Sunderland’s Herrington miners’ memorial garden to get £20,000 upgrade as mining heritage honoured

Sunderland City Council’s Coalfield Area Committee, at a meeting this month, aligned £20,000 towards a project for the miners’ memorial garden at Herrington Country Park.

The memorial garden pays tribute to the area’s mining history and includes a memorial with the lettering “New Herrington Miners’ Memorial Garden 1874 to 1985”, along with bench seating and an entrance flanked by pit wheels.

At a meeting on Wednesday (June 18), councillors on the Coalfield Area Committee approved the “alignment of funding” for several projects, including thousands of pounds for the miners’ memorial garden.

A report to the committee noted the project was in its early stages and that a full application with a “detailed plan and a breakdown of costs will be requested”, with the final proposal presented to councillors in September 2025 for “consideration and approval”.

The report noted the project would involve “refurbishment and improvements” and “could include restoration of the existing pit wheels and black granite boulders, as well as new planting and a new seat.”

Councillor Mel Speding, chairman of Sunderland City Council’s Coalfield Area Committee, welcomed the project and said further details would be considered in coming months.

“It’s difficult to overstate the legacy, influence and impact that coal mining has had on all of our city and its communities over the years,” he said.

“Coal shaped our identities and continues to do so – the name of our committee reflects this influence and Herrington Country Park itself is clearly now very different from when it was the site of Herrington Colliery.

“So, it’s only right and correct that this committee continues to commemorate our strong and proud coal mining heritage and we pay tribute to an industry that shaped our communities and, indeed, shaped Herrington Country Park itself.

“We’ll be considering further details on the update to the garden in coming months.”

Cllr Speding noted the existing garden at Herrington Country Park was a “fitting memorial” but said it was in need of a “refresh” to continue to “ensure a lasting legacy”.

“This coming December marks the 40th anniversary (Dec1985) of the closure of Herrington Colliery,” he added.

“As part of the opencast/reclamation of the 200-hectare site a memorial garden was constructed on top of the capped No1 downcast shaft.

“The garden is a fitting memorial, and some 25 years later is in need of a refresh/refurbishment to ensure a lasting legacy to the arduous and dangerous job of winning of coal that powered industries across the world.

“If you visit www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/h007.htm you will also see the names and dates of approx. 103 fatalities that occurred over the period the colliery was open.”

Documents for the Coalfields Area Committee are published on Sunderland City Council’s website.