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One of my favourite things about being in Sunderland is Mowbray Park. A beautiful slice of fresh air in the middle of a busy and growing city. The park holds so much charm to me.
I took a morning to myself to spend some time within the park. I entered from the side where Wetherspoons is and the entrance to the Winter Gardens. It was only 8.30am so Winter Gardens wasn’t open yet and the whole area was quiet, minus the noise of the buses and the cars. The gates are a lovely blue colour and I like the lively feel to that, even if it wasn’t.
The first thing my eyes are drawn to is the pond with a water feature in the middle. I love ponds because they are always full of ducks and it's a relaxing space to sit and enjoy the fresh air. I sat down on a bench next to the pond and appreciated how lucky I am to experience an early morning at this park.
Just past the pond, I found a memorial for the Victorian Hall Disaster 1883 where 183 children lost their lives. I was aware of this disaster from doing some research into it, but seeing the memorial and picturing the disaster happening in this park got to me. I am glad the memorial exists so the 183 children aren’t forgotten as it was such a tragedy to hit Sunderland.
I continued my wander past the pond and came across a bridge. The bridge was quite steep and had a sign that said 'not suitable for wheelchairs' which was my only part of disappointment for this park, as it is so easy to make sure a bridge is wheelchair accessible, but I did find there was another way to get to that part of the park so I was less upset by that knowledge.
Over that bridge took me to where I could get a first look at the new play park that recently opened in the park. My first thought was “I wish I had this park as a kid.” It was full of life and colour and a very big slide which I would have been straight on if I was still a kid. As it was very early, there weren't any children in the park but I bet this park gets so busy after school and on weekends for how exciting it looks.
I moved across to this big path where I had such a nice view back to the entrance and the pond. I love when I can take the whole atmosphere in and that was such a nice moment for it. Everything was so quiet and nothing else mattered to me but my connection to the park.
I came across another monument, this time for John Candlish. I recognised the name from a street in Sunderland named after him, but I wasn’t fully sure what he did while he was alive so I did some research. I found that he had a business in glass bottle making and was the MP who opened Mowbray Park in 1857. I wouldn’t have found this out without the memorial of him. I love being able to come across new people to learn about, as remembering our history is so important to me.
I slowly headed towards the exit of the park to go back to my day-to-day tasks. I feel like I achieved so much more than just a walk, I have felt a peace in this short break away from life. The park is like a whole other world when you compare it to what is just outside the borders. I recommend anyone to take at least half-an-hour one day a week dedicated to spending time in your local park to enjoy the air and peace. You never know what you may come across or learn on the way.
Header Image: The bronze walrus in Mowbray Park - with links to Lewis Carroll (Aura Stephenson)
