14: The Orphanage
Grade II listed
Follow the Quadrant around on the right until you reach the Orphanage on the left corner of the junction.
Constructed on the edge of the Town Moor in 1861 the Old Orphanage was built to house and educate boys whose fathers died at sea. The architects, Charles and Lucas of London, designed the orphanage in the Italianate style. The square tower, round-arched windows and low roofs resemble an Italian villa.
Historic England produced a research report in 2018 which revealed that the Old Orphanage became one of five barrage balloon sites in Sunderland during the Second World War. Barrage balloons acted as obstacles for enemy aircraft, forcing them to fly at higher altitudes. As the Old Orphanage was located near high-priority targets like the docks and shipyards, the building became part of Sunderland's defensive plan.
