Monkwearmouth

Monkwearmouth

St Peter's Church
Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth shown within Tyne and Wear
OS grid reference NZ350549
Metropolitan borough
Metropolitan county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SUNDERLAND
Postcode district SR5, SR6
Dialling code 0191
Police Northumbria
Fire Tyne and Wear
Ambulance North East
EU Parliament North East England
UK Parliament

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, founded in 674 as part of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, and was once the main centre of Wearside shipbuilding and coalmining in the town. It is now host to a campus of the University of Sunderland and the National Glass Centre. It is served by the three Church of England churches of the Parish of Monkwearmouth.

The locals of the area were called "Barbary Coasters". The borough stretches from Wearmouth Bridge to the harbour mouth on the north side of the river and is one of the oldest parts of Sunderland.

The former railway station, closed in 1968 by the Beeching Axe, is now the Monkwearmouth Station Museum and features a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period. Since 2002 Monkwearmouth has once again been served by rail transport, this time via St. Peter's Tyne and Wear Metro station a few hundred yards south of the old station.

The area is also the home of the Stadium of Light, which was opened on the site of the abandoned Wearmouth Colliery in July 1997, and is the home of the football club Sunderland A.F.C., who had previously played at Roker Park.

Wearmouth Colliery was closed in December 1993, and had been in operation for over 100 years.

Monkwearmouth Academy is not located in Monkwearmouth but is instead located in the suburb of Seaburn Dene, having relocated from Swan Street in Monkwearmouth in the year 1962. Alumni include author Terry Deary, politician Hilary Armstrong, actress Melanie Hill, philosopher Alan Brian Carter, Paralympic yachtsman John Robertson, footballer Martin Smith, and local author Keith Wilkinson.

The school hosts the annual Technology Days every June. All the primary schools in the catchment area send their Year 6 students to participate in a "robot wars" type challenge. They are mentored by Year 8 and 9 students as part of the transition process.


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