Two flint barbed and tanged arrowheads were found in the sand quarry at Grindon, one in 1947. The surviving one is of grey flint and is described by Young thus: "Tang broken off close to the body of the implement. Finely pressure flaked around both edges. Maximum surviving length 22 mm, breadth 23 mm, thickness 2 mm".

In 1905 R. Paxton recovered "flints and scrapers" during the quarrying of sand and gravel at Grindon, and in 1928 a large flake was found on the same site. Wymer records one core, two blades/flakes and a micro-burin from this site at Sunderland Museum donated by Raistrick, and two blades/flakes at Skipton Museum. He notes that the number of objects found by Paxton was not recorded. Young did not see the material at Skipton Museum. He describes four pieces at Sunderland, all in grey flint, as one core, one retouched knife, two retouched blades/flakes. The micro-burin could not be traced. P. Bidwell reports that Sunderland Museum holds flakes, a scraper and a microlith all labelled 'Grindon 1905'.

"Thursday 5th June 1879. Whilst some workmen were engaged a few days ago in making alterations on some land between the estates of Mr. Chapman, of Silksworth Hall, and Mr. Beckwith of Silksworth House, they came upon a stone coffin, in which, on being opened was found to contain human remains, together with antique weapons".

A medieval market cross, earliest reference 1409/10 (or is Frerecrosse documented in 1334 the White Cross?), traditionally sited in the market street (mod. Newgate St), near junction with Low Friar St. Pulled down 1625; ordered to be rebuilt in 1687 with steps and other conveniences; in 1701 William Yarnold given leave to remove the then pillar and dial and erect, on columns, a cistern for the New Water. This was described in 1736 as "lately pulled down", and replaced with a "Pillar of Stonework". The pillar was demolished in 1783, and rebuilt to a design by David Stephenson, architect. This version was "surmounted by a pretty little spire with a clock and ornamented on the four sides with the arms of the mayor, sheriff and magistrates". In 1808 it was taken down and rebuilt, in lengthened form, at N end of new butcher market on site of future Grey St. It finally disappeared during the construction of Grey St, and may have been used for building material. The White Cross was the site of an infamous duel in 1701. Ferdinando Foster, MP, and John Fenwick of Rock, coal owner, were attending a Grand Jury dinner at the Black Horse Inn, near the crossroads of Clayton Street and Newgate Street. There was great rivalry between the two men and they started to argue. The next morning they accidently met at the White Cross. They resumed their argument and soon a crowd gathered. The mob, anxious to see a fight, encouraged the contenders to use violence, and swords were drawn. The two men were well matched, but Forster slipped and fell. Fenwick killed his opponent and escaped towards Gallowgate. He was caught within a week, tried and executed. Usually hangings took place outside the town walls, but the authorities were afraid that Fenwick's employees at the pit would rescue him, so he was hanged from a white thorn tree growing near to the White Cross. Dated C14-15th.

"On the north side of Ryhope Dene almost immediately above the coast line an excavation for sand and gravel was made about 1931. Three pottery vessels were found and it is reported that some human bones occurred, but whether this is correct, or we can regard the deposit as a burial, is doubtful. The relics were found by Mr. T. Nelson of the Town Farm Dairy, Ryhope", who took Trechmann and the Curator of the Sunderland Museum to see the site. Mrs. Nelson subsequently gave the pot to Trechmann. The pottery consisted of 2 buff-coloured bowls with vertical rims, ? C4 mortaria, and the lower half of a bowl in calcite-gritted ware. These finds, together with those from 2 sites further south in Co. Durham, led Trechmann to suggest that there had been Roman signal stations in these places. Dated C4.

An arrow head, flakes, chips and cones (sic, ? cores) are said to have been found in the fields on both sides of Ryhope North Dene and Ryhope South Dene. Because they are recorded in an article entitled "Neolithic man in County Durham" they are deemed to be Neolithic. Source 3 described the arrow head as "? barbed and tanged", but added that it was now lost.

"The C.B.A. Gazetteer of Mesolithic Sites records two blades/flakes from 'Ryhope Dene' recovered by Raistrick and donated to Skipton Museum", (4 quoting 2). Source 3 reported them as "Three flint flakes said to have been collected during the 1930s by Dr A. Raistrick", and gave the museum accession no. They were not seen by 4 who goes on to wonder whether there has been confusion with material recorded by 1 (see SMR 228). Because of this notion he gives 2 possible grid references, one for Ryhope Dene proper and the other for the dene by Salterfen Lane, but note that 1 refers to Salterfen Dene as such.

