Opening Times:

Summer Months (1st April until 31st October): Daily 10:00am – 5:00pm
Winter Months (1st November until 31st March): Daily 10:00am – Dusk

Admission Prices:

Adults: £4
Children (5 – 16): £2
Concessions : £2.00
Family ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children) : £10.00
Under 5′s free

Sunderland has plenty of cheap accommodation around, post a message on our forum or contact the uni directly as they can often recommend somewhere safe, clean and nearby.

Bursaries
All full-time undergraduates will receive a bursary worth £1,000 over three years, subject to academic progress. Those receiving a maintenance grant should qualify for an extra £500 a year. Full-time foundation degree and HND students will receive a further scholarship of £500. Other financial support available.

The Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, next to the River Wear, has seen an investment of over £50m in recent years, and an ambitious redevelopment programme began last year at the City Campus.

The university’s new Media Centre, based at the riverside campus, provides the latest teaching, research and commercial facilities for subjects ranging from video and new media production, to TV, radio and film.

Sunderland’s award-winning student radio station, Utopia FM, currently broadcasts online, and twice a year on air. It has put in a bid to Ofcom to become the first radio station in the city specifically aimed at a younger audience.

The University was announced as the ‘Best English University for student experience’ by the Times Higher Education Supplement.

DO NOT use this form for any queries regarding Sunderland Council or Sunderland Tourist Information. Please contact them direct via www.sunderland.gov.uk

WE ARE NOT RUN BY SUNDERLAND COUNCIL – THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT WEBSITE.

Please note: As a security feature you must enter the code exactly as it appears in the box below or your email will not send. Alternatively you may email us using: info@destinationsunderland.co.uk

Strengthens your competitive edge – Adverts highlight the key information about your products, services, offers and promotions.

Generates quality business leads – your advert helps you stand out from the competition and helps potential customers contact the exact business they are looking for.

Supports your business promotions – update your advert for free at any time.

Free maps and directions, a mobile phone text link and an optional e-mail and website link give potential customers more ways to find and contact you.

Value for money – just one simple payment for continuous exposure in the area of your choice for a year, starting at £300.

Accommodation owners will also receive a premier listing within our accommodation section, as well as an advert on every single page of the website.

Restaurant owners will also receive a premier listing within our Restaurant section, as well as an advert on every single page of the website.

Attraction owners will also receive a premier listing within our Things to Do section, as well as an advert on every single page of the website.

All design work is included or we can work with you or your marketing team to design a custom banner advert.

Your advert will run on the ENTIRE website for 12 MONTHS.

Our Customers include: Money Supermarket, Go Compare, Jennings Ford, Gravells Kia, Viking Kia, Middleton Grange, Sector1.net and many, many more.

Our sites attract over a million visitors every month.

If you would like to go ahead, you can buy online using the subscribe button below or send us a cheque using the buy offline option below. If you require any further information, please contact us.

The paper was founded by Samuel Storey, who also founded Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers which became Northeast Press in 1999. The plant that printed the Echo was originally in the centre of Sunderland, but it moved to Pennywell in 1976, this newer plant was equipped with more up-to-date technology – such as the ability to print in colour.

Latest sports news, brought to you by The Sunderland Echo:

Sunderland Tourist Information Centre :

Whether you’re after relaxation, invigoration or both, Sunderland’s distinctive mix of city, coast and countryside will definitely be a breath of fresh air.

The city is served by excellent transport links, linking the town with the rest of the UK and Europe.
View Larger Map

By Road
The excellence of the North’s fast road network is enhanced by the lack of major traffic congestion. Motorway standard routes allow quick and stress free travel.

The A66 links with both the A19 and A1(M) to provide easy access from the North and South. With the A1(M) linking with the M6 easy access is available from the West.

From the North West, the A66 offers connections to the M6.

Place Miles Time
Hartlepool 12 20 mins
Newcastle 15 12 mins
Leeds 85 1 hour 30 mins
Hull 115 1 hour 56 mins
London 286 4 hours 56 mins
Dover 332 5 hours 55 mins
Edinburgh 152 2 hours 26 mins
TeesValley Airport 26 20 mins
Newcastle Airport 20 20 mins

* Approximate time to Sunderland calculated according to 45mph for short distances and 55mph for longer journeys.

