Hutchinson’s Buildings, 1 & 1a Bridge Street and 101-109 High Street West, Sunderland: Investigation, research and statement of significance
Author(s): Lucy Jessop, Tristan Wilson
When Hutchinson’s Buildings changed hands in 2017, it presented an opportunity for Historic England (HE), Sunderland City Council (SCC) and its owners to investigate and improve the understanding of this important group of Grade II-listed buildings in the commercial centre of Sunderland, prior to its restoration and redevelopment. The city’s historic high streets – High Street West, High Street East, and Fawcett Street – are currently the focus of the Sunderland Heritage Action Zone, a project running from April 2017 and led by HE and SCC which intends to put the area’s historic buildings at the heart of heritage-led regeneration. At the request of Barbara Hooper, Jules Brown and Darren Ratcliffe of HE’s Planning Team in the north-east, members of HE’s Historic Places Investigation team researched and assessed the significance of Hutchinson’s Buildings and its prominent domed corner site known as Mackie’s Corner. Hutchinson’s Buildings consist of 1 and 1a Bridge Street, and 101-109 High Street West, Sunderland (centred on NGR: NZ 39746 57166) [Figure 1]. The National Heritage List for England (NHLE) lists the building in two separate parts: Hutchinson’s Buildings (105-109 High Street West: NHLE 1208477) and 101-103 High Street West (NHLE 1207090). Hutchinson’s Buildings was erected in 1850-53 to a design by George Andrew Middlemiss but its eastern part was destroyed by fire in 1898 and rebuilt in 1899 to a design by Henry Miller Potts of Joseph Potts & Son. The two List entries reflect the external survival of the original 1850s work from Mackie’s Corner northwards (NHLE 1207090) and the reconstructed 1890s part on High Street West (NHLE 1208477) [Figure 2]. The numbering along High Street West has always proved inconsistent, with the 1894 Goad Insurance plan showing a combined Nos. 101 and 102, and 104 missing within Nos. 103-109; in 1912, Goad showed No. 104 but not 106, as they continued to do in 1948. All maps concur, however, hat Mackie’s Corner and the 1850s work is situated at 101-103 High Street West and that the rebuilt Hutchinson’s Buildings starts at No. 104 High Street West and runs to No. 109. A further complication arises due to the external retention, but internal demolition, of No. 103. This report uses the name ‘Hutchinson’s Buildings’ to refer to the complete 1850s structure, including ‘Mackie’s Corner’. After the post-fire rebuilding of 1898, this report uses the term ‘Mackie’s Corner’ to refer to the surviving 1850s building at 101-103 High Street West and 1 and 1a Bridge Street, while ‘Hutchinson’s Buildings’ is used for the rebuilt 104-109 High Street West.
- Report Number:
- 28/2018
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 90
- Keywords:
- Research Heritage Action Zone
