The Dun Cow

About The Dun Cow

The Dun Cow stands on the corner of High Street West, next to the Sunderland Empire and The Fire Station. The present building dates from 1901-02, designed by the architect Benjamin F. Simpson for the brewers R. Deuchar Ltd, and replaced an earlier pub that had stood on the site since at least the 1830s. It is Grade II listed, with Dutch gables and a domed corner clock tower, and its interior is recorded on CAMRA's inventory of historic pub interiors.

The building was bought in 2014 by the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust and restored over a twenty-week project, including the ornate bar-back with its etched panels and bevelled mirrors, and it was a national winner in the 2015 pub design awards. Today it serves a changing range of real ales, mostly from North East microbreweries, plus real cider, and has a function room upstairs. Its position makes it a natural stop before or after a show.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature The Dun Cow.

The History of the Sunderland Empire Theatre

From Vesta Tilley's opening night in 1907 to Tommy Steele, the Beatles, Sid James and today's touring musicals: the story of the Sunderland Empire on High Street West.

A History of Sunderland's High Street: From the East End to Fawcett Street

How Sunderland's shopping streets grew from the old East End along High Street to Fawcett Street, with the stories of Binns, Joplings, the trams, the Empire and the city centre's recent changes.

A Weekend in Sunderland: A 48-Hour Itinerary

A two-day plan for Sunderland: St Peter's and the riverside, Roker Pier and the seafront, a night on High Street West, then Penshaw, Washington Old Hall and Mowbray Park.

Sunderland's Oldest Pubs: Historic Inns Still Pouring Today

Nine historic Sunderland pubs still trading in 2026, from the Grade II* tiled rooms of the Mountain Daisy to riverside Deptford locals and the Edwardian bars of High Street West.

Best Restaurants in Sunderland

Where to eat in Sunderland city centre and Sunniside, from family-run Italian and pan-Asian cooking by the river to tacos, pho and pre-theatre dinners on High Street West.

Best Pubs in Sunderland

A guide to Sunderland's city-centre pubs, from the Grade II listed Dun Cow and the Peacock on High Street West to real ale locals on Green Terrace, Stockton Road and Silksworth Row.