Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Seaside city Sunderland sits 10 miles south-east of Newcastle, just beneath Gateshead on the rugged north eastern coastline. Historically it was a port trading coal and salt, but over the years this industrial heritage has developed, and the area has grown into a hub for industry, science and technology.
Famous attractions and landmarks include the National Glass Centre, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Mowbray Park, St Peter’s Church, Fulwell Mill, Monkwearmouth Station Museum and Ryhope Engines Museum. It is also well known for its lighthouses – Souter Lighthouse and Roker Lighthouse, built in its industrial heyday to protect ships from the treacherous Whitburn rocks.
In the city centre The Bridges Shopping Centre complex is the place to go for high street stores and local shops. Various bars and restaurants are present throughout the heart of the city and on the waterfront, serving up tasty cuisine from around the world.
The Tyne and Wear Green Belt protects much of the surrounding countryside on the outskirts of Sunderland, which has ensured that stunning rural features and landmarks such as Herrington Country Park, the River Don and Wear basins and Houghton Quarry will be preserved for years to come. Beaches include Whitburn beach and Hendon.
Sunderland is almost directly between Edinburgh and Manchester – just over 100 miles each way. It can be reached by car via motorway networks but is probably best accessed via train. It is also served by the Tyne and Wear Metro, a light rail system linking main towns and cities in the area.