Sunderland's historic Elephant Tea Rooms building goes up for sale

The Grade-II listed landmark stands in the corner of Fawcett Street and High Street West, where it was built in the 1870s.

In March this year the Echo reported that restoration work was complete and that Sunderland City Council was "due to market the building soon to entrepreneurs and businesses".

The council provided £720,000 of the funding required.

Restoration includes a striking new shopfront with intricate brickwork and vaulted corner turret feature, restored terracotta ornamental elephants and gargoyles and a new timber shop front and windows.

The estate agents dealing with the property list it as a building with 7,736 square feet (719 square metres) of floor space. The cost of it is not given with "price on application", which means that prospective buyers must contact the agent to find out the price.

Cllr Kevin Johnston, Sunderland City Council's cabinet member for Housing, Regeneration and Business, said: "Elephant Tea Rooms is one of Sunderland’s architectural gems and a landmark building within the city centre.

"Following completion of the refurbishment of the building’s iconic façade by Sunderland City Council earlier this year, the council has now contracted joint agents BNP Paribas Real Estate and Sanderson Weatherall to identify a suitable developer to take forward the next phase of renovation.

"The property is suitable for a number of uses, subject to planning permission and we look forward to receiving proposals to breathe new life into this magnificent building."

Constructed at the height of Victorian wealth and investment in Sunderland and opened to the public in 1875 as a grocer’s shop and tea warehouse for Grimshaw & Son, the building has a distinctive Hindu Gothic style.

In recent years the building has been used to house local history resources. Until closure in August 2018 it was a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). In the 1980s it was a branch of Williams and Glyn's; before the bank was swallowed up by RBS in 1985.

Businesses which are interested in leasing opportunities within the Elephant Tea Rooms, email BNP Paribas Real Estate at [email protected] or Sanderson Weatherall at [email protected].