During a watching brief in 2015 on Roman Road, The Lawe, multiple phases of Roman occupation were encountered. The earliest phase was characterised by a NE-SW orientated boundary containing occupational debris, drainage ditch and yard/path surface dating to the late 1st - early 2nd century. Surfaces, coupled with a boundary ditch and wall were encountered dating to the 3rd century - attesting to increased activity within the Vicus. The pottery assemblage recovered during the watching brief derived from locations across the south of England, France and Italy. Dated C3.

Drapery store on the corner of MacKie's Corner (G.H. Robinson) where Fawcett & Bridge Streets cross High Street. Known as Havelock House after owner George H Havelock. The building was constructed out of coal measures sandstone procured from the west of the A19 and west or south west of Houghton-le-Spring. Destroyed by the worst fire in Sunderland July 18th 1898. It was rebuilt over the next 18 months and emerged as a prestigious department store, advertised as 'the largest in Northern England'. The 'Provincial Cinematograph Company', of London, acquired the property in 1914, for between £60,000 & £70,000. The 'Havelock', a very high class cinema, opened on the site Dec 16th 1915. It became the 'Gaumont' in 1960 and closed in 1963.

An unusual design, probably originally built in about 1905 as a timber-framed temporary church, which was re-clad with what appears to be cast artificial stone in the 1930s. The original interior largely survives.

Before 1882 services were held in a hired room in Tynedale Terrace and then a hay loft in Bolam Street (serving as a dual purpose school and church). In 1882 a new dual purpose church and school building was built from the designs of Dunn & Hansom. Lack of funds meant that the planned presbytery could not be built and the priest continued to live in Tynedale Terrace until a new presbytery was built in 1884.

The dual-purpose building served until 1905 when a temporary church was built. This was followed in 1909 by an extension to the school building and the opening of the infant school as a separate department.

In 1934 the Edwardian church appears to have been re-clad (although the Northern Catholic Calendar for 1935 says that it was ‘completely reconstructed’). The 2008 QI report suggests that the reconstruction consisted of stripping the 1905 timber-framed building of its cladding - probably corrugated iron - and replacing it with stone or artificial stone. The tower was also added in the 1930s.

The church is of traditional form, with a nave and short sanctuary under a continuous pitched roof, north and south aisles with pent roofs, a west porch and a small southeast tower. The external cladding appears to be of artificial stone blocks, possibly with some natural stone, laid in regular courses. The roof coverings are slate, recently renewed on the aisles. At the west of the church is a two storey continuation of the nave, which contains the organ gallery, and has a square battlemented porch on its west face. The slightly taller nave is of seven bays on the south side and six on the north side, with rectangular timber windows with leaded lights in the aisles and smaller windows of similar shape and type in the clerestory. The tower stands alongside the sanctuary.

Internally the building seems to be constructed entirely of timber, with a timber western organ gallery under a semi-circular boarded ceiling, timber arcades on chamfered timber posts and a timber collar roof with metal bracing. The walls are all lined with vertical timber boarding, now painted. The sanctuary has a semi-circular arched ceiling and walls lined with timber wainscot. The timber main altar and reredos could date from the early twentieth century, but the nave altar and reading desk are clearly fairly modern. The benches in the nave probably date from the 1930s.

Backworth was a significant coal-mining community with farms around it and later twentieth-century housing estates. Since the collieries closed there has been no single dominant industry. The mission was founded in 1883 from Annitsford, and became independent in 1900. In 1903 a church and school was built from designs by Charles Walker, on land acquired from the Duke of Northumberland by Fr Henry Walmsley. This was replaced by the present church in 1954, built along with the slightly earlier presbytery) from designs by Robert Burke (plans in Tyne & Wear Archives).
A modest building in a sub-Romanesque basilican style, of red brick laid in English garden wall bond, with artificial stone dressings; all windows have projecting surrounds. The tiled roof has a raised west section with cross finial over the porch, and is hipped over the sanctuary. Three-light windows and clerestory lights in the five-bay nave, one-bay chancel and polygonal apse; lower aisles with pent roofs and gabled end projections. Orientation is conventional. The gabled west entrance front has a gabled projecting centre with recessed round-arched door in a gabled surround.
The interior has square columns supporting the clerestory, and above that, a plain strip of ceiling on paired brackets and the main ceiling gently raised. The concealed roof trusses are of steel. There is one full-width step at the sanctuary, then an apron projection with two steps to the altar and one to the tabernacle stand. The sanctuary furniture is all of good quality simple timber with tracery to the polygonal pulpit and to the altar rails, now set back against the wall.

South Moor farm shown on the 1850 plan of the coalfield. Renamed as Silksworth Moor on the 1861 First Edition Plan. Demolished between 1951 and 1976.

Shown on the OS second edition of 1890. Originally served beer and cider but licence extended in 1897 when taken over by Robert Emmerson of the Burton Brewery, Sandyford. It was bought by Newcastle Hotels Ltd. In 1930 and in 1939 the licensing committee approved an application to transfer the licence to a new Hawthorn Inn to be erected on the opposite site of the road. Old photos show a stone building with slate roof and porch over a central door. Rebuilt in the 1930s. The rebuild was brick with a centrally projecting section with 5 windows on each floor. The two set-back wings had two windows and a double door in a classical style stone surround. Demolished by 2006.

The original Green Tree Inn is shown on a map of Benwell dated 1837. A building is marked 'brewery' and there are substantial buildings running east. The inn is shown on the OS first edition of 1859, the second edition of 1890 and the third edition of 1919. Old photos show a sandstone building with sash windows on two storeys and a timber canopy over the central door. The Green Tree was owned by John Dodds of Benwell before its acquisition by Newcastle Breweries. In 1936 the pub was extended and modernised. The owners told the licensing bench that this was necessary because in rush periods there was crowding of customers in passages, yards and outhouses; the increased demand coming from inter-war hosing developments. Licence was revoked in 1997 by mutual consent and demolition began a year later.

Attractive sandstone coach house and coachman's accommodation to the house built in 1865 by Alfred Waterhouse for Dr Thomas Hodgkin. The house was given to the Royal Victoria Home in 1894. Slate roof with finials. The elevation to Benwell Lane is blank. Rectangular and trefoil windows in the gable ends, door to south elevation. Inserted roof lights. Now the Al-Raza Islamic Educational and Welfare Trust.

Designed by Pascal Joseph Stienlet (born 1879 to Belgian parents in North Shields) in his favourite 2 inch brick. Pascal also designed Ashbourne in Glastonbury Grove, Jesmond and over 100 cinemas.

Queen's Arms formerly Queen's Head. Fell under Compulsory Purchase Order in 1970. Closed 1972. Exact location unknown.