Roker, Roker Terrace

Victorian terrace. The first terrace to be built at Roker in the 1840s. Extended southwards along the seafront by the mid 1890s. Substantial properties built for seaside uses. Many are 4 storeys and are of greater width, such as the Roker Hotel. Many of the properties have been inappropriately altered and their frontages bear little resemblance to their original form. Many buildings have been rendered or painted, which adds weather protection for exposed seafront building frontages but can be damaging to the underlying brick if applied incorrectly or if a poor choice of material is used (cement). Roofs are mostly Welsh slate. No. 14 is listed grade 2 (HER 4799). Roker Terrace was designed in part by John Dobson for the Abbs familt who owned much of land around Roker. Due to the exposed seafront location original timber features are at threat. The properties have a distinctive front boundary wall and long narrow rear gardens. At the rear of the gardens, facing the back lane are a number of former coach houses, now converted to houses.