Penshaw Monument crowns Penshaw Hill near Sunderland, a 70-foot-high half-sized replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens raised in 1844 to the memory of John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham; it is Wearside's best-loved landmark and appears on the badge of Sunderland football club. There is no roof and no charge to visit: you climb the hill, walk between the huge columns and take in views over Herrington Country Park, and on tour days volunteers unlock the secret staircase in one column to walk along the top. Dogs are welcome under close control, on leads near grazing cattle. Reviewers single out the views and note there is little else up there beyond the monument. Tips from visitors: the steps from the main gate are steep, so take the gentler path through the gate to the left; the small car park at the bottom fills fast, with a large free one at Herrington Country Park across the road.
