Penshaw

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Penshaw Monument, from Herrington Country Park

Penshaw Monument, from the south

The village of Penshaw (IPA: /'pɛn,ʃə/) is an area of the Sunderland Metropolitan Borough, about three miles north-by-east of Houghton-le-Spring, just over the River Wear from Washington. It derives its name from the British Pen, meaning hill or ridge, and the Saxon Shaw, a wood or thicket; thus Penshaw is the wooded hill.

Penshaw is well-known locally for the Penshaw Monument, a prominent landmark atop a hill which is a replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens.

It was built in 1844 in honour of John George Lambton.

There are 18 pillars, each 6ft 6ins in diameter. In one pillar is a spiral staircase (long since blocked off) that leads to a walkway around the roof.

Penshaw was the birthplace of local comedy folk hero Bobby Thompson.

Penshaw is also the birthplace of the legendary IT Whizzkid Alisdair Duffner

Joseph Norman (of Sakura and Full Circle) currently resides here.

This Tyne and Wear location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.