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Sunderland's
Winter Gardens
The idea of a Winter
Garden has always appealed - childhoods visiting the Winter House at
Avery Hill Park obviously left their mark. So when I heard that
Sunderland had a Winter garden I was straight there. It was not
as disappointing as the one at Weston Super Mare, I'm happy to say.
Don't forget the Newcastle and Coast pages.
More soon.
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| Feeling guilty about my lack of local knowledge
after all this time, I drove out one Sunday to find Sunderland's
recently restored Winter Gardens. This cylindrical thing over the
lake, is it. |
There was once a fabulous Victorian conservatory
attached to the end of this building, on the far left. Perhaps
'restored' is the wrong term, since they simply tore it down and built
a new one. |
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| It's pretty good inside, if rather small. |
I was lucky and escaped before
the gang of bored kids began their chase all round the metal
galleries. It had a pleasant coffee shop though so I was able to
read my Sunday Times and watch the wardens try to shoo the hooligans
away. |
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| The gardens outside were nicely
landscaped in that restrained way which tells you the Council knows
it'll all be periodically ripped up by local thugs: nothing
expensive on view and everything concreted down. |
Still, it was diverting enough, and
free. I had a wander through nearby streets and on the basis that
it looked like Dartford - all one-pound markets and shops -have vowed
never to visit again. My car was still there when I got back, to
my relief. |
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This page was last updated on 12/02/05