It is not known exactly when proposals were first made for a reservoir on Humbledon Hill, but it is recorded that a pumping station and open reservoir were constructed by 1855. It is probable that the Humbledon Hill reservoir was built as a result of increasing demand by the growing town of Sunderland and was part of a rolling scheme of work to improve sewerage and water supply to the town. The Sunderland Times of 27th May 1873 states:- "The summit of Humbledon Hill about 300 feet above the level of the sea, situated about 1 mile west of Bishopwearmouth has been chosen as the site of a high level reservoir for the use of the Sunderland and South Shields Water Company…". There is little information recorded specifically about the reservoir at Humbledon Hill other than it was roofed over in 1949. Photographs recording this are held by the Sunderland Local Studies Centre. The first cartographic evidence of the reservoir occurs on maps of 1896 (the OS 2nd edition) and 1899 (R.S. Roundthwaite's plan of the Borough of Sunderland). The reservoir is surrounded by a stone wall surmounted by a three strand wire fence. The walls range in height depending upon the lay of the land on which they stand, but are generally between 2 and 2.95 metres in height. The western wall of the reservoir compound has a gate approximately 2.5 metres wide at its southern end. The western and eastern walls are approximately 80 metres long and the north wall is approximately 50 metres long. The southern wall backs on to the land attached to private houses. The south wall has a section missing at its junction with the eastern wall. Viewed from the western side the reservoir enclosure has a grassy covered mound running along the inside of the wall for its entire length. This gives the impression that the old covered reservoir is still in position. A similar situation occurs when the reservoir is viewed from the north. Viewed from inside the walls it is obvious the reservoir has been demolished or filled in. A mound of earth, covered by grass and approximately 2 metres high runs from south west to north west about 3 metres inside the wall. This mound then turns north east and runs along inside the north wall. The rest of the reservoir is filled with broken rubble which has been compressed to form a flat surface. The rubble fill seems to be comprised of broken brick and stones with signs of other building materials visible in various places. Much of it is overgrown with grass and weeds. There are no remains of any structures visible and it seems likely that the reservoir tanks have either been filled in or demolished. It is not possible to see whether the reservoir was cut down to the rock head as the fill completely obscures any signs of foundations or other construction {2}.Humbledon Hill pumping station was began in 1846 by The Sunderland Water Company. It was completed in 1852. A new reservoir was built on top of Humbledon Hill in 1873-4 {3}. The engine house at Humbledon survives and is listed grade 2. It used a Cornish type sinking engine probably supplied by R & W Hawthorn of Newcastle. By 1851 two workers cottages had been built, along with a storehouse, blacksmith's shop, boundary walls, entrance gates, cooling ponds and layout of the grounds. The engine probably survived until 1927 by which time the station had been electrified {4}. The earliest surviving pumping station in the area, constructed between 1846 and 1849. Also the most utilitarian of the early Sunderland and South Shields Water Company Stations. Designed for a single cylinder, double-acting non-rotative house engine; the surviving engine house has external buttresses to help support the beam pivot. The station was electrified in 1924 {7}.

Humbledon Hill Quarry.

Quarry, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1856.

Quarry, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1856.

Limestone Quarry.

Sand Pit.

Brown's Patent Ropery. Hendon ropery and rope walks are also marked on the 1sr edition OS mapping.

Rope Walk, next to Wellington Street.

Two Rope Walks within the same field.

Sunderland Station on a short spur of the North Eastern Railway Penshaw Branch, (HER 2659). Opened 1853. Closed 1879 when Central Station (HER 9692) opened.