Hylton Castle will feature on the guided tour of Sunderland

There are currently a small number of officially arranged walks through the city.

But Living History North East (LHNE) says it is time Sunderland actively promoted its heritage to boost its image, attract visitors, and generate business.

The group is bidding for �500,000 of heritage lottery funding to set up a base in an 18th century school building in the city's East End.

Guided tours and walks are already popular in neighbouring Newcastle and Durham.

But LHNE co-ordinator Janette Hilton says Sunderland has to do more to compete for tourist cash.

She said: "Sunderland has a lot to offer. The city has a huge shipbuilding and industrial heritage.

"There are fantastic historical sites and buildings like Hylton Castle to see and we want the chance to be able to show these to people."

Ms Hilton said work had to be done to capitalise on more modern additions to the city, such as the National Glass Centre.