122]
Following the industrial decline of the 1970s to early 1980s and collapse of the local shipbuilding industry, Sunderland's mid-1980s economic situation began to improve. Japanese car manufacturerNissan opened theNissan Motor Manufacturing UK factory in 1986, and the firstNissan Bluebird car was produced later that year.[75] The factory and its supplier companies remain the largest employers in the region, with current cars produced there including theNissan Qashqai, theNissan Juke and the electricNissan LEAF. As of 2012 over 500,000 cars are produced annually, and it is the UK's largest car factory.[75]
Also in the late 1980s, newservice industries moved into sites such as theDoxford International Business Park in the south west of the city, attracting national and international companies. Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use ofinformation technology, in 2004 and 2005.[123]
Since the mid-1980s Sunderland has undergone massive regeneration,[citation needed] particularly around theCity Centre and the river corridor.
In 2000,the Bridgesshopping centre was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former CentralBus Station, attracting nationalchain stores. This was followed by adjacent redevelopments on Park Lane.
The former shipyards 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, theNational Glass Centre, theStadium of Light and Hylton Riverside Retail Park. Also in 2007, the Echo 24 luxury apartments opened on Pann's Bank overlooking the river.
Sunderland Corporation's massive post-war housing estate developments atFarringdon,Pennywell andGrindon have all passed into the ownership of Gentoo Group (previously 'Sunderland Housing Group'), a private company and aRegistered Social Landlord.
The Port of Sunderland, owned by the city council, has been allocated for medium-term redevelopment with a focus on mixed-use industry.[124]
Sunderland City Council's Unitary Development Plan (UDP) outlines a number of sites around the city for regeneration.[125] The plans are supported bySunderland Arc, an urban regeneration company funded by the City council,One NorthEast (defunct) and theHomes and Communities Agency.
Sunniside
The former General Post Office building on Sunniside Gardens in 2019
In 2004, redevelopment work began in the Sunniside area in the east-end of the city centre, including amultiplex cinema, amulti-storey car park, restaurants, acasino andtenpin bowling. Originally the River Quarter, the site was renamed Limelight in 2005, and renamed in 2008, when it became Sunniside Leisure. 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.[126]
Vaux development and Keel Square
Keel Square in 2017
Following the closure of theVaux brewery in 1999, a 26-acre (11-hectare)brownfield site lay dormant in the centre of Sunderland. The land was subject to dispute between supermarket chainTesco, who bought the site in 2001, and Sunderland arc, who submitted plans for its redevelopment in 2002.[127] 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 originally hoped to begin development in 2010.[127] Arc's plans for the site were approved by the Secretary of State in 2007, and included extensive office space,hotels, leisure and retail units, residential apartments and a new £50 mCrown andMagistrates' court, along with a central public arcade located under an expansive glass canopy. It was hoped an "evening economy" could be encouraged, to complement the city's nightlife.[128] In 2013 in the area opposite the Vaux site, Sunderland City Council announced theKeel Square project, a new public space designed to commemorate Sunderand's maritime heritage, which was completed in May 2015.[129] Construction commenced in 2014.
Stadium Village
Sunderland A.F.C. has been a major symbol of the area and a contributor to the local economy since the late 19th century. The club was one of the most successful and best supported clubs in the English game during this era, with its home atRoker Park holding more than 70,000 spectators at its peak. However, theFA Cup triumph of 1973 would prove to be the club's only postwar major trophy to date, and after its relegation in 1958 the club frequently bounced between the top two divisions of English football, and in 1987 and again in 2018 suffered relegation to the third tier of English football. The club played at Roker Park for 99 years until the completion of the newStadium of Light atMonkwearmouth on the banks of theRiver Wear in 1997. The new stadium seated more than 42,000 on its completion, and has since been expanded to hold some 49,000 spectators. Sunderland's relatively high attendances have been a major boost to the local economy – averaging at more than 30,000 even during the club's most recent spell in the third tier of English football.
