Poetry
in the park...
Linda France worked with local community groups
and writers clubs in and around Sunderland to
produce poetry that reflects the history and future of
Mowbray Park and people’s experiences of the park
during their lives.
Words written by local people can be seen on 80
brass plaques sited on benches around the park.
Do the ducks watch people back?
Leaves fall, petals wither, seasons come and go.
Can a tiger scare away love?
Show me where it’s always summer.
Monuments
Monument to Jack Crawford
Percy Wood (1890) bronze
Sunderland lad Jack Crawford served aboard the warship HMS
Venerable during the Battle of Camperdown in 1797. A
cannonball from the Dutch ship shot away the topmast and the
flag or ‘colours’ fell to the deck. Brave Jack climbed the mast to
nail the colours back to the mast and showed the British were still
engaged in the battle, leading to a crucial victory.
City Services Events Team
Telephone 0191 561 8433 or visit
www.sunderlandevents.com
Tel: 0191 553 4690
www.twmuseums.org/sunderland
To book a sculpture tour for your school or group please contact
the Sunderland & Winter Gardens on 0191 553 2323 or visit
www.twmuseums.org.uk/sunderland
Monument to John Candlish
Charles Bacon (1875) bronze
A famous Sunderland philanthropist, John Candlish (1816 – 1874)
owned a bottle-making and food export businesses in Sunderland
in the 1800s. After working as a councillor to reform the sanitary
conditions of the town, he became an MP for Sunderland in 1866
and helped to found a free lending library for his factory workers.
Major-General Sir Henry Havelock
William Behnes (1861) bronze
Sir Henry havelock (1795 – 1857) was born at BishopWearmouth. His role in the Indian mutiny of 1857 earned him
considerable press in England. He was held up as an example of
military excellence and devout character, becoming a popular
hero, which led to him being created Knight then Baron in late
1857.
Burdon Road A1018
Will my finger still fit in the ragged white rock?
Historical
For further information on events and activities in Mowbray Park,
please contact:
in the heart of Sunderland
A safe harbour.
Cannons - sounds and visions.
Why is stillness so loud?
The Public Art in Mowbray Park was commissioned through the
Sunderland Public Art Programme.
Public art and
history
Victoria Hall Disaster Memorial
W.G. Brooker (1884) marble
The marble statue of the grieving mother holding her dead child
represents the 183 lives lost in the Victoria Hall Disaster. Victoria
Hall was a large concert hall in Sunderland which hosted a
children’s variety show on 16 June 1883. Rushing downstairs to
collect gifts being given away from the stage, the children were
tragically crushed against an exit door which was bolted shut.
com16107
Public art and history
1. The sundial was donated by the
Friends of Sunderland Museums
(FOSUMS).
Stand on the dateline and watch
your shadow tell the time.
2. Dive into the roar of the White Lion
Sea.
Alec Peever
At the end of the White Walk, over
the bridge the traffic roars and
under the bridge there is a path
down to the sea. Mowbray Park’s
famous stone lion is still vivid in the
memory.
3. In the silver mirror of the moon, will
you find a toad, throat shining with
diamonds?
Alec Peever
According to legend, in the late
17th century in the area that was
Mowbray Park, a man found a large
toad with a lump on its head the
size of an egg full of diamonds. The
words are magical, mysterious,
suggesting there are riches to be
found even in the most
unpromsing situations.
4. The temple bell stops but the
sound keeps ringing out of the
flowers.
Alec Peever
This is a new version of a classical
Japanese poem. It reflects the myth
that a large bell used to stand in
the Park and be rung at closing
time. Or did it?
Sunderland
Museum & Winter
Gardens
1-6 Artist Alec Peever worked closely with poet, Linda France to design and fabricate a series of stonecarved features. The overall theme of the text is truth and illusion, inspired by the work of Lewis Carroll
and traditional Victorian whimsy. Mowbray Park has many different meanings, past, present and future.
It is a place for pleasure and reflection, company and solitude, a green oasis in the heart of the city,
constantly changing with time, the weather and the seasons.
5. On open sea or dry land, nail your
colours to the mast.
Alec Peever
Jack Crawford, a local sailor who
fought against the Dutch in the Battle
of Camperdown in 1797, saved Britain
from invasion by nailing the Admiral’s
colours to the mast. He became a
national hero.
6. Mallard - reeb
Goldeneye - kah-kah-kah
Alec Peever
The names of some common native
ducks and their calls (plus the
ubiquitous seagull) are carved into
small house-shaped markers set
amongst the trees, alongside the lake.
7. Rustic Swan House
Roger Dickinson
The Swan House was designed and
produced specifically for Mowbray
Park lake. Its roof echoes that of its
neighbour, the Sunderland Museum
& Winter Gardens.
8. Rose Arbours
Craig Knowles
If love was a lion,
It would purr like iron,
Burn bright as Orion.
If love was a rose,
We’d watch how it grows,
Learn all the secrets it knows.
The poetry refers to the long tradition
of ‘courting’ in the park. The rose itself
is an enduring symbol of love.
9. Play area
Richard Caink
Richard carved sculptural features for
the children’s play area using elm
trees felled from the park during the
redevelopment. Riddles from ‘Alice in
Wonderland’ and ‘Through the
Looking Glass’ are incorporated into
the pieces.
10. Medieval Arch and Door
Karl Fisher
Karl was commissioned to produce a
wood and wrought iron door for the
Medieval Arch. The original was
thought to have been retrieved from
Bishop-Wearmouth Rectory in 1856.
11. Bronze Walrus
Andrew Burton
A life-size bronze walrus has been
designed and cast by artist Andrew
Burton. It is local tradition that Lewis
Carroll wrote ‘The Walrus and the
Carpenter’ after visiting Sunderland
Museum.
12. Entrance Gates
Wendy Ramshaw OBE
International jewellery designer
Wendy Ramshaw was commissioned
to design the new entrance gates for
Mowbray Park.