Climbing Penshaw Monument

Last weekend my friend Lauren travelled up from Essex to come and stay.  As this was not her first trip to the North East I'd already taken her to my favourite places so this time I had to think a little harder about where we could spend our Saturday.

It's not always easy coming up with new adventures when you're limited to using public transport but after a bit of research I came up with a plan and we jumped on the Metro heading to Sunderland Interchange to catch a bus out to Penshaw.

Penshaw is a little village outside of Sunderland famous for the Penshaw Monument, a half scale replica of the Greek Temple of Hephaestus that sits on top of Penshaw Hill.  Locals are so proud of the Monument it even features on Sunderland Football Club's badge.  It can be seen for miles and I've often caught a glimpse of it in the distance and wanted to get a closer look.

The Monument was built in 1844 as an honour to the first Earl of Durham and was gifted to the National Trust in 1939.

It is full of really interesting history, legend and tradition.  I love the sound of the yearly event that sees local children climbing to the top of the hill to partake in the "Penshaw Bowl" - a boiled egg rolling competition.  Whoever rolls their egg the furthest wins a prize and this is a game that has been going for many years.

The most famous legend is the one of the Lambton Worm which was said to live coiled around Penshaw Hill, only stirring to terrorise the villagers of Penshaw below.  Apparently if you look carefully you can see the marks where the giant worm once slept.

Hidden in one of the pillars of the Monument are some secret stairs leading to the top.   For many years locals and visitors could freely climb to the top of the Monument for spectacular views across Tyne & Wear and Durham.   Tragically in 1926 a 15 year old boy fell to his death from the top of the Monument and after an inquest the doors to the top were closed.

They remained shut for 85 years until the National Trust reopened the stairs in 2011.  You can now climb the Monument during the Summer months.  Unfortunately we'd missed that by a few weeks so had to make do with taking a look at the giant structure from the bottom.

I will admit  I was a little disappointed by how easy the climb up the hill to the Monument was.  I'd been expecting a tough up hill hike to earn myself some cake (one track mind!) but instead it was a short walk up a few steps to the very top.   

Luckily the Monument itself did not let me down.   It towered 66 foot above us and looked beautiful against the clear blue sky.  

We walked round it enjoying the views before climbing the few steps into the main floor of the temple.  I loved how you could see gorgeous scenery peaking out between the pillars.

After enjoying the lovely views, we made the quick walk down the hill and headed straight to the Penshaw Tearoom that sits at the bottom.

As it was lunchtime I decided against having cake and opted for something savoury instead.  There were some delicious looking quiches and pies displayed on the counter that I had been tempted by until I saw several flies buzzing round them and crawling on the food. Such a shame as this could easily be prevented by covering them up properly. 

As those were definitely off my list I turned my attention to the substantial list of sandwiches, paninis and wraps on offer.  With a huge range of cold and hot fillings to pick from they certainly have an impressive looking menu for lunchtime.   I decided on a Tuna Melt Toastie, a great lunch time treat for £4.40 and Lauren chose a Pesto, Tomato and Mozzarella Panini for £4.90.

The Tearoom was very popular with a bum on every seat indoors so we decided to have our food outside. Luckil,y the weather was beautiful with warm sunshine and clear skies. It felt amazing to be sitting outside without a coat in October.   I loved the garden in the Tea Room, we were sitting near a feeder full of birds which I enjoyed watching and we had a great view of Penshaw Monument.

Despite being told there might be a wait for our food due to the crowds inside we were impressed with how quickly our lunch arrived at our table.   Our sandwiches were served with homemade coleslaw, side salad and crisps which was a nice addition to the plate.   My toasted sandwich did the job and I happily wolfed it down.

I was less impressed with my diet coke which came served with a small glass that was very old and scratched, giving it a slightly dirty look so I stuck to drinking out of the can.

We enjoyed our food but I was a little baffled by the popularity of the Tearoom.  Maybe if I'd had some cake I would have felt differently.

To walk off our food we crossed the road to Herrington Country Park which offered a nice large space for a good stroll round and some more beautiful views of the Monument.

I really enjoyed my day visiting a North East icon and learning a bit more history about my new home.