Roker Avenue, miners' hall

Built in 1894. This was one of many boxing venues in Sunderland, but the only one that still stands. It could hold around 500 spectators. Jack Casey, the 'Sunderland Assassin' from Southwick fought matches here during his 1926-1942 career. Today the building is the Hi-Performance Auto Centre. It’s an attractive two storey brick building with large round-arched windows above the ground floor shop front. At the roof eaves are a series of animal heads. Slate roof and tall ashlar and brick campanile-style chimneys. Classical-style round-headed door surround with the date 1894 and 'miners hall' on the pediment above. At either end of the hall is a three storey house with rectangular windows at ground and first floors, but round arched ones at second floor level. Same animal heads at eaves level.