Roker Pier & Lighthouse has protected the entrance into Sunderland's harbour with the pier, and distinctive red and grey granite hoops of the lighthouse, as one of the City's most iconic landmarks. Built between 1885 and 1903 when Sunderland was a major British port, Roker Pier & Lighthouse represented a ‘triumph of engineering’ by Henry Hay Wake, with the logistics of building the striking landmark resulting in solutions ahead of their time. In 2012, extensive restoration of the pier, tunnel and lighthouse began funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Sunderland City Council