Sunderland has officially started its bid for City of Culture for 2021 with the city doing everything it can to boost its chances of winning.
However there are other areas of Sunderland that, providing Sunderland wins the bid, could benefit from all the extra tourism that being City of Culture would bring. The small town of Washington is one of those locations.
Not many people know about this almost hidden gem of Sunderland but it has an incredibly rich history and boasts some impressive American links. For example, Washington Old Hall owned by the National Trust, located in Washington Village, is the ancestral home of George Washington, first president of the United States of America.
One location that could definitely benefit from Sunderland winning City of Culture is the ‘F’ Pit Museum, located in Albany. At one time, it was open for visitors to look around and learn about Washington’s mining heritage.
However in recent years, it has been closed to the public and could benefit from a revival. It’s important to keep the mining heritage alive in the minds of the younger generations as the locals are proud of their past.
These are just two of the examples in which the City of Culture bid could benefit even the smaller areas of Sunderland. To see some more examples check out our video below: