Wearmouth, possible Anglo-Saxon harbour

The Harbour at the mouth of the Wear, known to Bede as Wiranmuthe, was well-known in the early medieval period, as evidenced by the wide range of goods imported through it. However, the charter of Hugh Pudsey, towards the close of the 12th century, is the first authentic documentary evidence of the existence of the Port or Borough of Southern Wearmouth as a place of maritime commerce.