Penshaw
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(January 2018) |
| Penshaw | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Penshaw Monument, fromHerringtonCountry Park | |
  Penshaw Location withinTyne and Wear | |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HOUGHTON LE SPRING |
| Postcode district | DH4 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Northumbria |
| Fire | Tyne and Wear |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
The village ofPenshawlocally/ˈpɛnʃə/,formerly known asPainshaworPensher,is an area of themetropolitan districtof theCity of Sunderland,inTyne and Wear,England.Historically,Penshaw was located inCounty Durham.
Name and etymology
[edit]The namePenshawwas recorded in the 1190s asPencherand is ofCumbricorigin.<[1]The first element ispen,meaning 'hill' or 'summit' and the second*cerr/*carr- 'stone, hard surface'.[2]
Features
[edit]
Penshaw is well known locally forPenshaw Monument,a prominent landmark built in 1844 atop Penshaw Hill, which is a half-scale replica of theTemple of HephaestusinAthens.Owing to its proximity toDurham City,the area was allocated a Durham postcode,DH4,which forms part of theHoughton-le-Springpost town.It lies about three miles north of Houghton-le-Spring, just over theRiver WearfromWashington.It borders Herrington Country Park and is surrounded by a series of villages: Herrington, Shiney Row, Biddick, Coxgreen and Offerton.
Leisure facilities include the easily accessibleHerringtonCountry Park, which contains a play area,amphitheatre,skateboard park, lake with extensive wildlife and a memorial site to Herrington Colliery which once mined the site for coal. The site hosts public events such as the county show which includes dog shows, face painting and bouncy castles. There are three public houses, The Prospect (original name recently restored), The Monument (formerly The Ship) and The Grey Horse. Though no working men's club remains, a Catholic club is situated on Station Rd.[3]Community facilities include Penshaw Community Centre and All Saints' Church Hall; both organise regular spring and summer events. In the village, at the foot of Penshaw Hill, is Penshaw Equestrian Centre.[4]At the centre of Barnwell is an extensive playing field and young person's play area. Penshaw also has three primary schools within walking distance of one other: Barnwell, New Penshaw and Our Lady Queen of Peace Roman Catholic.
There are two annual events for children, an easter egg rolling competition on Penshaw Hill[5]and ascarecrowhuntScarecrow Trail Eventorganised by the village community.
An annual cross-country event takes place in May or June each year when Sunderland Harriers stage the Penshaw Hill Race[6]with a presentation to the winner and runners up in The Monument public house after the race.[7]
There are extensive views from the top of Penshaw Hill on a clear day:Durham Cathedralto the South West, the coast ofRokerandSeaburnto the East and theCheviot Hillsto the North.
The Hill, as it is known locally, also overlooks Wearside Golf Club, a long-established golf club originating in 1892 and Sunderland AFC's Stadium of Light can also be seen clearly from here.
References
[edit]- ^Bethany Fox, 'The P-Celtic Place-Names of North-East England and South-East Scotland',The Heroic Age,10 (2007),appendix.
- ^"The Brittonic Language in the Old North - A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 August 2017.Retrieved3 July2018.
- ^"Penshaw Tandoori".
- ^"Penshaw Equestrian Centre".penshaw-equestrian.ecpro.co.uk.
- ^"Penshaw Bowl".
- ^"Sunderland Harriers - Promoting Athletics Throughout the NE of England, UK".
- ^"Barker Tipped To Be King Of Penshaw Hill"– via PressReader.
External links
[edit]
Media related toPenshawat Wikimedia Commons