Doxford House

54°52′06″N 1°25′01″W / 54.86844°N 1.41686°W / 54.86844; -1.41686Construction started1775

Doxford House is an 18th-century mansion in the Silksworth area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.^[1]

Formerly known as Silksworth House, it was constructed in 1775–1780 by William Johnson who on his death in 1792 bequeathed the property to his friend Hendry Hopper. In 1831 Priscilla Hopper, then heiress to the estate, married William Beckwith of Thurcroft. He was High Sheriff of Durham in 1857.^[2] The Beckwiths moved to Shropshire in about 1890 and the house was let out.

In 1902, Charles David Doxford of William Doxford & Sons, brother of Theodore Doxford, took out a 99-year lease on the 24-acre (97,000 m²) estate. On his death in 1935, his daughter, Aline, bought out the lease. On her death in 1968, she bequeathed the house and estate to Sunderland Corporation who gave the house its present name and turned the gardens into Doxford Park.^[3]

In 1989, the house became a students’ hall of residence for Sunderland University and from about 2000 to 2006 was occupied by the Lazarus Foundation, a drug rehabilitation charity.^[4] It was later converted into a private home.^[5]^[6]

References

^ English Heritage: architectural description of listed building
^ "City's secret garden set for revival - with a little help from its friends". February 2020.
^ "History of Sunderland's 'Secret Garden' now set in stone - Sunderland Echo". Archived from the original on 24 September 2018.
^ Cash-strapped rehab unit closes (22 February 2006). BBC, accessed 3 July 2008
^ "Doxford House: Historic mansion of Sunderland shipbuilding family set to become family home once more)". Sunderland Echo. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
^ "City's secret garden set for revival - with a little help from its friends". February 2020.

External links

The Friends of Doxford Park

Listed buildings in the City of Sunderland

v t e Grade I
Sunderland	Holy Trinity Church Hylton Castle & Chapel Phoenix Lodge St Andrew's Church St Peter's Church
Washington	Washington Old Hall
Houghton-le-Spring	Penshaw Monument St Michael and All Angels Church

v t e Grade II*
Sunderland	Doxford House Fulwell Acoustic Mirror Fulwell Mill Sunderland Minster Monkwearmouth Station Museum Old South Pier Ryhope Pumping Station & Chimney St George's Church Empire Theatre 11 Church Street East
Houghton-le-Spring	Houghton Hall Houghton Rectory Kepier School Victoria Viaduct

Grade II

Sunderland

City Centre	Sunderland Museum St Mary's Church Mowbray Almshouses Sunderland County Court Corder House and Sydenham House Elephant Tea Rooms Green's Public House The Isis Sunderland Gas Board Galen Building Fitzgerald's Public House Wearmouth Bridge River Wear Commission Building St Mary's Building Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge Sunderland Magistrates' Court Hawksley House Victoria Hall Disaster Memorial Sunderland War Memorial Burdon Road Masonic Temple 4–25 Foyle Street 28–40 and 43–48 West Sunnside Medieval Arch & Wall Central Buildings Former General Post Office Former Custom House Maritime Buildings 19, 20, 29 and 30 Villiers Street West Park Church 17–29, 32–42 & 45–58 Frederick Street Mowbray Park (certain buildings) Midland Bank National Westminster Bank Barclays Bank Lloyds Bank 11–17, 20–23 25–28 and 45–58 John Street 2 & 3 Mary Street 3–5 Albion Place 19 & 31–33 Norfolk Street 3 & 22 Athenaeum Street Hutchinson's Buildings The Londonderry The Dun Cow 1–7, 105–112, 114–118, 145, 170–173, 176, 211, 212 and 214–217 High Street West 49–51 High Street East
Monkwearmouth and Southwick	Monkwearmouth Library Monkwearmouth College Wheatsheaf Hotel North East Railway Stables Holy Trinity Church St Columba's Church Hebron Church 6 Back North Bridge Street 57 and 58 Barclay Street Southwick Limekilns The Tramcar Inn Thompson Memorial Southwick War Memorial 65–95 James Armitage Street All Saints' Church
Ryhope and Burdon	Railway Inn Ryhope Grange Farmhouse St Paul's Church The Chestnuts and The Wilderness Burdon Hall The Railway Inn 14 Cliff Road Ryhope War Memorial Coqueda Hall Ryhope Rent Office Ryhope Pumping Station
Ashbrooke and Thornholme	Bede Tower Sunderland Synagogue Christ Church West Hendon House St John's Church Carlton House Langham Tower Ashburne House The Crofts Gray House St George's House 3–7 Douro Terrace Valebrooke Gardens Westburn House 1–29 Thornhill Terrace 1–15 Grange Crescent 1–9 The Esplanade Burdon House 1–16 St Bede's Terrace 1–24 Park Place East and West Park Road Methodist Church
Hendon and Grangetown	Hendon Gas Works Quayside Exchange St Aidan's Church Trafalgar Square Merchant Seaman's Almshouses St Ignatius Church Tavistock House Sunderland Orphanage 10 Church Street East Salisbury Street Steps Sunderland Cemetery (certain buildings) Former Methodist Manse Bethesda Free Church 17–23 Murton Street 3–19 Ridley Terrace North Dock (walls and mooring posts) Hudson Dock (certain buildings) Sunderland Harbour South Pier Whylam Wharf Bonded Warehouse
Barnes and Humbledon	Barnes School St Gabriel's Church Kayll Road Library Children's Hospital Humbledon Pumping Station Hill House Bishopwearmouth Cemetery (certain buildings) Barnes Park Bandstand
Deptford, Millfield and Pallion	The Mountain Daisy Public House St Joseph's Church Queen Alexandra Bridge St Mark's Church St Luke's Church Laing Fountain Webster's Ropery
Silksworth and Tunstall	Silksworth Hall Tunstall Lodge Silksworth Cottage Tunstall School Tunstall Hope Lodge
North Hylton and South Hylton	The Shipwrights South Hylton War Memorial The Golden Lion Hylton House 41 & 42 High Street St Mary's Church
Fulwell, Roker and Whitburn Bents	Fulwell Pumping Station The Bents Mere Knolls Cemetery (certain buildings) Roker Park Bandstand Roker Park Drinking Fountain Roker Pier & Lighthouse Andover Fulwell Limekilns 160, 162 & 164 Newcastle Road
Middle and East Herrington	Crow Lane Farmhouse Greystones Ivy House

Washington

Blue House Villa
'F' Pit
The Old Hall Smithy
Low Barmston Farmhouse
Red Hill House
Usworth Hall
Fatfield House
Our Blessed Lady Immaculate Church, Washington

Certain buildings in/on: Peareth Hall Road
The Avenue

Houghton-le-Spring

Houghton-le-Spring	Davenport and Lilburne Almshouses Lilburn House Gilpin House The Villa The Rectory St Michael's Church The Old Mill Laburnum House Houghton Mines Rescue Station High Farm House St Cuthbert's Church Stoneygate Pumping Station Philadelphia Power Station Certain buildings in/on: Nesham Place Front Street, Newbottle Philadelphia Lane
Hetton-le-Hole	St Nicholas' Church, Hetton-le-Hole St Nicholas House Easington Lane War Memorial Pithead Baths Smithy Primitive Methodist Church
Newbottle	Russell House Newbottle Working Men's Club St Matthew's Church, Newbottle Cellar Hill House
Penshaw	All Saints' Church Penshaw House Alice Well Accommodation Arch Boundary Stone