For the first time, this in-depth study explores the history behind the construction of the famous 'Sunderland cottages'.

Sunderland is largely a product of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when coalmining and shipbuilding fuelled rapid expansion and development. Once known as the ‘largest shipbuilding town in the world’, Sunderland’s proud and distinctive identity is embodied in its historic buildings and in its changing urban form.The Architecture of Sunderland, 1700-1914 examines the city’s architectural history during the highpoint of its growth and prosperity. Exploring the cityscape from the richest to the humblest buildings, it brings to life the economic, social and cultural forces that have shaped the city. The text is illustrated with fascinating archival images and photographs taken especially for this volume.

Explore the secret history of Sunderland through a fascinating selection of stories, facts and photographs.

The premier monument is Durham Cathedral, greatest of English Norman churches. Lovers of the Middle Ages will also seek out the county's exceptional Anglo-Saxon churches, while many of its great castles - Brancepeth, Raby, Auckland, Lambton - conceal palatial Georgian and Victorian interiors. The landscape varies dramatically, from the wilds of Teesdale and Weardale, in the west, to the pioneering industrial ports of Sunderland and Hartlepool on the coast, including fine gentry houses and stone-built market towns. South Tyneside and northern Cleveland, historically part of County Durham, are also covered.