Wearside is an area of north east
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, centred on the continuous urban area formed by Sunderland,
SeahamSeaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
and other settlements by the
River WearThe River Wear is located in North East England, rising in the Pennines and flowing eastwards, mostly through County Durham, to the North Sea at Sunderland.-Geology and history:...
.
MackemMackem is a term that refers to the accent, dialect and people of the Wearside area, or more specifically Sunderland, a city in North East England. Spelling variations include "Mak'em", "Makem", and "Maccam".- Origin :...
s is a nickname used for the people of Wearside.
The principal part of Wearside is the
City of SunderlandThe City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
, including
WashingtonWashington is a town in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. Historically part of County Durham, it joined a new county in 1974 with the creation of Tyne and Wear...
,
Houghton-le-SpringHoughton-le-Spring is part of the City of Sunderland in the county of Tyne and Wear, North East England that has its recorded origins in Norman times. It is situated almost equidistant between the cathedral city of Durham 7 miles to the south-west and the centre of the City of Sunderland about 6...
,
Shiney RowShiney Row is a village in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear. Shiney Row enjoys good travel links with the rest of Sunderland. One of the City of Sunderland College's main centres is located in Shiney Row...
and in the south,
RyhopeRyhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of Sunderland, 2.8 miles to the centre of Seaham, and 1 .2 miles from the main A19.The older village...
and
Hetton-le-HoleHetton-le-Hole is a town and civil parish situated in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the A182 between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane. It is located on the southwest corner of Sunderland on the A182, off A690 close to the A1. It has a population of 14,402 but this...
. Additional settlements considered within Wearside as part of the 'Sunderland Urban Area' are
EasingtonEasington is a town in eastern County Durham, England. It comprises the ancient village of Easington Village and the ex-mining town of Easington Colliery, which are separate civil parishes. It is located at the junction of the A182 leading north-west to Hetton-le-Hole. Seaham Harbour and...
and
SeahamSeaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects. St Mary the Virgin is regarded as one of...
. Its population is quoted at around 200,000. and also a higher 280,807 for the 'City of Sunderland'.
Economy
Like other parts of the North East, Wearside and Sunderland were economically structured by Primary industry; with a great deal of the economy once dependent on ship building and
coal miningThe goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
with large collieries such as
Monkwearmouth CollieryMonkwearmouth Colliery was a major North Sea coal mine located on the north bank of the River Wear,located in Sunderland. It was the largest mine in Sunderland and one of the most important in County Durham in northeast England...
, which declined rapidly during the mid 20th century, many areas have long been deprived with vast areas of unemployment as a result. The city of Sunderland and parts of Wearside have been slowly rejuvenated over the years and industry is now largely based around call centres , although many areas such as
EasingtonEasington is a town in eastern County Durham, England. It comprises the ancient village of Easington Village and the ex-mining town of Easington Colliery, which are separate civil parishes. It is located at the junction of the A182 leading north-west to Hetton-le-Hole. Seaham Harbour and...
still face social problems today.
Media
The
Sunderland EchoThe Sunderland Echo is an evening newspaper serving the Sunderland, South Tyneside and East Durham areas of North East England. The newspaper was founded by Samuel Storey, Edward Backhouse, Edward Temperley Gourley, Charles Palmer, Richard Ruddock, Thomas Glaholm and Thomas Scott Turnbull in 1873,...
is the prime newspaper of Wearside and is sold throughout the area. Online Wearside is covered primarily by BBC Wear a regional subdivision of the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Sport
The
Wearside Football LeagueThe Wearside Football League is a non-league football competition based in England. It consists of a single division which sits at step 7 of the National League System and is a feeder to the Northern League Division Two. Following the 2007-08 season, Whitehaven moved up to the Northern League, as...
is one of the levels in the English football league system and contains amateur teams such as
Easington Colliery A.F.C.Easington Colliery Association Football Club are an English amateur football club based in Easington Colliery, County Durham, England, and currently play in the Northern League Division Two .Easington Colliery A.F.C...
and
Seaham Red Star F.C.Seaham Red Star F.C. is a football club based in Seaham, England. They joined the Wearside League in 1979 as Seaham Colliery Welfare Red Star. In the 1978–79 season, they reached the 5th round of the FA Vase. In 1984, they changed to their present name...
. The only professional football team located in the area is
Sunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, a Premier League based in Sunderland.
External links