Washington
Old Hall is a manor house in Washington, Tyne and Wear. The manor was the
ancestral home of the family of George Washington, who was the 1st
president of the USA. The hall fell into disrepair in the 19th
century, with restoration beginning in 1937. Work was completed in 1955, and the
house was given to the National Trust two years later.
National Glass Centre, Sunderland
The National Glass Centre is found on the
banks of the River Wear in Sunderland. The centre is close to the site of St
Peter’s Church, part of the Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Priory that was built in 674.
It was here that Benedict Biscop introduced glass making into Britain, by
hiring French glaziers to make the windows for the priory.
The glass making industry exploded in the 18th
century and Sunderland glass became known throughout the country. In later
years, the Pyrex brand of glassware was manufactured in Sunderland until 2007
when the last two remaining glass firms announced that they would close. The
centre opened in 1998 and is now free to visit; visitors can walk on its glass
roof and look down into the centre below. We had dinner in the Glass Centre café
which is directly below the glass roof.
While we were there, we were able to watch the
glass blowing demonstration which is run at intervals throughout the day along
with other demonstrations. The gift shop contains
lots of hand-crafted glass items.
We finished the day with a walk along Roker
beach which is only a 5 minute drive away.
Saltburn
Saltburn is a little seaside town in North Yorkshire
just a few miles from Middlesbrough and is filled with Victorian charm and
smuggler legends. The pier is the last one remaining on the
North East coast, with only around 50 pleasure piers surviving in the country.
The famous cliff lift has also been attracting tourists for years. The valley
gardens are home to a mini railway, a tea room and stunning Italian gardens.
The
coastline from Whitby to Saltburn is famed for its smuggler folklore. Remote
coastal communities were ideal for smugglers as it was easy for contraband to
pass from house to house with no risk of detection. Saltburn was a haven for
smugglers with its huge cliffs and coves.
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