no elephants here

Penshaw Monument provides a backdrop for the Toy Dolls

Iron Age Monument?

According to Brigantes Nation Penshaw Monument is built with Roman stone on the site of a much earlier Iron Age fort….

Penshaw Hill is a hill fort so far missed by archaeology because of a later addition – A mock greek temple. Because of this little is known about it other than the physical and some limited documentary evidence. Penshaw is the only triple rampart Iron Age hill fort known to exist in the north of England. It has a similar feel to Almondbury, and probably dates from the early to mid Iron Age. To add to the mistique, Penshaw Monument, which is built on top, may have been built using stone taken from a Roman dam at Sunderland.

Penshaw Hill Iron Age Evidence

mymarras in the Durham pit villages

mymarras in the Durham pit villages is a heritage website which aims to cover all aspects of the local history of New Herrington, Newbottle, Penshaw, Shiney Row, Houghton and many more.

Shiney Row, Penshaw and Biddick Woods in 2001 (long version)

Originally made to send to relatives who’d emigrated from Penshaw to Australia… it’s a snapshot of Penshaw in 2001. Features New and Old Penshaw, Penshaw Monument, Penshaw Village and Biddick Woods, Shiney Row.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/penshaw-shiney-row-sunderland/3786462102

Lots of photos of the area at www.chrislongley.com

Wynyard Hall

Ok, what’s the connection?

Well, Wynyard Hall, the home of the Londonderrys, was built with stone from Penshaw Quarry, adjacent to Penshaw Monument – the plaque under its portico says so.

It’s a fine building, latterly owned by Sir John Hall of Newcastle United Football Club and Metrocentre fame.

Lambton Worm

Tony says:
“A dialect story song from around the River Wear, about a myth from the North East of England about a huge ‘worm’ or serpent that was caught by Lord Lambton and cast down a well in County Durham. While he went to fight in the Crusades it grew and devoured everything that it could. He heard of the monster and returned and killed it. The legend goes that since he didn’t follow the instructions to the letter to kill it, every male member of the line of Lambton was doomed and cursed to an untimely end.
“Whisht” means be quiet and listen.
“Haad Ya Gobs” means hold your mouth and be silent.
“He couldn’t Fash to Carry it hyem” means he couldn’t be bothered to bring it home.
There are many different terms of local dialect that are not as frequently used as in the past but they colour this old song beautifully.
When I was younger this was the kind of song that we were made to sing at school so it has taken a long time to review and regard its merits as a good bit of local legend wrapped in an enjoyable, catchy song”

Rocky visits Penshaw

When it snows, and you fancy going sledging..

…what you need is a nice big hill nearby….

taken in 2006.

Views from Penshaw Hill and of Penshaw Village in 2001

Old Penshaw, Penshaw Village plus views of Washington, Shiney Row, Herrington etc. Filmed in 2001

View from Newbottle

View from Newbottle, inc Shiney Row, Penshaw, Durham as the landscape looked in June 2000