New Glassworks Sunderland welcomed, but questions raised over National Glass Centre

However, questions have been raised over the city’s existing National Glass Centre which is due to close in July 2026, less than 30 years after it opened on St Peter’s Riverside as a national centre for excellence.

On Friday, Sunderland Culture announced it had been awarded awarded a £5million grant from the DCMS Cultural Development Fund, towards establishing Glassworks: Sunderland.

The £7.5million facility would be built in the Sunniside area of Sunderland on an, as yet, unspecified site and will help ensure the future of glass as a visual artform in the city, whilst securing the heritage skills for contemporary practice.

Glassmaking has a long history on Wearside, dating back 1300 years, a heritage skill celebrated and fostered at National Glass Centre.

However, owners University of Sunderland announced in early 2023 that NGC is too expensive to repair, meaning it will close permanently next year ahead of demolition works.

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition in support of the Save the National Glass Centre campaign group who say, although they welcome the proposed Glassworks development, they will still fight to prevent the demolition of NGC.

The city’s Liberal Democrats have, meanwhile, dubbed the Glassworks a “downgrade”, raising questions over the existing site.

Sunderland Conservatives have also made a case for the existing site, and last year welcomed then Arts Minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, to the NGC.

They, too, say several questions remain.

James Doyle, styled as Conservative Spokesperson for the Roker ward, said: “Whilst today’s announcement is a step-forward, several questions remain unanswered:

“Firstly, what will happen to the existing NGC site?

“The University has stated its intention to demolish the current building but clarity is needed over the long-term plans for the space.

“Secondly, will opportunities for glassmaking education remain for residents of Sunderland? This is a necessity to protect the practice of glassmaking for generations to come.

“Thirdly, from St. Peter’s Church to the NGC, there has been a long history of glassmaking at St. Peter’s riverside. What will be done to commemorate this?”

Reflecting on the history of glassmaking in Sunderland

A stone's throw from National Glass Centre lie St Peter’s Church, where French glaziers created Britain’s first stained glass in AD674 after Benedict Biscop brought them over to craft windows for the Monkwearmouth monastery.

The French craftsmen who visited Sunderland in the 7th century passed on the skill to locals, making Sunderland one of the earliest centres of glassmaking in the country, and by the 19th century it was a booming industry.

Along with shipbuilding and coal mining, glassmaking played a huge role in the city’s industrial heritage and was fuelled by the availability of cheap coal and high-quality imported sand, the two key raw materials needed for large-scale glass production.

Some of the biggest factories included Turnbull's Cornhill Flint Glassworks at Southwick, open from 1865 to 1953, which operated for decades, as well as Wear Flint Glass Works, known from 1921 as James A. Jobling and Co Ltd.

The latter made the iconic Pyrex brand which, thanks to its heat-resistant properties, became a staple item in kitchens across the world after being sold in its millions. Every single piece of Pyrex back then, many of which is now a collector’s item, was made right here in Sunderland.