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.

BEYOND PHILADELPHIA

 Leaving Chester-le-Street behind, we fly past Lumley Castle.

At the nearby Lambton Lion Park, we find no lions, but this ex Southdown Leyland was used within the park's confines.

This old Jowett van was photographed on the A183 as it passed through Bournmoor.

Station Avenue, Fenchouses.

Fencehouses signal box, on the Leamside line, survived in use in 1990.

On the Broadway, at Houghton-le-Spring, one could once find Sunderland District trams.

In 1978, United served Houghton-le-Spring bus station, with this ex East Midland Leyland Leopard.

Northern General also ran into Houghton-le-Spring.

Houghton-le-Spring is now home to Maxim Brewery.

The area around Philadelphia, to the north of Houghton-le-Spring, was once riddled with industrial railways. This battery-electric loco was used for shunting at the Philadelphia Power Station (closed 1936).

The Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries ran the rail systems, including that to Dorothea Colliery.

The LHJC later passed to the National Coal Board, who kept a large loco facility at Philadelphia.

Some lovely old signals controlled movements here.

In later years the NCB employed ex BR shunters on the old LHJC system.

The main depot of Sunderland District was at Philadelphia (Photo in my collection, photographer unknown).

By the 1970s, the Sunderland District name was vanishing, to be replaced by "Northern".

Northern General 5076 photographed outside Philadelphia depot.

Not far away, Herrington Burn.

The Leamside line of the NER crossed the Wear Valley near Penshaw. This view was from a southbound diverted ECML express.

From anywhere around here, there are views of Penshaw Monument.

Soon we come to South Hylton station, built by the NER.

Today, South Hylton is a terminus of the Tyne & Wear Metro.

South Hylton was onced served by WH Jolly, who had a depot in the village.

There was once a ferry from South Hylton, over the Wear, to North Hylton.

Today, there's a new bridge (Paul Scott - Creative Commons License).

We end today's travels at the Shipwrights Arms, North Hylton. Sadly, no real ale.

The next post will find us in Sunderland. Follow our route here.