Nos. 1 and 2 are now called Kensington House divided into 12 apartments. Nos. 3 and 4 are now Cedar House Rest Home and 4a is called The Coach House. A short substantial terrace, three storeys and three bays to each property. No. 1 has a large two storey porch with Baroque and Italianate features, including 'bullseye' windows, a parapet and stag motif. Most of the windows are uPVC. There is a magnificent brick boundary wall which is highly distinctive, featuring decorative brickwork, plinths and sandstone capping. Portions of it have been unsympathetically altered. There is a fine limestone boundary wall on the return of No. 1 fronting Ryhope Road.

Laid out in the 1920s the corner of the park features a brick triumphal arch entance and a formal garden. The arch is made from materials from Ford Hall (dark red brick with stone, brick and tile detailing.

Sunderland City Council proposes that The Cedars be designated a Conservation Area. In 1999 the North East Civic Trust produced a comprehensive study of the area. At that time it was proposed that the CA would cover a larger area, including Belford House and grounds. Sadly Belford House was lost to fire in 2006. The leafy suburb comprises mid to late Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas with high quality timber and terracotta detailing. The Stockton turnpike road (HER 3619) is the earliest built feature in the CA. Villette Road and The Cedars are thought to have existed as tracks prior to the area's development. The land was part of the South Moor House estate. The house stood on the site of South Moor School. Whilst dense development reached Ashbrooke and Hendon by the 1870s, The Cedars remained semi-rural. This is probably because it was separated from the town to the north by the dene of the Hendon Burn (later to becaome Backhouse Park) and to the east by the railway. The Cedars, Belford House, Belford Terrace and Belford Road were laid out in the mid to late Victorian period. They are shown on the Ordnance Survey second edition of 1896. Belford House was built as a pair of semi-detached houses for Alderman Coates. The Cedars is a series of detached and semi-detached houses probably built to a single plan possibly by a speculative builder around 1860. There were three large late 19th century houses (Nos. 1 to 3 Montpelier Terrace) on the site of the petrol station. These were demolished in the 1960s or 70s. By 1918 Ashbrooke Range, Rowlandson Terrace, Cedars Park and Cedars Crescent had been built. Architects probably included William and Thomas R. Milburn who designed the Empire Theatre. In the 20th century Ryhope Road (HER 3619) was dualled (householders on Rowlandson Terrace were paid compensation for the loss of part of their front gardens) and trams ran along it, making the area accessible. Garages and extensions were added to The Cedars. In recent years houses have been built in some of the long rear gardens.

Whitburn Bents was created as a fishermen's hamlet. A Fishermen's Club still occupies a small dene to the north. It has been damaged by fire.

Built in 1938 by Sir Hedworth Williamson to replace the 19th century fisherman's cottages (HER 12459). The new cottages were badly damaged during heavy bombing in 1940. After the War they were rebuilt, the previous design and materials being replicated. Symmetrical concave crescent of white rendered cottages. Plain clay tiled roof and tall brick corniced chimneys. Timber doors and metal windows. The central and end properties are two storey and have distinctive shaped gables and sloping dormer windows. The other six cottages are single storey. They are of typical post Arts & Crafts 1930s architectural style. A low limestone boundary wall runs between the rear of the cottages and the beach and around the small dene to the north where fishing boats are still stored. Only one cottage has entirely retained its original form including the original timber casement windows. The others have uPVC windows.Each house has a timber canopy over the door. Many cottages have added roof lights into the rear slopes, one has a single dormer. Conservatories have also been added.

By 1896 two groups of cottages had been built at either end of the fishermen's cottages (HER 12459), perpendicular to the main rows. The northern group was demolished in 1938 along with the fishermen's cottages by Sir Hedworth Williamson. The southern group survived and are now a single house known as Sandpiper. Sandpiper was originally a pair of farmworkers cottages. The building is of local limestone and is rather quaint and charming. Small gabled dormers. The windows, gutters and barge boards have been replaced in uPVC. The original boundary walls, also limestone, survive.

This row of fishermen's cottages was built in the 19th century to create the Bents hamlet. In 1828 there were ten fishing boats at The Bents in the small bay. The houses were single storey white washed cottages. By 1896 another row had been added with two groups of grander cottages at either end, perpendicular to the main rows. In the 1920s 'the smallest shop in Sunderland' was built next to the end cottage at the south, which became a tea-shop. Demolished in 1938 by Sir Hedworth Williamson. A

In the mid 19th century a gas works was built by Sir Hedworth Williamson, landowner at Whitburn, Roker and Monkwearmouth. The gas works provided gas lighting for his family house Whitburn Hall (HER 8470). In 1864 Whitburn Hall became the first house in the area to have gas lighting. The gas works were demolished around 1940.

South Bents Farm was estabished during the 18th century. In the 1960s agricultural uses decreased. The barns and farm buildings were demolished to make way for modern infill developments. Only the farmhouse (HER 4727) which is listed now survives. Single storey brown brick bungalows with concrete pantiled roofs now lie to either side of the farmhouse which have little regard for its traditional rustic character. The original farm boundary walls, in local limestone, do survive.

Designated in 1970 in recognition of its unique character, its historic interest and its link with Sir Hedworth Williamson. It is the smallest Conservation Area in Sunderland and features a concave terrace of early 20th century cottages built on the site of earlier fisherman's cottages and an 18th century farmstead. The CA is bounded by Whitburn Bents Road to the west and the beach to the east. Whitburn Bents Farmhouse (HER 4727) is a listed building. In the 18th century a path on Sea Lane (now East Street) linked Whitburn village (HER 108) to Whitburn Bents. The Bents was originally a farming and fishing community. In 1828 The Bents was described as 'a small hamlet on the seashore with ten fishing boats and bathing machines stationed there'. South Bents Farm was established during the 18th century and included barns and outbuildings. A row of fisherman's cottages were then built in the 19th century to create The Bents hamlet. This was a row of single storey white washed cottages and a lifeboat house to the north. The Board Public House was owned by a William Purvis, fisherman, in the mid 1800s. In the mid 19th century a gas works was built by Sir Hedworth Williamson, landowner at Whitburn, Roker and Monkwearmouth. The gas works provided gas lighting for his family house Whitburn Hall (HER 8470). By 1896 the hamlet had grown with the addition of another row of cottages and two groups of grandeur cottages perpendicular to the main rows at the north and south ends. The cottages at the south end still survive as a single house known as Sandpiper. The coast road between Roker and Whitburn was not built until after the First World War. Thus the hamlet remained secluded. Residents had to walk to Seaburn to catch a tram into Sunderland. In the 1920s 'the smallest shop in Sunderland' was built next to the south end cottage, which became a tea-room. In 1938 the cottages were demolished by Sir Hedworth Williamson and rebuilt in the crescent shape. The new cottages were damaged during bombing in 1940. The gas works were demolished. After the War the cottages were rebuilt. In recent years the barns at South Bents Farm have been demolished for modern infill developments. A Fishermen's Club still occupies a small dene to the north.