Rope-making

Ropewalks were a striking feature in the 17th and 18th centuries, situated on the edge of town on both north and south sides of the river Wear, one of a range of local industries which served shipping. Sunderland was the site of the first mechanised rope-making factory, in the 1790s. See here our new history of ropewalks in Sunderland, and of Webster's pioneering factory.