St Peters Sculpture trail runs along part of the Coast to Coast cycle route in Sunderland. Created between 1991-2001 by sculptor Colin Wilbourn and writer Chaz Brenchley, who worked alongside residents to highlight Sunderlands past. Sculptures include Taking flight which was meant to be five stages of a cormorant taking flight, but only three remain, A collection of books to represent the venerable Bede, the shadow of a hammerhead crane and three doors, Past, Present & Future. You will also see some pretty cool structures that have been left over the years and various other finds.
We usually park at the National Glass centre and start the trail just under the Bridge and work our way along from there. The area is ideal to take the dog for a lovely early morning stroll or enjoy a walk with the family. We like to get an early start. On your walk you will see various sculptures dotted around that tell a story and they are really pretty.
You can take in the view of the river which is surprisingly clear, and admire the view of the Wearmouth Bridge, towering over you from above.
Today we decided to get down for our walk early, as the further along towards Roker you get, the busier it gets. Today we were lucky to see a group of Cormorants,Oyster catchers, rowers and various fishing boats. If you are there at the right time you will catch the fishermen coming back in with their finds for the day. As someone that used to go fishing with my Father when I was a little girl, I have witnessed the ever changing views. I always spot something new on our walks.
Working your way back down towards the National Glass centre you will continue forwards, basically you are just following the white safety railings that go around the edge of the river which will lead you to the Marina. We usually spend ages looking at the boats and yachts here, Elliot and Toby always have lots of Questions. At the Marina you will find a few places to grab some food such as the Snow Goose and Marina Vista. Continuing to follow the railings all the way round will lead you to Roker Beach. There are plenty of benches to stop at and enjoy the views. The Marina is also home to the RNLI lifeboat station. The oldest operational lifeboat station in Great Britain!
Roker beach will provide you with fairly clean, accessible for all toilets, various eateries, the beautiful beach that stretches for miles and a really cool children's play area. Today it was pretty busy as the weather was nice and warm, however, you are still able to socially distance safely. The only negatives I have on the whole area is the lack of poop bins for the dog waste, which has to go into the normal bins. From Roker beach you can follow the road back along to the Glass centre. In all, if you take your time and enjoy the area, your walk can last around 2-3 hours.
HOW TO SPEND A DAY IN THE AREA (as long as places are open due to covid)
Visit
Roker Beach
Roker Park
Seaburn Beach
Seaburn Amusements
Banana Joes
There are various restaurants with a wide range of foods available including Ice Cream parlours and places to get Slush, Candy Floss and our favourites Flying Saucers.
Please Note some of the beaches at this time of the year are not allowing dogs. Please check the maps provided in the areas to find out more.
Important info
*Please note you need a license to fish here.
*Toilets are located at Roker Beach quite a walk from The National Glass Centre (toilets in The National Glass Centre when it is open
*Most of the footpaths also double as cycle routes, so keep an eye out for bikes.
*Accessible for all
*Restaurants and cafes dotted about. Plenty of places for Ice Cream.
*Car Parking Charges apply
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