Located to the South of Sunderland. In the centre of the older part of Ryhope is the well maintained village green with the War Memorial as its focal point.
The medieval farming village of Ryhope originally consisted of a 3 street village around the triangular Village Green.
Mention of Ryhope goes back as far as 930 AD when King Athelstan was to give the parish of "South Wearmouth" and its appendages to the See of Durham. This was to include "duas Refhoppa" is understood to be Ryhope ias we know it as now. Ryhope is subsequently mentioned in The Boldon Book of Bishop Pudsley in 1183 and also the survey of Bishop Hatfield in 1380.
Ryhope Rent Office
This attractive limestone building situated close to the Village Green was built in 1826 as a chapel of ease to Bishopwearmouth Parish Church.
Used for this purpose until 1873 when St. Pauls Church opened. Since then it has had many uses including a school, a library and later as Council Offices. It is a Grade 11 Listed Building.
On the outskirts of Ryhope is the former lunatic asylum knows as Cherry Knowles. Prior to the closure of this magnificent building the highly trained staff dealt with many people with mental problems and were very successful in their treatment.
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