"The C.B.A. Gazetteer of Mesolithic Sites records nine blades/flakes, two scrapers, one microlith and two micro-burins from 'between Ryhope and Sunderland, on the coast'", (3 quoting 2). Only four pieces from this area were seen by 3 at Sunderland Museum and of these "the obliquely blunted point microlith (Fig. IV.52, No. 1) may be the one referred to by Coupland (1, p. 2 no. 1)". The four consisted of one microlith, two miscellaneous retouched pieces and one lump of waste. The location is vague, and might not even be on this map.

In 1931-32 G. Coupland excavated an eroding cliff edge (now gone) near Ryhope (the above grid reference is an estimate by Source 5), and at a depth of 4 to 5 feet, in a sandy subsoil, recovered 383 flint tools, + pebbles. Coupland's list seems now to be the only record of what he found, viz. waste pieces 150; cores 49; core-scraper 1; blades (whole) 37; blades (broken) 46-83; scrapers (worked) 7; 'scrapers' (various usages) 27; thick pieces (planes?) 12; points 9; triangle 1; micro-burin 1; microlithic blade 1; indefinite 41 383. Associated pebbles 7 of which one was a hammer stone. Sources 5 and 7 did not see this material; 4 cited "Note with exhibits in Sunderland Mus.", in 1952; 6 gives a museum accession no.

Earliest reference appears to be c. 930, when King Athelstan gave "South Wearmouth" and its appendages, which included "duas Reofhoppas", to the see of Durham. Ryhope is normally taken to be one of the two (what was the other? In Boldon Buke of 1183 Ryhope is coupled with Old Burdon. In Hatfield's Survey of 1380 Ryhope had 2 free tenants, 24 12-acre holdings of demesne (some tenants had more than one); 18 messuages each with 30 acres held by bond tenants; 3 cottages + 12 acres each; extensive exchequer lands. There seem to have been two lots of enclosures in C17 (in 1680 the 'Great Common' was divided up). By 1840 there were 5 farms of 91-143 acres each, and 21 of 17-64 acres. Ryhope was a 3-row village round a triangular green. The short E side formed the base of the triangle on the main N-S road, and 2 long rows ran WSW ending in early 18th century in a pond. There were back lanes on the N and S sides. Shape of the village is still there though much rebuilt. Name seems to originate as 'Rive Hope' (hope means dene). Also recorded as Refhoppa, Reshop and Riopp. In 1840 there were still 5 farms of 91-143 acres and 21 farms of 17-64 acres. By 1931 there were only 7 working farms. Before the advent of the colliery, Ryhope was popular for sea-bathing. In later years thousands of tons of sand was quarried away and removed for railways and roads. Nevertheless the beach is still peaceful and unspoilt. In 1856 coal mining commenced and the village grew as a colliery community. The first of two Ryhope railway stations opened in 1854. Whellan describes Ryhope village in 1856 as being 'delightfully situated near the German Ocean… much frequented during the bathing season'. Township inhabitants in 1856 included Hugh Coudon, corn miller at Ryhope Mills, George Davison, victualler at the Sun Inn, Joseph Dobson, victualler at the Railway Inn, John Forster, joiner and cartwright, Robert Grindon, potato dealer at Ryhope Mill Cottage, John Hutchinson, shipbuilder and George Shaw Wrightman, both at Lechmer House, Robert Liddle, master of Ryhope Parochial School, George Moir, contractor, mason and quarry man at Halfway House, John Patterson, blacksmith, Lipton Hutton Potts, ship owner and ship builder (R.H. Potts and Brothers), William Priestman, boot and shoemaker, John Ramshaw, shopkeeper, Robert Robson, victualler at the Ship, Robert Rowlands, stationmaster at Ryhope Station, Alex Sharp, victualler at the Blue House at Hendon, George Sheraton, master mariner and ship owner, John Smart of Ryhope Mill House, John Stainsby, victualler at Hendon Inn and Halfway House, Luke Trewhitt, corn miller at Ryhope Stob Mill, John Turnbull, inspector of railways at Ryhope Cottage, Miss Mary Thompson, lodgings, Jeremiah Watson, butcher, Joseph Watson, joiner and cartwright, Mary Ann Watson, victualler at Salutation Inn, the Rev. William Wilson, Trinity Church, Ralph Wilson, blacksmith, Robert Wilson, grocer, Sarah Wilson, lodgings. There were also some 22 farmers. Ryhope Colliery opened in 1859. The coal company built rows of limestone houses, schools, chapels, a miner's hall, co-operative society, shops and public houses. A water pumping station opened in 1868. A large psychiatric hospital was built in 1895 and Ryhope Secondary School in 1911. St. Paul's Church was built to replace the small parish chapel in 1869. Electric trams from Sunderland reached Ryhope in 1905. This encouraged new large scale commuter housing estates and brick houses on the north side of The Green replacing older cottages. Dated C10th.