A RETURN TO THE BEACH

First stop of this post is Hylton Castle, seen on an old postcard. 

To the east is the Sunderland suburb of Southwick, where the Tram Car Inn stands. It's a listed building, but has no real ale.

A Dennis Dart of Go Ahead Northern is seen on the streets of Southwick.

As we approach the sea, we find Sunderland Corporation's Fulwell depot.

Later, Fulwell was used by Tyne & Wear PTE.

Here's an ex South Shields Daimler used as a training bus at Fulwell depot.

The PTE's rare Willowbrook bodied Atlanteans were stabled at Fulwell.

T&WPTE 389 is seen in Fulwell, heading for Seaburn......

......and that's where we are going, to meet the North Sea.

Facing the sea is a pub, the Promenade.

A feature of a sea front hotel in Seaburn were these old Pullman railway carriages.

In 1934, Sunderland Corporation was running 'toastrack' buses for beachgoers in Seaburn.

In the early 21st Century, Classic Buses had a route along Seaburn sea front.

In 2001, a bus rally was held in Seaburn and Haslingden no. 2 attended.

Just inland, but still in Seaburn, T&WPTE no. 1945 was found on service.

Dawn over the mouth of the Wear, seen from Roker Beach.

Roker in 1880.

Roker Promenade, an old postcard view.

A modern view of Roker Promenade (Peter M - Creative Commons License).

The Holey Rock, Roker.

August Bank Holiday Fun Fair in the Block Yard at Roker,1930s.

A Sunderland tram at Roker Terrace.

County Durham residents often had a day trip to Roker Beach by coach.

Refreshments coud be provided by the Wolsey pub, but no real ale these days.

However, the Harbour View, has some decent ales. Here it is before and after rebuilding.

Leaving Roker behind, our next stop is above the banks of the Wear, at Brewlab's (and Darwin then, 2013, but they've since moved) Brewery.

Not far away, on the north side of the Wear, is the old Monkwearmouth station, now a musem.

Outside, an old NER signal.

Before Monkwearmouth Bridges were built, there was a ferry across the Wear to Sunderland itself.

Here is a postcard of Monkwearmouth Bridges.

The view of the Wear around 1910.

And here's the Wear in 2009.

Next time, we'll be taking a look at the central area of Sunderland.