By Air
Newcastle and Durham TeesValley Airports handling flights from the UK and European airports serve the region. Both have regular flights to Heathrow and Amsterdam for connections to all international routes. For flight information you can contact:

Newcastle International Airport Tel: 0191 214 4444
Durham TeesValley Airport Tel: 01325 332811

By Coach
National Express travel enquiries can be made by calling: Nationalcall – 0990 808080 (calls are answered daily between 0800 – 2200 hours)

By Rail
A fast and regular service runs between the North East and London. London and Edinburgh have direct speed services operating to Darlington and Durham from where you can catch a local connection to Sunderland.

Direct trains operate to Newcastle, Darlington, Stockton and Hartlepool on a regular basis. Trains operate direct to Manchester from Middlesbrough.

24 hour information on train times and fares can be obtained by telephoning 0345 484950 or visiting their website.

Within a 20 mile radius, you have access to some of the best heritage and cultural attractions in the UK. The historic city of Durham with its magnificent 900 year-old cathedral and Norman castle is just 30 minutes away by road.

Sunderland is surrounded by other fantastic towns and cities which are well worth a visit including:

Hartlepool
Stockton
Darlington
Middlesbrough

Several years later and the worm a distant and long forgotten memory John Lambton was a brave knight and crusader and had left England to fight in the Middle East. During his time fighting the tiny worm had began to grow ? it soon grew so big that it used to terrorise the local area feeding off the udders of cows and eating small children whole.

It used to rest at the foot of Penshaw hill, wrapping its tail around the crest, this was where many attempts to slaughter the beast took place. Even after being chopped into many different pieces the worm would join back together and terrorise the area even more!

After hearing of the events and feeling responsible for not catching it earlier John returned home to England. On his way back he consulted a wise witch who told him the only way to kill the beast would be by standing in the middle of the River Wear, wearing a suit of armour coated with blades of steel whilst waiting patiently for the worm to arrive.

The witch also warned him that upon killing the worm, he must then kill the first living thing he set eyes upon otherwise a curse would be placed upon nine generations of the Lambtons so that none would die in their bed.

John, obeying the words of the wise old witch put on the appropriate armor and instructed his father to send one of the family hounds to him, so he could complete the deed in accordance with her wishes and that no person should be needlessly killed. Making his way to the banks of the Wear he stood in the centre of the river, where he didn’t have to wait for long. The worm came darting towards him and proceeded to wrap itself around the armoured knight. After a short struggle the creature was gradually sliced up into many tiny pieces by the steel blades of Lambton’s armour. Bit by bit each piece of the worm was carried away by the current of the river before they had time to rejoin.

At last the worm was dead. The victorious but exhausted Lambton, made his way back to the bank of the river, remembering that he must now kill the first living thing he set eyes upon. As he emerged from the river he looked up with shock and horror to see his excited father, who had evidently forgotten the hound. Lambton could not kill his own father and the Lambtons suffered the curse for the next nine generations. Several of the Lambtons met violent deaths or were struck down with illness but the worm never returned.

For centuries Sunderland was only a part of Wearmouth and although the name Sunderland was commonly used for the whole area, it was not until 1719 that Sunderland itself achieved the status of a separate parish. In 1897 roles were finally reversed and Monkwearmouth officially became part of the town of Sunderland.

All that remains of the monastery today is one of the most historic churches in England – the Anglo-Saxon church of St Peter. Benedic had great ambitions for his monastery at Wearmouth and brought in masons and glaziers from France and even employed an Archchanter, from St Peter’s cathedral in Rome.

Sadly the Anglo-Saxon life of St Peters Monkwearmouth was brought to an end in the ninth century by Viking raids when it was sacked by the Danish pirates Hubba and Hingmar. Fortunately the Monkwearmouth church was re-established in Norman times when they became monastic cells of the great cathedral of Durham.

Nearby, the City of Newcastle and its people were not too fond of this as they held a Royal Charter which restricted the shipment of coal from nearby ports including that of Sunderland.

Newcastle was a wealthy and powerful town and during the civil war Newcastle became a Royalist city and the rivalry was now greater than ever.
Sunderland, partly influenced by its large contingent of Scottish traders supported the Parliamentarians under Oliver Cromwell.

In 1642 Sunderland received a garrison of Parliamentarians from Cromwell composed mainly of Scots. Sunderland therefore became a centre for Parliamentarian offensives against Royalist strongholds of North Eastern England like the city of Durham and Newcastle.

Sunderland’s stance in the Civil War only made things even bitterer between them and the Newcastle Royalists.

Prior to the civil war Newcastle was the major supplier of coal to London. If Sunderland had followed Newcastle and supported the Royalist cause, the essential supply of coal to Cromwell’s London would have been virtually cut off.

