Hay's Patent Ropery

Hay's Ropery, located to the west of Monkwearmouth Station, replaced the old ropery on the junction of the Newcastle and South Shields Road. The long narrow open workshop, for stretching and twisting hemp, ran north to south along Kingfisher Road (later Hays Road), measuring 280m in length. The proprietor was H.R. Hay. Cordage was required by the shipbuilding industry. Ropery frames are shown on the 25 inch OS map in the area of the later goods yard, between the station and earlier waggonway. The ropery provided a central axis along which were set out a series of new roads, combining small industrial premises with residential workers terraces. On the east side of the works was Ropery Row and Edmondson's Street. A large part of the ropery and these streets were demolished in the 1890s when the railway goods yard was extended. Despite later disturbance, archaeological remains associated with the ropery may be preserved along the west side of the former goods yard, now the Sunderland Association Football Club orange car park. The current stone boundary wall may be the west wall of the ropery.