the encyclopedic entry of Roker

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Roker

Roker (locally, or /ˈroʊkɚ/) is a tourist resort in North East England, bounded on the south by the River Wear and Monkwearmouth, on the east by the North Sea, and on the north and west by the town of Seaburn, of which parts of Roker are a suburb (The area north of the 'Derby Field' is Seaburn, while the area south is simply Sunderland). It is administered as part of the City of Sunderland.

Roker was known worldwide for being home to Roker Park, home of Sunderland A.F.C. for ninety-nine years until 1997. The resort consists of a tiny village (the 'real' Roker according to the residents) of just twelve streets (Roker Terrace, Harbour View, Roker Park Terrace, Ravine Terrace, St. George's Terrace, Park Parade, Featherstone Street, Bede Street, Benedict Road, St. Andrew's Terrace, Pier View and Marine Walk) surrounded by five housing estates ('outer Roker').

The majority of the houses in Roker are terraced. Further west, to the part bordering the village of Fulwell, are cul-de-sacs with semi-detached bungalows, mainly owned by members of Roker's large elderly community.

On the site of Sunderland AFC's former stadium is a small housing estate known by some locals as Roker Park Village, its street names all being references to the football club (Midfield Drive, Promotion Close, etc.). The streets in between Roker Baths Road and Roker Avenue are all named after members of William Gladstone's cabinet (Gladstone, Hartington, Forster, Bright, Stansfield, and so on). On Roker Terrace (Roker's main street) are exclusive apartments and hotels which overlook the seafront.

History

The story of Roker begins in 1587, when the Abbs family were granted land on the north side of the River Wear on the condition that they provided six soldiers to defend the mouth of the river. Fast forward to 1840, when Roker Terrace was built upon the cliff tops, along with Monkwearmouth baths and Roker Park soon after. The pier and lower promenade were built six years later. In the early 20th century it became a hugely popular resort for locals and tourists alike, and in 1928 it was taken over by the Borough of Sunderland, along with Fulwell and Seaburn.

Landmarks

One well-known landmark of sorts in Roker is the Bungalow Cafe, which is an old-fashioned cafe in a tiny bungalow on the upper promenade. Also famous is the signpost next to the cafe, marked: "To Beach" (pointing towards the beach), "To Village" (pointing into Roker), "To Bungalow" (pointing to the cafe), and "To Germany" (pointing out to sea).

Another landmark is the statue of Bede's cross on the cliff top near Roker Park. The cross recognises the work of the Venerable Bede, who worked in the North-East all his life at the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow. There is currently a bid for the twin monasteries to gain World Heritage Site status.

Demographics

The population of Roker is approximately 4,600. It forms part of the St Peter's electoral ward (along with Monkwearmouth), and the Sunderland North parliamentary constituency. Currently the St Peter's electoral ward has three sitting Conservative Councillors. The Conservatives took two seats in 2004 and took the third seat in 2006 when local nurse Shirley Leadbitter defeated Labour cabinet member Cllr Christine Shattock.