We're Sunderland's smallest museum and we're keeping our coastal heritage alive
“You’d be amazed how many people walk past and still don’t know we’re here,” say the dedicated volunteers at Sunderland’s smallest historical gem.
Anyone who’s been to Roker will have seen The Watch House on Pier View - but fewer have been through the doors at the city’s smallest museum.
As well as being a fascinating foray through 130 years of lifesaving history and an Aladdin’s Cave of nautical memorabilia including figureheads from old wooden ships and a working morse code telegraph, The Watch House is the working base of Sunderland Volunteer Life Brigade (SVLB).
Keeping a keen eye on Roker Bay and beyond from the lookout within the building, there’s a team of 16 watchkeepers who help keep our shores safe daily.
Back at the brigade’s height, they would abseil down cliff faces and deploy their Breeches Buoy (a rope rescue device) to help those in distress.
Today, with the watchkeepers mostly of retirement age, their role is to be first to spot those in distress and liaise with the Coastguard and other authorities to get people, often swimmers out of their depth, the help they need.
It’s a vital role for a coastal city and one that, since the brigade’s formation in 1877, has seen them save more than 800 lives on our coastline.
The charity is passionate about keeping the tradition of watchkeeping going and celebrating Sunderland’s place as one of the first volunteer life brigades in the country - and one of the only ones left, alongside those in Tynemouth and South Shields.
They’re aiming to make people more aware of their presence and have replaced windows in The Watch House, so people can look in and see the artefacts, and commissioned street artist Frank Styles to create a striking mural of a real rescue on the side of the building.
“This building dates back to 1906 and was purpose built for the brigade at a time when Sunderland’s waters were very busy,” explains museum lead Jill Peters. “While the RNLI do sea-based rescues, the life brigade specialise in land-based rescue, so they would perform ship rescues from land using a shore-based rocket apparatus and breeches buoy, or they would abseil down rocks to help those stuck in the water.”
At the peak of the charity, there was 150 volunteers, many of whom were shipyard workers who would volunteer after a day at the yards.
They would have to live within half a mile of The Watch House to be part of SVLB, so that when the alarm was raised they could hear it and rush to assist.
“There was no telephones back then,” explained senior captain, Keith Johnson . “They’d bring people they rescued up to The Watch House which had bunk beds and local women would come down with their father’s old clothes for them and a bowl of soup.”
The former Merchant Navy sailor and publican grew up close to The Watch House and says he and his fellow watchkeepers are proud to be keeping the service alive.
“We don’t abseil these days, but we are very knowledgeable and reliable. We’ve seen everything out at sea and while it’s great to see the big ships and for them to give us a wave, it’s the most vulnerable people we are there for.
“So it’s the kids in dinghies, the guy who goes out in a boat he bought off a friend that he doesn’t know how to use. It’s so important that people stay within their capabilities.”
While the watchkeepers can all read traditional charts, they also use sophisticated equipment in The Lookout, with radar and telescopes so strong they can read the label on the jacket of someone stood at the end of the pier.
Like Keith, many of the Watchkeepers are former Navy and have a great understanding of the sea and its tides.
“We use radar, telescopes and charts, but a lot of it is good old watching,” said Keith. “It’s a tradition we really want to keep alive, it’s Sunderland’s heritage and no one else has got anything like this. It’s important we don’t forget where we come from.
“The history of this brigade, as well as those in Tynemouth and South Shields, is enormous - and we don’t want that to die.”
While The Lookout still plays an active lifesaving role, the main part of The Watch House and the adjacent former dormitory form the museum.
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Its collection is vast, from photographs of the brigade through the years to pieces of equipment, items saved from shipwrecks and more.
The museum is free and open to all and you can check it out for yourselves on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, just pop in.
The team is also keen for any volunteers who want to help the charity. The best way to keep up to date with their work and get in contact is via Facebook.