Sunderland was once a cluster of distinct villages, seperate by farms and country houses. Barnes Park was home to one such called 'Low Barnes', separating it from a 'High Barnes' which stood over on Ettrick Grove. They were previously part of the same estate until the 17th century.

Now the estate has deep medieval roots, first recorded back in the 14th century an possibly named after a set of barns owned by the Manor of Humbledon. Over time it was owned by various players including the Bishop of Durham, the Daltons, the Bowes and the Ettrick's. The head of the latter family was William who was the Collector for the Port of Sunderland.

By the late 18th century this portion of land was claimed by the Pemberton's, and it certainly appears to be them who constructed the house thanks to its late Georgian style. The Pemberton's had vast landowning interests across Durham including Ramside Hall, maintaining their wealth through industry leasing, specifically coal and glass. Around 40 years after constructing this family they went on to sink the deepest mine the world had ever seen - Wearmouth Colliery. Both the colliery and the drops were an innovation unseen elsewhere, providing them even greater riches.

The Pemberton's owned this site, alongside Hawthorn Towers outside Seaham, into the late 19th century. They hosted garden parties here for hundreds, and its exterior will certainly have been the centrepiece - stuccoed brickwork and its classical porch and sash windows. By the 1890s though they took much less regard for it, and by then was occupied by a laundry company.

John S G Pemberton, the Vice Chancellor of Durham Uni and the MP for Sunderland between 1900 and 1906, donated part of the site to construct a children's hospital. 3 years later it was then claimed for and by the town to become Barnes Park. The house remained in the grounds until the 20s, when it was almost entirely demolished. Only the gateway survives, and the plot is now occupied by bowling greens and play parks.