Transformation breathes new life into birthplace of Sunderland AFC

It is the birthplace of Sunderland AFC that went on to have a very chequered history - but Norfolk Hotel has risen from the ashes with the completion of the first phase of a major transformation.

- by Katy Wheeler

This week sees the launch of The Townhouse, created in a townhouse that formed part of the old hotel.

Twenty percent of the overall £500,000 project, it's seen the creation of 12 high-quality workspaces, with eight of those already let to a range of businesses, from a potter to tattoo artists.

HISTORY

Dating back to the mid 1800s, with a new entrance created in 1900, the building, in Norfolk Street, has a long history in the city, from the building where SAFC was created at a meeting in 1879, to its time as a grand hotel, the site of many weddings, and, in more recent years, as a hostel.

Although many of its original features remain, the site had been seriously neglected and fallen into a state of disrepair, becoming something of a white elephant in the city centre.

Sunderland-based Marengo Estates took over the 15,000sqft hotel and its 45 bedrooms back in 2022, with ambitious plans to repurpose the site for the future.