Doxford Park Housing Estate

Doxy Park, Mill Hill….I’m not 100% sure which is correct, although it may be both – corrections in the comment box below please!

 

Built during the optimistic housing boom of the 1960s, these tiny flat roofed houses that rested betwixt Silksworth and Herrington had become a problem area by the time I became aware of their existence in the late 1990s. Passing them every day on the way to Shiney Row College I was always fascinated by the estate. Once I learned of the impending redevelopment it was time to revisit with the camera after a fleeting few photos in around 2006. An interesting place to be, especially in the dark, impending arson/stabbing always adds an edge to proceedings.

 

As of early 2015 the majority of the estate has been demolished by Gentoo, making way for new housing developments, although a small number of the buildings still remain standing. What struck me on my visits, that whilst the majority of the houses were boarded up, burnt out or mid demolition, there were still a small number of people still living in their home on the estate, clinging on for dear life. It must have been incredibly strange to live, often in the only occupied house on a street, when all around you is dereliction and vandalism. This selection of photos taken at the Doxford Park Housing Estate over a 3 year period from 2010-2013.

Andy Martin, January 2015.

44 comments

  • Rob Clayton January 15, 2015   Reply

    Lovely work. What a shame as looks like it was probably very nice when first built.

    • Andrew Davison November 15, 2017   Reply

      Moved there in Spring 1969 from Blyton Avenue Ryhope. Lived at 8 Discovery Court one of the first street to be finished. Two bedroom house with downstairs under floor heating. No heating upstairs. It had a dedicated garage built in a block nearby. Very pleasant place to live then. Unfortunately even while it was being built some of the Silksworth locals called it Cardboard City and they were probably right.

      • Alison February 14, 2018   Reply

        Andrew , we must have moved into your house at some point after you lived there , my mam and dad my brother and i lived there from i think from around 1973 time but we definately lived in number 8 Discovery Court ( which was 3 bedrooms ) , my mam and dad were in that house until they were forced to sell and move when Gentoo took over , was a fabulous house small but loved it , Happy Memories , neighbours were the Ords next door , veaches and newlands futher up on same side along with Hindmarches ,

        • Ronnie November 24, 2022  

          Yes Alison l absolutely loved my childhood there..1973 when you moved there and Sunderland won the FA cup..nobody seemed to have a lot more than others but everyone helped each other ..great memories..if I could turn back the clock running home from mill hill school for my mams tea..take care

      • Martyn Powell April 12, 2019   Reply

        Hi Martyn powell from 1 vanguard court , great days living there and have friends for life , can’t remember you Andrew ,but remember your sister had a crush or her lol, happy days

      • Martyn Powell April 14, 2019   Reply

        Sorry Andrew you lived at no 8 when did you move out after you it was Alfie and the late Ann with there bairn Stephen the ALison family

        • Andrew Davison November 21, 2022  

          We moved out in Many 1970. Only lived there for 1 year. We moved to Guildford in Surrey

  • barry withers August 5, 2016   Reply

    Yes it was nice there back in 1970 and 1980s people were lovely and a fantastic place to live then .shame .happly times.

  • colin November 5, 2016   Reply

    I was a 16 year old electrical apprentice in 1969 for the Sunderland PWD wiring those flat roofed houses, even then flat rooves had bad press. Still the new houses look ok. what happened to all the residents?

  • Kim November 15, 2016   Reply

    How long did you live there Barry? Everyone couldn’t wait for Doxford park to be bulldozed but I think it’s sort of sad now it’s gone.its like it never existed 🙁

    • Barry Withers December 16, 2017   Reply

      I lived there for 19 years. But in the 1990s it when down hill.same loved it inthe 70s and 80s.

      • ronnie June 2, 2023   Reply

        Hi Barry..did you go to mill hill school mate..I loved my life in the 70s and 80s seemed all nice people all ..played out all day..god i miss it

  • Paul Cryan December 21, 2016   Reply

    I grew up there. Moved there from Town End Farm when I was 2 in 1969, one of the first to move in I think? It was a lovely estate and people from Farringdon thought you were posh if you came from there. All young kids growing up together on new estate meant massive games of football, cricket, Kick the tin or any number of street games. BUT THOSE HOUSES WERE COLD! Ice on the inside of your bedroom window because of NO HEATING upstairs, what were they thinking? Left in 1988 and was rough by then.Place really deteriorated after Hall Farm was built, all of a sudden a new nastier breed of people seemed to appear?? Evocative pictures, great work

    • NorthSands December 21, 2016   Reply

      Thanks Paul, great to hear your experiences growing up there. Would have loved to have experienced the estate in those times first hand. Cheers, Andy.

