Hylton ferry and river crossing

The earliest reference found to the Hylton Ferry (HER 446) was in 1322 when Baron Hylton granted to his chaplain "the passage of Bovisferry" (an ox ferry where heavy cattle could pass). The ferry was  in use in the 17th century. It ceased to be the responsibility of the Hylton family in the mid-18th, passing to the occupant of Wood House Farm. It finally closed in 1957.

Another river crossing is recorded downstream of the ferry site, where an ancient causeway - possibly Roman, certainly medieval - was largely removed during the 19th century when it obstructed the passage of keel boats. Some of the stones from this ford were used to bolster sea defences at Roker, where they can still be seen near the Yacht Club.