Sunderland Maritime Heritage

Sunderland Maritime Heritage Our volunteers include those with learning difficulties and dementia, those on the autistic spectrum and the elderly and socially isolated.

Our aim is to preserve the artefacts, documents, pictures and skills of the shipyard workers that contributed to shipbuilding in Sunderland from 1346 until 1988 when the last shipyard closed.
/// hidden.means.ship Our aim is to preserve the artefacts, documents, pictures and skills of the shipyard workers that contributed to shipbuilding in Sunderland from 1346 until 1988 when the last shipyard c

losed. We think this history of shipbuilding and the ships that were built in Sunderland is worth preserving for future generations so that they may know the maritime heritage that their city is built upon. We are manned entirely by unpaid volunteers and offer local volunteers and people returning to the workplace the opportunity to contribute their time in a constructive way. We host visits by school children and provide work placement opportunities for college students. A little bit more about us:

Sunderland Maritime Heritage (SMH)was inaugurated in 2000 primarily to raise awareness of the plight of the City of Adelaide – a clipper ship built at the William Pile Shipyard in Sunderland in 1864 – which at the time was decaying on the Clyde in Irvine, Glasgow and under threat of demolition. The intention of SMH was to save the ship, bring her home to Sunderland and restore her as a visit attraction with the help of local skilled shipbuilders and apprentices. Unfortunately, our bid was unsuccessful and she was taken to Adelaide, Australia where today she is a visitor attraction and still undergoing restoration. Throughout the campaign, however. it became apparent that there was a lack of recognition in Sunderland for its shipbuilding and maritime heritage and as a result SHM broadened its remit to champion the provision of a purpose-built, interactive maritime heritage centre here in Sunderland. SMH’s current premises are a mixture of workshop and presentation space. We are currently a little off the beaten track, but are a gem of a find! We enjoy welcoming our visitors and chatting with them. No matter what the time of year, our workshop always feels a tad chilly, but we do now have a newly built warm area with seating and WIFI access where you can chat to our volunteers. They might even make you a cuppa! Our dream would be a riverside location much more accessible to our visitors where our wooden boats could be in the river and accessible to all.

Tickets available from our SR1 premises - they’re selling fast! all proceeds benefit SMH! ⚓️
22/02/2026

Tickets available from our SR1 premises - they’re selling fast! all proceeds benefit SMH! ⚓️

Latest donation of a meccano model of the iconic SD14. Danny Bell was a sea going engineer who sadly passed away. There ...
18/02/2026

Latest donation of a meccano model of the iconic SD14. Danny Bell was a sea going engineer who sadly passed away. There are other models on display in our visitors centre including a working crane & the paddle tug Embelton Castle. ⚓️

Wearmouth’s £700 stem post taking shape thanks to Martin, George and the two Peter’s. Takes a lot of time effort & skill...
10/12/2025

Wearmouth’s £700 stem post taking shape thanks to Martin, George and the two Peter’s. Takes a lot of time effort & skill to manufacture such a vital piece of the ships structure not to mention the pressure involved when considering the timber cost! Well done Lads, great job ⚓️

Thanks to corporate volunteers Ash and Gemma from Clearly Drinks for filling in the cracks in the concrete floor. They’r...
26/11/2025

Thanks to corporate volunteers Ash and Gemma from Clearly Drinks for filling in the cracks in the concrete floor. They’re qualified builders now & welcome back anytime ⚓️

Many thanks to corporate volunteers Jeff, Jo, Lewis, Jake, Tilly and Jess from Clearly Drinks for their great work in he...
22/10/2025

Many thanks to corporate volunteers Jeff, Jo, Lewis, Jake, Tilly and Jess from Clearly Drinks for their great work in helping us with the workshop. They tidied the timber rack, moved cupboards, fixed conduit brackets and painted the outside of the new stairwell. Great help ⚓️

17/10/2025

Nice trip out on Willdora today, the weather was good & the sea state calm - happy days ⚓️

The ship’s console on Wearmouth is coming along. The gear selector/throttle on the left was recently refurbished by two ...
15/10/2025

The ship’s console on Wearmouth is coming along. The gear selector/throttle on the left was recently refurbished by two of our engineers, those few words don’t do justice to the work involved with this 40-year old chain driven masterpiece. The hole to be filled is for the compass ⚓️

This is George digging a channel in concrete to hide cabling in the newly refurbished workshop. He needed a rest and a c...
30/09/2025

This is George digging a channel in concrete to hide cabling in the newly refurbished workshop. He needed a rest and a cuppa after he’d been “giving it six nowt” apparently…. canny lad our George ⚓️

The lads have been very busy getting the new workshop area sorted. Still a way to go with more insulation needed in the ...
15/09/2025

The lads have been very busy getting the new workshop area sorted. Still a way to go with more insulation needed in the roof and a lot of work clearing the display area other side of the wall but they’re enjoying it - honest! ⚓️

Good progress on the segregated workshop area - the ceiling is done & we’re installing the lighting & workbenches…. Dust...
10/09/2025

Good progress on the segregated workshop area - the ceiling is done & we’re installing the lighting & workbenches…. Dust Extract gear due for delivery… it’s all go!
Top quality job Lads ⚓️

Tools of the trade - sort of… decaulking Wearmouth’s hull is proving to be a difficult, tedious and labour intensive job...
05/09/2025

Tools of the trade - sort of… decaulking Wearmouth’s hull is proving to be a difficult, tedious and labour intensive job…. But it’s a labour of love eh lads? 😉 ⚓️

Address

Church Street East Unit 2
Sunderland
SR12BB

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 2pm
Wednesday 10am - 2pm
Friday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

01915102540

Website

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