    • Kim December 21, 2016   Reply

      Thanks Paul!I would love to see pictures of when it was in its prime. There should definitely be somewhere everyone’s old pictures could be put together and viewed by people,would be lovely to look at!People always used to say how posh it was to live there when it was newly built and our generation (born 85) couldn’t believe it . Did you see hall farm getting built too?Thats where I grew up!You must of seen quite a lot of other estates being constructed back then.

  • Carol Elva Carlyon January 21, 2017   Reply

    I think it’s important to mention the plight of all of the people who bought their council houses in the 1980s, only to have to later watch the council demolish the neglected council owned properties around the privately owned houses. People with mortgages to pay off and no hope of ever selling their houses.

  • Gaz. January 22, 2017   Reply

    yes I remember growing up there early 70’s….. we were about 7 I think when we moved to Chester road….. but I always remember it was clean and tidy and full of nice people. Also full of Littel Imps! the cars remember? My first school was just down the pathway, can’t remember what it name was.I think I might have some old pics of Doxford Park. If I find any I can send/post them…..

    Well done this site owner for taking the time and effort to get pictures of ‘old’ Sunderland. I wish (or hope???) you have any of the Ice rink at the leisure centre in the late 70’s early 80’s incase I am in one of them lol.

    I live down south now and I cannot believe they tore it down and put a ships steering wheel or something like that in its place!

  • phil November 6, 2017   Reply

    I moved to doxford park 1969, was first into new school millhill primary, when we first moved in ,no hall farm ,moorside was a building site houses getting built with wood scaffoldind held together with rope,which was used to make rope swings,where morrisons is now,it used to be
    prestos,and before that the cow field, hall farm was built on wheatmans farm, where lidles is now used to be a row of farm cottages,or our play area. The estate was great in them days,lots of flelds around, our nearest paper shop was dodds vg store silksworth,till j clarke opened shop next
    to school and also georges shop near whernside court. Doxford workmans club was just a big hill,to play on,silksworth hall hotel had no houses near, it had open swimming pool,which we could use happy days

    • Ronnie November 22, 2022   Reply

      Them where great days too at mill hill primary school…Mr Hall on the piano…mr Earl Mr Brown were teachers I can remember…wish I was back there to press re set on life knowing what I know now..hahaha

  • Ronnie March 7, 2018   Reply

    best memories of all time …we lived in Tree Court ..football 20 half time and 40 the winner hahaha…bird nesting in doxy park…I know I feel crap for them liitle birds eggs we took….wish I could turn back time ,,great people…respectful and always happy to help..God Bless old Doxy park xx

  • Bryan Calvert July 4, 2020   Reply

    Memories of Doxford Pard I used to word in Binns in the town. Had a fried who also worked there Rita Wright nice person.
    I used drop her off the top road Ryhope she used walk over the grass into her house . I used to think the houses all looked nice.
    But ever think changes.

    • Martyn Powell February 3, 2021   Reply

      Did u have brother went in RAF think his nickname was spice or sprice was in aircadets too

  • Andrew Cheeseborough November 2, 2020   Reply

    The good old days of doxy and good old new years eve parties at our house in Crawford ct miss the place hell of a lot RIP doxy Park club aswell

    • Ronnie November 19, 2022   Reply

      Just read about your New Year’s Eve parties you had… same here people just came in who you didn’t know introduced themselves and you gave them a drink and food… totally trusting them… that wouldn’t happen now…the television would be gone… haha…aye great honest people who probably had nowt but all happy.. look at the world now total mess..take care

  • Lisa Ward January 14, 2021   Reply

    Fantastic imagery.. [all shoots and collections] I don’t remember the houses being that small?!?! But I guess I was only about 5 at the time my gran had a 4 bed in Hamsterley court..Like Paul Cryan, I visited Doxford Park from Town End Farm [Very hard finding images of the flats I lived in there whilst a small kid] and I remember ice on the inside of windows…even on moving to Farringdon in 1979 I recall that ha ha

  • Simon Robinson February 2, 2021   Reply

    we moved in in 1969 before it was finished. My claim to fame was our house was the last one standing when it was demolished. No 5 Shetland Court. Some great memories

  • Martyn powell February 3, 2021   Reply

    Where was Shetland court memory lol was that near the shop I think tony bullmer Steve Johnston Sharon usher Julia shemmings lived up that way I vaguely remember I think Robinson iam 60 now first up 1968 -69 vanguard court

  • Jean Docherty June 13, 2021   Reply

    Great memories growing up in Doxy Park, we moved up from East End 1970 (The Garths) DOCHERTY family, we lived 2 doors from Jimmy Clarkes shop opposite Mill Hill Primary School Hamsterley court, people were so friendly and everyone new everyone back then, then as years went on, went downhill with riff raff tossed in. RIP Doxy Park and residents that lived there too.

