About Sunderland U.K

There are many interesting things to see and do in Sunderland located between Edinburgh and Leeds. The name means land divided by waters. Sunderland was a seaport around the 1300s and was also known for its outstanding glass making.

The National Glass Centre is sure to delight visitors of all ages. The building itself is very interesting since it was built of glass and steel. The building has a glass roof upon which around 4000 visitors may walk at one time. As the first glass making business in England, many examples of its stained glass still adorn churches throughout the United Kingdom. Visitors have the opportunity to view demonstrations of stained glass making. There is a gift shop there where visitors are guaranteed to find the perfect item to commemorate their visit.

At the Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, interactive computer and video activities are waiting for visitors. The gardens are home to over 1500 exotic flowers, trees and plants. A special treetop walkway allows visitors to stand on one tree and look down on others. In addition, spiders, insects, amphibians are waiting to welcome visitors to their natural habitats. Visitors from the United States should find it interesting that President Ulysses Grant was present at the cornerstone laying ceremony in 1877.

Another place not to be missed is St Peter’s Church. This church properly known as the Church of St. Peter and Paul, is part of the Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery. Veneable Bede, author of the first history of England was a student of its Anglican center of learning. On;y one wall and a tower dating back to Norman times are still in existence.

Hlyton Castle is another interesting place to visit. This castle originally built from wood around 1066 was later encased in stone during the 14-15th centuries. The castle and St. Catherine’s Chapel, are listed as a heritage preservation site. The castle is said to be haunted by a boy who was killed there and for many years continued moving objects from one place to another while walking around the castle.

A visit to Down On The Farm affords an educational experience for adults as well as children. Visitors can see, feed and interact with farm animals such as cows, goats, pigs and chickens. A live 17 ft python is on display as well as a reindeer named Twinkle. Young visitors can enjoy taking a kiddie-size tractor trail ride.