Unidentifiable Roman coin found. The grid reference is to a find-spot between High Street and Ford Crescent in South Hylton. The information is derived from a Sunderland Museum record.

"Coin of Maximianus I (286-305; 306-310) found circa 1953". The O.S. quotes Sunderland Museum record, which credits Mr. Knight with providing the information in 1962. Dated C3-C4

A coin of the emperor Valens (364-78 A.D.). The O.S. quotes Sunderland Museum record, which credits D.B. Robson, 53 Leechmere Road, Sunderland, with providing the information. Dated C4.

"A large gun exhibited in Barnes Park, Sunderland bears the inscription "County Borough of Sunderland 1909. Dredged from the River Wear near the spot where the Scottish army of General Leslie crossed….in February 1644, when his soldiers camped in the Panns Field, Sunderland, March 4th 1644".(1) "The cannon is now in Barnes Park situated at NZ 3773 5566. It is 3.3 m long and mounted on a concrete pillar bearing the inscription" above.(2) It has trunions, was muzzle-loading, bears no visible insignia and is a bit corroded.

Roman artifacts have been found on two occasions at Southwick Quarry, in 1927 and 1933. "Roman pottery has been found at the Fulwell quarries, near Sunderland, and also a quern bearing what looks like, but is not, a Greek inscription".(1) "A number of Roman sherds including late 4th century 'Huntcliff' cooking pots (now kept at the Manor House, Bridge Street, Sunderland) and an amphora handle stamped MAT were found at a depth of 1 ft below the surface at Southwick quarry near Fulwell in 1927. Two querns were also found and nearby a V-shaped pit containing miscellaneous refuse was also seen. In 1933 a few more fragmentary sherds including the rim of a flanged grey ware bowl and a spindle-whorl were found at the same quarry". (2, quoting K.A. Steer, Archaeology of Roman Durham (1938), pp. 292-3).

On 24 and 25 March 1644 there was a second skirmish between the Scots army, who were encamped at Monkwearmouth and Boldon (Terry suggests that the Scots were at Whitburn Lizards, Cleadon Hill), and the Royalist forces at Hylton. The action seems to have taken place on the high ground between Hylton, Boldon (the skirmish is also known as the 'Battle of Boldon Hills) and Southwick. Hedges and ditches were said to have largely prevented open combat, and the skirmish relied on dragoons, musketeers and cannon fire. The Royalists claimed to have lost 240 men, and having killed 1,000 Scots. The Scots claimed however to having 300 wounded and 60 dead, with 1,500 Royalists having been killed. Leven arranged for the dead to be given a proper burial. This skirmish too was inconclusive, the Royalists retiring for a second time to Durham, and the Scots eventually going south to join the Parliamentary army at Tadcaster.

Early in March 1644, probably 6-8, there occurred the first of two inconclusive skirmishes between the Scots army, encamped at Sunderland, and the Royalist forces. Though the various secondary accounts do not altogether agree it seems likely that this action took place on the south side of the Wear some 2.5 miles W of Sunderland. The Royalists are said to have shown themselves on top of a hill 3 miles from Sunderland, one source adding - improbably - Worm Hill. Mitchell locates the event in a large field W of Hylton Road, - "the field is still known as the 'battlefield', and the remains of the trenches on the high ground at the south are locally known as the rifle pits". The O.S. declared this to be the field known as Penny Well, now built over. Meikle and Newman (2007) concluded that the skirmish actually took place on 7th and 8th March 1644 on rough ground south of Offerton in March 1644, the Royalist army having marched from Penshaw Hill (HER 10881) and the Scottish troops from Humbledon Hill (HER 10882). The landscape was described as 'fields of furze and whin bushes… three thick hedges with banks' two of which the Scots had lined with musketeers. The Scots had another 200 musketeers and a small cannon (drake) lining the hedges a stream. The Royalists retreated to Penshaw Hill. The armies faced each other again the next day but after heavy snow fall, the Royalists again retreated. As they retreated their troops were attacked by 200 Scottish musketeers and dragoons. 40 Royalists were said to have been killed. The Royalists admitted to one death. 100 were taken prisoner. 600 Scots then attacked the Royalist baggage train which led to another musketeer and cavalry fight. The Scots claimed that 800 Royalist horses died, and some did die of exposure in the snow, but there is no evidence to confirm this number of deaths. The true number of casualties, men and horses, is not known. The skirmish is recorded in Robert Douglas' diary.

In March 1644 the Scottish army established a temporary camp on the open ground between Sunderland and Bishopwearmouth. According to Summers it had originally straddled High Street, but by 1795, when the ground was levelled for building, was visible largely only in West Pann Field, between Pann lane (NZ 396 573) and the Rectory Park (NZ 392 570). "Two trenches and mounds of earth called the 'big dyke' and 'little dyke', then partially existed", running between 235 High Street and the north end of Lambton Street, and then to 125 High Street. There is reference in 1675 to "the Forts", and a cannon ball was found in 1815 on the site of 223 High Street.

"The Rev. John Laurence, A.M. rector of Bishopwearmouth from 1721 to 1732, and Prebendary of Sarum...in his work on 'Agriculture', alludes to some ancient (British or Roman?) chisels found in the small joints and crevices of the stone, in a quarry near Bishopwearmouth".(1) Petch located this discovery at Building Hill, perhaps because that was the only quarry he knew of in the Bishopwearmouth area. While describing the objects as "doubtful implements", he included them in his discussion about the possibility of a Romano-British settlement near the mouth of the Wear.(2) The O.S. then misquote Summers, and site the find at Bishopwearmouth Cemetery - "A number of ancient Roman chisels were discovered in the crevices of the stone in a quarry near Bishopwearmouth. (Bishopwearmouth Cemetery is centred NZ 373 563)".(3) It seems better just to let the original account stand on its own.

In 1891 R. Blair reported that he had been shown some Roman small brass coins, said to have been found recently at Fulwell. VICTORINVS (268-270) i-ii Obv. IMP C VICTORINVS PF AVG Rev. PIETAS AVG. Female figure, in right hand ?, tessera in left, altar at feet. (Two specimens). iii-iv PAX AVG. Rev. v and * in field. In upraised right hand a branch ?, in left a spear diagonally. v. Rev. Sun marching to left. CLAUDIUS GOTHICUS (268-270) Rev. FORTVNA AVG. Figure to left, in lowered right hand ?, in right (sic) cornucopia. Dated C3.