Sunderland Docks
1838 A dock of about 6 acres, with a tidal harbour of 1 acre, was constructed on the north side of the river Wear by Mr. Brunel for a company.
1848 As most of the trade would come from south of the river, construction of docks on that side of the river began.
1850 A wet dock of 18.5 acres, a half-tide basin of 2.5 acres, and a tidal harbour of 2.5 acres connected with the river, were opened. Work on further docks on the south side of the river started immediately.
1859 The docks remained in the possession of the company until August 1859, when they were transferred to the re-constituted River Wear Commission, under whose control they were greatly extended.
By 1881, the Wearmouth Dock was on the north bank of the River Wear; it was owned by the North-Eastern Railway.
On the south bank, and extending more than a mile along the seashore, were the three South Docks, belonging to the River Wear Commissioners; these all communicated, and contained together 44 acres of water area.
1925 A new graving dock, designed by William Simpson, was opened at the South Dock Yard of T. W. Greenwell and Co.