In fairness to Sunderland, it was perhaps not surprising that its sympathies lay with the Parliamentarians rather than the Royalists, as after all it was a Royal Charter that restricted Sunderland’s trade and gave Newcastle a somewhat unfair advantage in any competition between the two ports.

One result of the Civil War was that Sunderland and its coal port began to rapidly expand while Newcastle, though remaining the major coal port of Britain, had permanently lost its monopolistic hold on the export of local coal.

Today, the biggest rivalries occur when Newcastle play Sunderland at football!

Thomas Menville was recorded in 1346 as building ships here and by 1840 Sunderland had 65 shipyards. By the mid 1900′s the town was responsible for more than a quarter of the UK’s merchant and naval ships for WWII and was the biggest shipbuilding town in the world.

Despite this however the last shipyards were closed in 1988 amid strong opposition from workers and the entire community.

This important ferry crossing was protected by Hylton Castle, one of the most historic buildings in the city. Built in around 1450 by a ‘William De Hylton’ the castle stood in its proud position occupied until the early twentieth century.

Today all that remains of the castle is ruined shell. Some notable features still exist however, including the carved coats of arms of various families including the Hyltons, Lumleys, Greys and Washington’s. The Washington coat of arms consists of two bars and three stars and is believed to have been adapted by George Washington for the `stars and stripes’ flag of the United States.

Hylton Castle is however more famous for its ghostly goings on than for anything else! The ‘Cauld Lad o Hylton’, thought to be a stable boy who was slain by Hylton in the sixteenth century was often seen carrying his head under his arm disturbing the servants.

The boy had been caught sleeping when he should have been working and Hylton, in a fit of rage launched his pitch fork at the boy. The boy was killed instantly.

When the ghost got bored of throwing plates and cups around the kitchen he occasionally popped down to the local ferry where, after impersonating the boatman the ghost would leave all the passengers trapped in the middle of the river!

The pranks of the ghost were finally ended by the servants who gave him a green cloak and hood which were laid before the kitchen fire. The Hylton servants sat up watching until midnight when the ghost appeared took the garments and then suddenly disappeared with the last words:

“Here’s a cloak and here’s a hood, The Cauld Lad o’ Hylton will do no more good”

FRIDAY – SATURDAY – SUNDAY
15TH – 16TH – 17TH APRIL 2011
Open to the public
10 am to 5 pm on Friday and Saturday
10 am to 4 pm on Sunday

Visitor entry charge will be £3, with accompanied under 12 year olds free

The venue for the show is the Seaburn Centre, which is situated on the sea front at Seaburn, Sunderland and permission has been granted by the Sunderland City Council for fly casting and surfcasting demonstrations to be held on the beach just across the road from the venue.  An area of the beach will be closed off  for this purpose.

The North East Angling Show is the first ’All Disciplines’ show in the North East of England.  It seems that, in the past, these kinds of exhibitions were always held in the Midlands or in the South of the Country.  The North East has some of the biggest populations of anglers in all disciplines of fishing than anywhere else in the Country, and this show will hopefully attract visitors who will see what the North East has to offer.

Exhibitors will be travelling from Scotland, Wales, Southern Ireland and the south of England – right up to our local manufacturers and tackle dealers.  Among the exhibitors at the Show will be stands featuring Sea, Game, Coarse, Carp,  small boats and Kayak specialists.  Some of the latest tackle on the market will be on show and some new products will be ‘showcased’.

There will be excellent prizes to be won on some of the stands and there will also be plenty of ‘Show Bargains’ to be bought.

Angling holiday specialists will be on hand to give you all the information you need about fishing in Scotland, Ireland and overseas.

On the beach opposite the venue, members of the North East Surfcasting Association will be giving surfcasting demonstrations.  Anglers can bring their own rods and reels and be shown  how to improve their distance and casting techniques

Game flycasting instruction will be given by some of the North East top casters.  Included among them will be B.B.C. Radio “Howe’s Fishing”  Programme presenter Don Coe.

Some of the top names in angling will be giving talks, advice and demonstrations.

Members of the NET Gain Team will be on hand to give you the latest update on the proposed Marine Conservation Zones.

The R.N.L.I. will be giving advice on safety at sea and what equipment should be carried by boat owners.

The North East Angling Show promises to be one which will  establish itself
in the calendar of angling events for many years to come.

There will be something for all anglers to see – try – and buy   …  so come along and have a great day

The free event takes place at the Northern Area Playing Fields, Washington, from 11am – 5pm.