Redevelopment of the Monkwearmouth Colliery site, which sits on the north bank of the river Wear opposite the Vaux site, began in the mid-1990s with the creation of theStadium of Light. In 2008 theSunderland Aquatic Centre opened adjacent to the Stadium of Light, containing the onlyOlympic-size swimming pool betweenLeeds andEdinburgh.[citation needed] The Sheepfolds industrial estate occupies a large area of land between the Stadium and theWearmouth Bridge.Sunderland Arc were in the process of purchasing land in the Sheepfolds, with a view to relocate the businesses and redevelop the site. The emphasis of development plans included further sporting facilities, in order to create aSports Village. Other plans included a hotel, residential accommodation, and afootbridge linking the site with the Vaux development.[130]
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 was the creation of a new bridge, theNorthern Spire Bridge, which links theA1231 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-metre (590 ft) iconiccable-stayed bridge, which would result in a temporary increase incouncil tax, or a simplebox structure which would be within the council's budget.[131] The results of the consultation were inconclusive, with residents keen to have an iconic bridge, but reluctant to have a subsequent increase in tax to fund it.[132] Regardless of the ultimate design of the new bridge, the landing point will be the former Grove Cranes site inPallion. Plans for this site focus around the creation of a new residential area, with homes, community buildings, commercial and retail space.[133]
A group of boys who worked on the construction of a Standard ship at a yard in Sunderland during the First World WarA ship (Radiant II) launched into the River Wear byAustin & Pickersgill, 29 March 1961
Once hailed as the "Largest Shipbuilding Town in the World",[134] ships were built on the Wear from at least 1346[135] onwards and by the mid-18th century Sunderland was one of the chief shipbuilding towns in the country.Sunderland Docks was the home of operations for theshipbuilding industry onWearside. 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 byRobert Stephenson.[136] One famous vessel was theTorrens, the clipper in whichJoseph Conrad sailed,[137] and on which he began his first novel.[138] She was one of the most famous ships of her time[139] and can claim to be the finest ship ever launched from a Sunderland yard.[citation needed]
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.[140] Competition from overseas caused a downturn in demand for Sunderland built ships toward the end of the 20th century. The last shipyard in Sunderland closed on 7 December 1988.[141]
Sunderland, part of the Durham coalfield, has a coal-mining heritage that dates back centuries. At its peak in 1923, 170,000 miners were employed in County Durham alone,[142] as labourers from all over Britain, including many fromScotland andIreland, entered the region. As demand for coal slipped followingWorld War II, mines began to close across the region, causing mass unemployment. The lastcoal mine closed in 1994.[143] The site of the last coal mine,Wearmouth Colliery, is now occupied by theStadium of Light, and a miner'sDavy lamp monument stands outside of the ground to honour the site's mining heritage. Documentation relating to the region's coalmining heritage are stored at theNorth East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre (NEEMARC).
TheLiebherr crane factory is the last remaining heavy industry on the River Wear in Sunderland.
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 31 March 2007[144] and in January 2007, thePyrex manufacturing site also closed,[145] bringing to an end commercial glass-making in the city. However, there has been a modest rejuvenation with the opening of theNational 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.
In 1855,John Candlish opened a bottleworks, producing glass bottles, with 6 sites at nearbySeaham and at Diamond Hall, Sunderland.
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 BritishBrewing industry, however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999.[146] Vaux in Sunderland andWards inSheffield 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 byWhitbread PLC in the autumn of 2000.[147] It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area.
Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969, becoming theUniversity of Sunderland in 1992.[148] The institution currently has over 17,000 students.[149] 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.[150] The University of Sunderland was named the top university in England for providing the best student experience byThe Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) in 2006. Since 2001 Sunderland has been named the best new university in England byThe Guardian and Government performance indicators showed Sunderland as the best new university in England for the quality, range and quantity of its research.[151]
Sunderland College is afurther education establishment with campuses located at the Bede centre onDurham Road, 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.[152] St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the university, opened in September 2008.[153] The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College.[154]
There are eighteensecondary schools in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. According to exam results, the most successful wasSt Robert of Newminster Catholic School, a coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Washington.[155] However, comprehensive schools also thrive, notably the Roman Catholic single-sex schoolsSt Anthony's (for girls) andSt Aidan's (for boys). Both continue to attain high exam results.
There are seventy-sixprimary schools in Sunderland. According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, inDoxford Park.[156]
In March 2014, Metro owner Nexus proposed an extension of the network by an 'on-street' tram link which would connect north toSouth Shields and Doxford Park to the west.[163]
TheA690Durham Road terminates in the city centre and runs toCrook, County Durham, via the city of Durham.
TheA1231 (Sunderland Highway) begins in the city centre, crosses theNorthern Spire Bridge and runs west throughWashington to theA1. From the north end of the Northern Spire Bridge to the A19 is a 50mph limit. From the A19 to the A1 isnational speed limit.
