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From a small farming hamlet of less than 50 inhabitants in the 17th century records show Southwick had grown to a small town of nearly 14,000 by 1911. Shipbuilding, glassmaking and pottery together with lime and its related products was without doubt the reason for this rapid growth in local industry.

Because our area is abundent with magnesian limestone we have several lime kiln sites all over the area including next to Fulwell Mill on the site of the car sales garage and Marsden near Whitburn.

An early map showing the Grey Estate in 1746 shows quarries to the north of the Green that was being worked by Thomas Brunton. Up to the turn of the 20th century Wearmouth Coal Company were quarrying limestone from Southwick. Most  of us at some point when kids , have , without the knowledge of our parents made dens and lived out our dreams in and around Carley Hill Quarry.

The last of our Marine Engineering Companies

One of the greatest Marine Engineering companies, George Clark Limited  was based at Southwick. and played an important part in the war effort.