As well as featuring the popular kite festival, the event plays host to innovative street theatre, exhibitions and international cuisine as well as the colourful sounds of world music.

Kites
Infinite Arts will once again deliver an exciting programme of kites and exhibitions, bringing together kite makers and artists from 14 different countries around the world. A total of 39 international kite fliers have confirmed their attendance and will be travelling from as far as USA, Canada, Tasmania, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, India, Sardinia, Holland and the Netherlands to join the celebration.

There will be demonstrations of world class fliers including Heinrich Hohmann from Germany, Alessia Marrocu from Sardinia, Mike Mosman from USA , Robert Trepanier from Canada and Claude and Jose Comallonga from France.

In addition to this, hundreds of kite fliers from the UK will be making their way to Washington to take part in the event.

At 3pm on Sunday, The Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Dennis Richardson will be assisted by members of the North East Kite Fliers (our local kite group) to launch The Friendship Kite that symbolises worldwide friendship.The festival has been running since 1986.

Music
With music from community groups, emerging young bands and professional musicians in the music marquee, there?s so much to see over the weekend. Performers will include the Davy Lamp Folk Club, Mas Y Mas, Oxclose Music Project, Hot House Dragons and local schools who have performed in this year’s City Sings choral competition.

Family Activities
Sunderland Libraries will be encouraging families to get involved in this year’s summer reading challenge and take part in Read Regional, which is a national campaign to support writers and publishers in the North East.

There’s plenty to keep young people entertained too with children’s activities including creative workshops, reading, poetry and storytelling in each of the Friendship Festival’s 3 tipis. Craft activities will include a KINEX robot construction and an assault course. Poets of all ages will be able to take to the stage to showcase their own work during the festival’s first poetry slamming competition. North East poets Jeff Price, Alfie Crowe and Radio 4′s Katie Fox will be around to inspire amateur poets. Storyteller Tony Wilson and poet Craig Bradley will run poetry and storytelling sessions for children and their families as part of BBC’s poetry season. Spectators of all ages will have the chance to see some of the world?s best kite makers flying their colourful creations.

Visitors can meet a number of authors in the reading marquee and choose books that have been produced by a range of publishers. There will even be a chill out space, where people can relax and read books before they buy.

With its unique blend of entertainment, there’s plenty to get the whole family involved. So come down and help us celebrate friendship around the world at the Sunderland International Friendship Festival!

Saturday 03 Jul 10 – Sunday 04 Jul 10
11am – 5pm

FREE

With up to 25 drivers racing head to head at any time, we can offer Grand Prix races or Team Endurance events to suit your party size. Our purpose built circuit also features flood lights, so you can enjoy racing during evenings all year round.

The climbing wall has an area of 900m2, with future plans taking it up to over 2,500m2! The competition wall overhangs by a massive 8m, with two adjacent 6m overhangs testing the stamina of the most proficient of climbers. There are over 140 routes on the main walls, 90 of which are top-rope routes spread over 32 lines.

The center offers a number of courses from getting you started, to testing the big wall!

As well as induction courses the centre holds a number of clubs for kids up to the age of 13, allowing them experience the fun and excitement of climbing! Kids will learn the necessary rope work and skills to climb safely in a fully supervised environment.

Opening Times:
10am -10pm Monday – Friday
10am – 8pm Saturday and Sunday

The park features the following:

Beginners: 0.9 meter deep bowl

Intermediate: 1.2 metre deep bowl & 1.5 metre deep bowl

Advanced: 1.8 – 2.4 metre deep bowl

The park has been designed with safety in mind and to cater for people of a wide range of wheel sporting ability, from the novice to those with advanced skills.

This wheeled sports park is the main facility of this type in the region and is fully staffed and supervised at all times. Flood lighting contributes to the safety features and ensures the full use of this facility throughout the early dark evenings.

1.00pm – 9.00pm Monday to Friday
10.00am – 5.00pm Saturday to Sunday

Exciting interactive displays and a host of hands-on exhibits tell the story of Sunderland from its prehistoric past through to the present day.
It was established in 1852, the first municipally funded museum in the country outside of London. It contains the only known British example of a gliding reptile, the oldest known vertebrate capable of gliding flight.

The Art Gallery features Victorian masterpieces alongside paintings by L S Lowry and artefacts from all across the globe.

The stunning Winter Gardens stimulates the senses with over 1,500 flowers and plants brought together in a spectacular showcase of the world’s natural beauty.

Admission is free.