The River Wear (pronounced Wee-er) is a river in the North East of England. The River rises at Wearhead in County Durham, and meanders through Weardale passing through the market towns of Stanhope, which is famous for the ford across the river and on through Wolsingham. At Bishop Auckland the Wear then passes below Auckland Castle, the Official Residence of the Bishop of Durham and its Deer Park. Also overlooking the Wear at this point is Binchester Roman Fort, Vinovia. The River Wear then continues flowing in a general northeasterly direction until it reaches the ancient university city of Durham. Here, the river forms a peninsula upon which stand the imposing medieval sites of Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. The Cathedral which contains the final resting place of St.Cuthbert and the City of Durham is now officially recognised as a World Heritage Site.

The route of the River Wear the passes Finchale Priory,Chester-le-Street and the new town of Washington, before reaching Sunderland. It is here that the River Wear once boasted dozens of, now largely derelict, shipyards, which contributed to making Sunderland one of the most productive shipbuilding town's on the planet. The River Wear flows out of Sunderland between Roker Pier and South Pier, and into the North Sea.

See also

• Rivers of the United Kingdom