Monkwearmouth

Coordinates: 54°54′53″N 1°22′57″W / 54.9146°N 1.3825°W / 54.9146; -1.3825

Monkwearmouth
Monkwearmouth  Monkwearmouth shown within Tyne and Wear
OS grid reference	NZ350549
Metropolitan borough	City of Sunderland
Metropolitan county	Tyne and Wear
Region	North East
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	Sunderland North
List of places: UK • England • Tyne and Wear

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 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 Secondary School and Specialist Arts College is located in the suburb of Seaburn Dene. Alumni include the 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 & 9 students as part of the transition process. The schools involved in the 2009 event were: Seaburn Dene, Fulwell, Redby, Dame Dorothy, Grange Park, Newbottle and Blackfell. A link to view a video can be found at:[1]