Bishopwearmouth, Civil War camp

HER Number:
24

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Bishopwearmouth, Civil War camp

Place:
Bishopwearmouth

Map Sheet:
NZ35NE

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:
Military Camp

Site Type: Specific:
Temporary Camp

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C17

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
In March 1644 the Scottish army established a temporary camp on the open ground between Sunderland and Bishopwearmouth. According to Summers it had originally straddled High Street, but by 1795, when the ground was levelled for building, was visible largely only in West Pann Field, between Pann lane (NZ 396 573) and the Rectory Park (NZ 392 570). "Two trenches and mounds of earth called the 'big dyke' and 'little dyke', then partially existed", running between 235 High Street and the north end of Lambton Street, and then to 125 High Street. There is reference in 1675 to "the Forts", and a cannon ball was found in 1815 on the site of 223 High Street.

Easting:
396

Northing:
571

Grid Reference:
NZ396571

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 24 >> Burnett, 1830, Sunderland, pp. 17-18 J.W. Summers, 1858, History of Sunderland, pp. 412-414n E. Mackenzie and M.Ross, 1834, A Historical View...of Durham, Vol. I, p. 263n W.C. Mitchell, 1919, History of Sunderland, p. 58