Monkwearmouth railway station

Monkwearmouth Station Museum

The building in 2018
Location within Tyne and Wear grid reference NZ39605768
Established	1973–2017 (Monkwearmouth Station Museum) 2018–present (The Fans Museum)
Location	Sunderland, County Durham, England
Coordinates	54°54′44″N1°23′02″W / 54.9122°N 1.3839°W / 54.9122; -1.3839
Website	fansmuseum.org
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	Monkwearmouth museum of land transport with walls, footbridge, waiting room
Designated	8 May 1950
Reference no.	1209029

Monkwearmouth is a former railway station that served Monkwearmouth in the English city of Sunderland, from 1848 to 1967. It was built in 1848 to a design by Thomas Moore ^[1] and was once the main railway station in the city. ^[2] The railway station closed in March 1967 and featured a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period. The building was used by the Monkwearmouth Station Museum from 1973 to 2017 ^[3] and as of 2018 is home to The Fans Museum.

Background

The station served the city of Sunderland from 1848 to 1967, with passenger numbers beginning to decline around the 1950s. ^[4] Despite the closure of the station in 1967, the Tyne and Wear Metro and mainline trains still pass through the station without stopping, but the Metro calls at St Peter's station a few hundred yards south of the old station. ^[5]

The former station is a Grade II* listed building. ^[6] During its time as a museum, as well as the ticket office, visitors could explore the Wagon Shed, Journeys Gallery and Children's Gallery. ^[7] It was opened as a museum by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1973. ^[4]

The museum was temporarily closed from August 2005 until 2007 to allow repairs and refurbishment to take place. The refurbishments cost around £1 million, with a grant of £497,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. ^{[4] [8]} The museum was closed again on 31 March 2017 due to declining visitor numbers and budget cuts. ^[9]

The Fans Museum

In 2018 the former station reopened as The Fans Museum, which houses a collection of football memorabilia from Sunderland and around the world. ^[10] The museum was closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened in August 2021. ^[11]

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Tyne and Wear

References

1. "Historic English railways: 200 years of history". The Telegraph. 21 July 2015.
2. "MySunderland - the Official Guide to Sunderland" . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
3. Hewitt, Sam (10 May 2017). "Monkwearmouth Station Museum closes its doors". The Railway Magazine. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
4. "Monkwearmouth Station Museum" (PDF). Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
5. "Heritage Locations". National Transport Trust. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
6. Historic England. "Monkwearmouth museum of land transport with walls, footbridge, waiting room (1209029)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 December 2014.
7. "Sunderland City Council: What Monkwearmouth Station Museum is all about". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
8. "Monkwearmouth Station Museum Railway Wagon Restoration Project – The Story of the Sidings | Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Blog" . Retrieved 16 July 2025.
9. "Monkwearmouth Station Museum closes its doors". The Railway Magazine. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
10. "Sunderland Fans Museum exhibition gets keys to new home at former city train station". 22 December 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
11. Robinson, James (3 August 2021). "The Fans Museum in Sunderland set to reopen this week" . Retrieved 21 July 2025.

The museum viewed from the front window of a Tyne and Wear Metro train passing through the station

External links

• The Fans Museum website