TheA1018 andA183 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 becomesChester Road and heads west out of the city to the A1 atChester-le-Street.[citation needed] In Autumn 2007, theSouthern Radial Route was opened. This is a bypass of the A1018 through Grangetown and Ryhope – a stretch that commonly suffered fromcongestion, especially duringrush hour. The bypass starts just south of Ryhope and runs parallel to the cliff tops into Hendon, largely avoiding residential areas.[citation needed]
The Sunderland strategic transport corridor project is an ongoing investment to the city's road infrastructure. The scheme improves transport links around the city, ensuring continuous dual carriageway between the A19 road and the port of Sunderland, as well as theNorthern Spire bridge built over the Wear between Pallion (south) and Castletown (north).
There are a number of cycle routes that run through and around Sunderland. TheNational Cycle Network 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-distancecycle 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.
The Red Arrows display team perform at the 2009 Sunderland International Airshow
Newcastle Airport is a 55-minute Metro ride from Sunderland city centre; there is a Metro train connecting with the airport every 12–15minutes in both directions until about 11pm, Monday-Sunday.
The Port of Sunderland is the second largest municipally owned port in the United Kingdom.[165] The port offers a total of 17 quays,[166] which handle cargoes including forest products, non-ferrous metals, steel, aggregates and refined oil products, limestone, chemicals and maritime cranes.[165] It also handles offshore supply vessels and has ship repair anddrydocking facilities.
The river berths are deepwater andtidal, while the South Docks are entered via a lock with an 18.9-metre (62 ft) beam restriction.[167]
The dialect of Sunderland is known asMackem, and contains a large amount of vocabulary and distinctive words and pronunciations not used in other parts of the United Kingdom. The Mackem dialect has much of its origins in the language spoken by theAnglo-Saxon population. Although the accent has much in common withGeordie, the dialect spoken in Newcastle, there are some distinctive differences.
A few Sunderland dialect words:
Nee – No
Bosh – Problem
Marra – Mate
Ha'way – Come on (Not to be confused with Geordie's Howay)
Knack – Hurt
Git – Very (Used to emphasize something so 'very good' becomes 'git good')
Notable attractions for visitors to Sunderland include the 14th centuryHylton Castle and the beaches ofRoker andSeaburn. TheNational Glass Centre opened in 1998, reflecting Sunderland's distinguished history of glass-making.[168]
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, on Borough Road, was the first municipally funded museum in the country outside London.[68] It houses a comprehensive collection of the locally producedSunderland Lustreware pottery. The City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, housed the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art until the library was closed in January 2017. The library service was relocated to the Museum and Winter Gardens and the Gallery for Contemporary Art transferred to Sunderland University.[169]
Every year the city hosts a largeRemembrance Day memorial service, the largest in the UK outsideLondon in 2006.[170]
Sunderland celebrates an annual Restaurant week, where city centre restaurants provide some of the best plates at low costs.[171]
Lewis Carroll was a frequent visitor to the area. He wrote most ofJabberwocky atWhitburn as well as "The Walrus and the Carpenter".[172] 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.[173] 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 inBryan Talbot's 2007 graphic novelAlice in Sunderland.[174] More recently, Sunderland-bornTerry Deary, writer of the series ofHorrible Histories books, has achieved fame and success, and many others such as thriller writerSheila Quigley, are following his lead.[175]
The Salford-born painterL. S. Lowry was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland.[176] Many of his paintings of seascapes and shipbuilding are based on Wearside scenes. TheNorthern Gallery for Contemporary Art on Fawcett Street andSunderland Museum and Winter Gardens showcase exhibitions and installations from up-and-coming and established artists alike, with the latter holding an extensive collection of Lowry. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures.
Sunderland's inaugural film festival took place in December 2003 at the Bonded Warehouse building 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 re-showings of acclaimed works, such asAlan Bleasdale'sThe Monocled Mutineer, accompanied by analysis.[178] 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.
In March 2024, Crown Works Studios[179] was given government backing to pave the way to create thousands of jobs across the north-east of England. The development forms part of a major regeneration scheme taking place in Wearside. Planning firm Lichfields said the studios would put the North East "on the map" as an international centre for broadcast and film production. Main financial backers for the Crown Works Studios includeFulwell Entertainment and the United Kingdom government.Cain International initially invested in the project but withdrew from it in June 2025.[180]
In January 2025, Sunderland Music City[181] announced that its bid to join the Music Cities Network has been successful, with Sunderland now a fully fledged member of the global collective.[182] The accreditation will make Sunderland only the second city in the UK to join the network, following in the footsteps of Manchester. The Music Cities Network,[183] established in 2016, connects cities worldwide to promote the music industry's growth, economic development, and cultural exchange. Internationally, Sunderland now sits alongside legendary music spots like Sydney and Berlin. Sunderland's place among the roster of international Music Cities is an acknowledgement of Wearside's amazing musical heritage and marks the ongoing commitment to nurturing the city's dynamic music scene and fostering a robust creative economy in the area. Inclusion in the network gives members access to collaborative opportunities, resources, and advocacy that will help the city build on its music ecosystem and support cultural, social, and economic development.
