Nesham Square and Maling's Rigg, terraced housing

The latter part of the 18th century saw dense terraced housing develop along a regular system of streets in this area. The approximate line of Nesham Square may have been laid out befreo 1737 as a mainly undeveloped street depicted on Burleigh and Thompson's 1737 'Plan of the mouth of the River Wear'. Rain's 'Eye Plan of Sunderland' 1790 shows Nesham Square partly developed. Excavation (2013) on the site has confirmed the survival of the cobbled streets and footprint of buildings which date to the late 18th century. The houses were not back-to-back and had a frontage on Nesham Square with access to the rear from Maling's Rigg. The 2013 excavation revealed that the houses were of brick construction with sandstone rubble footings. Evidence of some alteration to one of the house frontages was also revealed.The terraces were demolished in the 1930s as part of slum clearance. The properties along Nesham Square, Maling's Rigg, Vine Street and Burleigh Street made way for the construction of Burleigh Garth - a large quadrangle of social housing (HER 16160).