Queen Street East, Early Medieval stone bowl

Stone bowl-shaped object found in the car park to the east of Phoenix Masonic Hall, Queen Street East around 1984. It was taken to a private garden in Plains Farm, Sunderland, where it remained until donated to Sunderland Museum in August 2000. Similar bowls have been found at Dalden Tower in Dalton-le-Dale, and Newton Hall, County Durham. All three bowls are made of fine sandstone and are shaped like tubs with a small hole in the bottom. The Sunderland bowl is 29cm high, walls around 7cm thick and the diameter of the bowl is 40.4cm. There is no decoration, but diagonal markings and lettering near the rim might represent tool markings. Interpreted as a possible Ecclesiatical vessel, such as a stoup. There was a religious house in Sunderland dedicated to the Virgin Mary by at least 1535. A plan of 1715 shows the area now occupied by Queen Street East as "Chapel Hill". It seems possible therefore that this might be an early chapel site.