The North East Again - May Contain Sculptures

The weather still wasn’t perfect for a trundle from the hotel into Sunderland City Centre but as it’s my last day away needs must. 

From the hotel I made my way along the proms, grabbing a couple of photos on the way, and then round past the marina to the riverbank. There are several sculptures to be seen along here, some of which may feature in a future project, probably the most famous is Molly, the shipyard welder, but the most appropriately situated is Codex Amiatinus since the backdrop includes shelves of books in one of the University buildings.

There were three copies of the original Codex, the world’s oldest surviving Latin vulgate bible, prepared by the monks of the combined  Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Monastery in around 700AD; one copy survives in the Laurentian Library in Florence. 

I stopped at St Peter’s Church to get a cup of coffee from the Bede’s Bakery tearoom and had a look round. Parts of the building are from the earlier monastery but most is a later build, towards the altar is where the scriptorium would have stood and where the Codex, or parts of it,  may have been scribed (some people ascribe the whole of the work to Wearmouth, my view is such a huge work was more likely carried out at both monastic sites). 

The West Door dates back to the 7th Century.

Part of the recent redevelopment of the City Centre included a new footbridge, the Keel Crossing, and leading up to it is the Keel Line, listing all the known ships to have been built on the Wear. I had two targets to spot, one of which was the collier the SS Joseph Swan, launched by S.P.Austin and Son in 1938 for the London Power Co. She was sunk in September 1940 by a torpedo from an S Boat off Harwich; there was one survivor but a family member, the Chief Engineer, William Schofield, was killed. 

Another sculpture is Workers of the Wear, images from the area on a rotating “propellor“, it’s possible my Uncle Fred is in a picture of shipyard plumbers.

A photo of the gentleman in this picture is on the sculpture.

I was starting to tire a bit and decided it was lunchtime so I popped into the Keel Tavern for a pint of their house ale, the beer was nice and the barmaid was very friendly and helpful, before recrossing the river to Sheepfolds Stables. This is another piece of regeneration, in the shadow of the football stadium, where a derelict set of buildings have been turned into a hospitality venue hosting various food and drink options; my target was Si King’s Propa Pies, the Chicken, Bacon and Leek was definitely “propa” served with creamy mash and tasty gravy. 

From there it was very much a case of trundling back to the hotel, taking advantage of the dedicated cycle tracks to wind the scooter up in 8mph Class 3 mode. An oddity in the law means I can do this on a separated cycle track but can’t enter a cycle lane that’s only delineated by a white line! 

I ended the day with rump steak cooked just hire I like it followed by cheese and biscuits - a perfect end to the holiday.