In 2013, local band Frankie and The Heartstrings opened a temporary pop up record store in the city, Pop Recs Ltd.[184] Initially only intended to remain open for a fortnight, the store remains open and has hosted live performances from acts includingthe Cribs,the Vaccines andthe Charlatans.
Sunderland has also hosted a free International Festival of Kites,[189] Music and Dance, which attracted kite-makers from around the world to Northumbria Playing Fields, Washington.
TheSunderland Empire Theatre opened in 1907 on High Street West in the city centre. It is the largest theatre in betweenEdinburgh andManchester,[citation needed][190] and completed a comprehensive refurbishment in 2004. Operated by international entertainment groupLive Nation, the Empire is the only theatre betweenGlasgow andLeeds with sufficient capacity to accommodate largeWest End productions.[191] It is where British comic actorSid James died of a heart attack whilst on stage in 1976.[192]
The Bunker is the only venue in Sunderland where you can rehearse, record, learn and perform, all in one location. Born as a youth project in 1980, finally settling in its current home in 1983,[193] new music talent can practice and perform in the same building that has hosted gigs byThe Clash,Bjork,Chumbawamba andBilly Bragg. The Bunker has a history synonymous with the development of music making in the North East.
Independent is popular grass roots music venue in Sunderland, nurturing young talent, supporting bands and giving people a stage to play their first ever show. Open since the early 2000s it has played host to not only a range of up-and coming talent, but acts such asThe Zutons,Jamie T,Klaxons as well as local heroes such asThe Futureheads andField Music.
The Fire Station is a live music and performance auditorium that complements its Edwardian neighbour, the Empire Theatre. It is operated by Sunderland Culture. In 2017 the Sunderland MAC Trust restored Sunderland's 1908 Central Fire Station, vacant since 1992, and converted it into a cultural hub with dance and literacy studios, teaching rooms and a bar/restaurant. The Fire Station auditorium is a 500 seat/800 standing venue attached to the restored building which opened in December 2021.
The Royalty Theatre onChester Road is the home to the amateur Royalty Theatre Group who also put on a number of low-budget productions throughout the year. Film producerDavid Parfitt belonged to this company and is now a patron of the theatre.[194]
TheSunniside area plays host to a number of smaller theatrical workshops and production houses.
Sunderland AFC's longest stadium occupancy so far was ofRoker 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.
Sunderland has a vibrant combat sports community with a number of active clubs such as Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club, Lambton Street ABC and Roker Rough House.
Sunderland Aquatic Centre, located next to the Stadium of Light, holds the only Olympic-sized swimming pool in North-East England.
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 betweenLeeds andEdinburgh and has six diving boards, which stand at 1 m, 3 m and 5 m.[201]
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 boxersDavid Dolan, Stuart Kennedy andTony Jeffries. The latter became Sunderland's first Olympic medallist when he won abronze medal in the light heavyweight boxing category forGreat Britain and Northern Ireland at the2008 Beijing Olympic Games.[citation needed]
In 2023, the British leg of the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series was hosted in Sunderland, bringing elite swim, bike, run to Sunderland. The beach front atRoker welcomed the triathletes from around the world as well as thousands of amateur participants over the weekend of 29–30 July 2023 for a festival of swim, bike, and run.[202]
Sunderland Harriers Athletics Club based at Silksworth Sports Complex. 800 m runner Gavin Massingham represented the club at the AAA Championships in 2005.
The first Sunderland city 10 km was held in 2011, with just over 1500 taking part. By 2021 the Sunderland City Runs welcomed 4000 participants to the city streets in a celebration of running across a range of distances. Entrants can choose the flat and fast 10K, a spring Half-Marathon, or the Active Sunderland Big 3K.
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 medallistsSonia O'Sullivan of theRepublic of Ireland andGete Wami ofEthiopia, 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 was relaunched as theGreat North 10K Run, allowing male competitors to take part for the first time, on 12 July.[203]
Sunderland is the only non-capital city that is twinned with Washington, D.C., as it includes the town ofWashington, the ancestral home of George Washington's family.[208]
^Burnett, James (1830).The history of the town and port of Sunderland, and the parishes of Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth. Sunderland: J. S. Burnett. p. 44.
^abDavis, Ralph (2012).The Rise of the English Shipping Industry in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 62.
^The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Micropaedia. 1983.
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