Sunderland Maritime Heritage

Sunderland’s 600 year old ship building and repairing heritage is celebrated and maintained by the enthusiastic volunteers of Sunderland Maritime Heritage.

Tucked away in an unassuming building in Sunderland’s historic East End, Sunderland Maritime Heritage’s workshop and visitor centre is open to the public three days a week. Visitors can see progress on restoration and rebuilding with a guided tour by a knowledgeable volunteer. A growing collection of artefacts and historical information from Sunderland built ships is also on display, as are a number of impressive scale models.

Boats in Sunderland Maritime Heritage’s care include Willdora, a fishing vessel built in 1901 that was involved in the famous Dunkirk evacuations in World War Two, which is currently undergoing an extensive restoration. A project is also underway to build a large scale model of HMS Venerable, the vessel made famous by Sunderland hero Jack Crawford, using the same materials and techniques as the original.

Group and educational visits can be accommodated by prior arrangement.