    • Ronnie November 25, 2022   Reply

      Did you know the the Lynns on that row …good mate of mine was Brian
      Happy days

  • Emma Robertson December 12, 2021   Reply

    My grandparents lived at 4 Hawkins Court. Many fond memories of that house. It was far from small (4 bedrooms) and I’m sure there were heating vents upstairs, but they may have been a later development. I remember my grandma saying that problem families were being moved in and the place was starting to go down hill. That would have been in the early 90s. Thanks for the article and photos. Sad to see how it was in the final stages.

  • susan sweeney June 23, 2022   Reply

    Hi all. Sue stables here who lived at no 1 Doxford park across from the shop and school. My dad ran a factory called wakewood sunbeds. We moved up in 84/85 from Leyland , Lancashire and both my brother and I attended Ffaringdon High school. Our house was in the paper after we left. Apparently the family left becaus it was said to be haunted. I am trying to find the post in the echo but no look so far. We moved back to Lancashire soon after but have fab memories of Great times in sunderland. The snow, 5p return fares anywhere and the swimming pool.

  • Ronnie October 31, 2022   Reply

    Best times ever at doxford park estate ..can anyone remember Maggie and Johns horse stables…George’s Van…Prestos ..
    Really had the best upbringing as a child there
    Miss is it so …suppose time takes everything away
    Ronnie

  • Phil November 8, 2022   Reply

    Hello Ronnie
    Yes i remember all them, Maggie and Johns stables,horses Blaze,pickles,smokie,king,small shetland called pee wee,cant remember the rest

  • Ronnie November 17, 2022   Reply

    Mind Phil you’ve got some memory … I still drive to the park and run my dog just to bring back the great memories of the place… I do miss it …time bloody flys mate

  • Phil November 21, 2022   Reply

    Hi Ronnie,time certainly flys by,i still have a walk up there myself for old time sake,do you rememer the Haunted house,where the oaks pub got built, and row of cottages where aldi is now,and also in the park next to walled garden,few remains of cottages,thats when we had to sneek in, not a public park in the early days

    • Ronnie November 22, 2022   Reply

      Yes I do remember….We lived next door to mr drenning who was the park keeper when it wasn’t open to public…he and his son let me in and it was immaculate with grey herons on the lawn etc…now it’s shopping trolleys in the water …people have no respect now…ps I used to like the Oaks pub quite friendly…can you remember the snow drifts with our sledge’s and plastic bags…I also have fond memories of mill hill school where I went as a child..great memories Phil

  • Martyn Powell November 22, 2022   Reply

    Is this Ronnie Brown and Philly Winlow Regards Marty Powell

    • Ronnie November 24, 2022   Reply

      No mate Robinson we lived in tree court…god wish I was back there mate…loved it great mam and dad I had mams not Hear now but dad is 86 he is…it’s so sad how time takes everything away..take care

      • Martyn Powell November 24, 2022   Reply

        Yer m8 great time in my life we lived at 1 vanguard happy days my parents have passed away would have been same age as your dad take care

      • Phil January 9, 2023   Reply

        Hello Ronnie
        Did you know the huntlys of tree court no9 i think,i knocked about with Alex

    • Phil January 9, 2023   Reply

      Hi Martyn
      Sorry not Phil winlow, Phil from calder court, i was same year as your sister (karen) if i remember, she will be 60yrs now

      • Martyn Powell January 9, 2023   Reply

        Hi Phil yer she is , I am the oldest of the family .Are you the oldest , what was your surname . Alison Milburn is my cousin same age as Karen , just found our rent book for 1 vanguard court July 1969 great place to grow up

      • ronnie April 21, 2023   Reply

        yes sorry for the delay i knew the Huntleys..Alison i remember..i loves tree court playing footie..apart from old mrs Faith who used to knife the ball when it went in her garden..i forgive you mrs Faith,,hahaha

  • Phil January 14, 2023   Reply

    Hello Martyn
    I rememember Alison, did she live Humber court? i am the youngest ,older sister and brother,surname Watson

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