Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area
Bishopwearmouth was a former village which now forms part of the west side of Sunderland City Centre. The Conservation Area (CA) runs from St Michaels Way A1231 dual carriageway, north to include The Sunderland Empire, south towards Park Lane Interchange. The clusters of pubs in the above map shows the CA coverage. There is a mixture of pubs, clubs and sports/wine bars. However, only five of those shown serve real ale. Some pubs featured in a Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail elsewhere on this website.. They are The Dun Cow, Fitzgeralds, Greens and The Peacock – Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail – Heritage Pubs of Sunderland & South Tyneside (camra.org.uk)
(Borough, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience)
Located on the corner of Park Lane and Vine Place The Borough is a former real ale pub and featured in a local real guide of 1988 Click on this link and go to Documents and Downloads
Chaplins, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
Chaplins is a regular in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide with a selection of up to seven handpulls including a real cider. There is a fuller description in the link above. This pub has also featured in the same 1988 booklet as The Borough ( see link above )
Cooper Rose, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience.
As well as information about this real ale pub in the link above , Wetherspoons have a detailed online history of the pub, including the reason for it’s name and about the many pictures that are dotted around the building. The Cooper Rose – J D Wetherspoon The pub is is unique in the City Centre as having a roof garden
Dun Cow, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
The Dun Cow is a Grade II Blue Plaque building next to The Sunderland Empire. There is a plaque on the outside wall describing it’s significance (below). Real ale is available. There is more in the Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail
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Engine Room, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
The Engine Room is a real ale venue and is co located with The Firestation performance venue. There is a blue plaque on the outside wall between the two.
Fitzgeralds, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
Fitzgeralds, also known as Fitzys, has featured in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for over 30 years. This grade II pub was previously known as Greensleeves. See also The Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail.
Greens, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
Greens is a Grade II listed building and also appears in the Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail
Peacock, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
The blue plaque above gives the history of The Peacock. There is more in the Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail.
Vesta Tilleys Pub & Sports Bar, Sunderland – CAMRA Experience
Vesta Tilleys is opposite the Sunderland Empire and it took its name from a music hall star who used to perform there. It sold real ale from 2014 – 2021
The Dray and Horses Sculpture ( C on the map ) can be found in Keel Square. This also features in the Sunderland Heritage Pubs Trail
The remaining eleven pubs are either wine bars/ cocktail bars/ sports bars or a combination of all three. Two of the eleven are clubs. Two on the list are closed and one has yet to open. They are ( with map references) :-
1 Bobby’s Bar
9 Gunners Club
10 Halo Bar
11 Hidden
12 M.O.D ( to open)
13 Mortal Hound (closed)
14 No 2 Church Lane (closed)
16 Saba Maison de Luxe
17 Street Bar
18 Sunderland National Reserve Club
19 Terrace
20 Ttonic
Finally, Bishopwearmouth is the birthplace of Joseph Swan, the inventor of the incandescent light bulb. He was remembered at the Sunderland & South Tyneside Beer Festival in 2014, appearing on the back of volunteer T Shirts
More information
Bishopwearmouth Conservation Area
Sunderland City Real Ale Guide
Thanks to Terry Ford and Ron Lawson ( Sunderland Antiquarian Society)
Compiled by Ken Paul, who took the uncredited photos June 24