AN 18th Century churchyard has been restored and officially opened to the public.

The churchyard at the Holy Trinity Church, Church Street East - the first parish church in the city - was landscaped with the help of £50,000 from Sunderland City Council funds.

As well as the newly-planted evergreens, shrubs and lawns, visitors will be able to enjoy reminders of the city's history with restored memorial stones.

These include one to naval hero Jack Crawford, whose outstanding bravery on the HMS Venerable in 1797 gained acclaim from King George III.

The other is to Reverend Robert Gray, whose compassion towards the sick and poor during the cholera and typhus outbreak in the 1830s cost him his life.