Monkwearmouth is located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear.

It includes the area around St. Peter's Church, founded in 674[1] as part of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, and was once the main centre of Wearside shipbuilding and coalmining in the town.

[2] The borough stretches from Wearmouth Bridge to the harbour mouth on the north side of the river and is one of the oldest parts of Sunderland.

Wearmouth Colliery, a coal mine, was closed in December 1993 after it had been in operation for over 100 years.

[3] Monkwearmouth was part of the Sunderland North parliamentary constituency for elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.