Penshaw Travel Guide

The monument consists of 18 very solid Doric columns, capped by end pediments and left unroofed.
The monument is clearly visible for miles around and is probably the most famous landmark in this corner of Durham.

The monument was designed by John and Benjamin Green of Newcastle and built in 1844 by Thomas Pratt of Sunderland. It's designed to resemble the Theseum at Athens, and strangely it has no plaque or inscription on it saying in who's honour it was built!

You can see for miles from the top of the hill, though in truth there's not a lot that's interesting to see unless you're a local. You can (with good binoculars) see my mam's house from here - and I could see the monument from my bedroom window!
This view is looking across the northern part of Sunderland and out to sea. Of you turn anticlockwise, you can see across to the shipyards & docks of Tyneside and on to Newcastle.

Penshaw Monument is built on the hill around which the famous Lambton Worm used to wrap itself. The monument is not connected to this legend though, but is still built in honour to one of the Lambton family.
It was built in 1844 in honour of John George Lambton, who was First Earl Of Durham, Governor General Of Canada, an MP and a prominent local land and mine owner.

Many many years ago, around the time of the Crusades, a young John Lambton, son of a local Lord, was fishing in the River Wear when he should really have been at church.
He had no luck with his fishing though, and caught only a very strange looking "worm". He took it home with him, but on the way threw it down the well on the road to Lambton Hall - this is still called Worm's Well.
Many years later, John Lambton went away to fight in the Crusades. While he was away the worm emerged from the well, much bigger and now very ferocious. It wrapped itself 3 times around what is now called Penshaw Hill (pic), leaving the spiral depressions in the hill that can still be seen.
It began preying on lambs and even taking the milk of cows by tearing their udders. In order to keep themselves and their livestock safe, the villagers began leaving fresh milk in a ditch near to Lambton Hall. The worm would drink this and return to its resting place.
Many people tried to slay it, but even if cut into pieces the pieces would rejoin and the worm would crush to death those trying to kill it.
Eventually Lord Lambton returned from the Crusades and saw it as his duty to slay the worm. A witch told him how to do this - to fight the worm in the river Wear so that as he chopped it to bits, the pieces would be carried away by the flowing water. In return for this advice he had to kill the first living thing he saw afterwards.
He arranged that upon killing the worm, he would give a blast on his trumpet and his servants would release a dog that he would then kill.
The fight with the worm went to plan, and it was soon sent to a watery grave. But after sounding the horn, his father was so happy that his son was alive that he ran out to meet him. Lambton could not kill his father, so still killed the dog instead. But this was not what the witch had said, and so 9 generations of Lambtons were cursed to die an early and untimely death. Which is exactly what heppened.

There is a famous "geordie" folk song about The Lambton Worm. I say "geordie" cos it's really from Durham and not Newcastle. Here's the words, it's written in our local dialect so...

One Sunday morn young Lambton
went a-fishin' in the Wear;
An' catched a fish upon his huek,
He thowt leuk't varry queer,
But whatt'n a kind a fish it was
Young Lambton couldn't tell.
He waddn't fash to carry it hyem,
So he hoyed it in a well.

Chorus
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
Aa'll tell ye aall and aaful story,
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An' Aal tell ye 'bout the worm.

Noo Lambton felt inclined to gan
An' fight in foreign wars.
He joined a troop o' Knights that cared
For neither wounds nor scars,
An' off he went to Palestine
Where queer things him befel,
An' varry seun forgot aboot
The queer worm i' the well.

Chorus

But the worm got fat an' growed an' growed,
An' growed an aaful size;
He'd greet big teeth, a greet big gob,
An' greet big goggle eyes.
An' when at neets he craaled aboot
To pick up bits o'news,
If he felt dry upon the road,
He milked a dozen coos.

Chorus

This feorful worm wad often feed
On calves an' lambs an' sheep,
An' swally little bairns alive
When they laid doon to sleep.
An' when he'd eaten aal he cud
An' he had has he's fill,
He craaled away an' lapped his tail
Seven times roond Pensher Hill.

Chorus

The news of this most aaful worm
An' his queer gannins on
Seun crossed the seas, gat to the ears
Of brave an' bowld Sir John.
So hyem he cam an' catched the beast
An' cut 'im in three halves,
An' that seun stopped he's eatin' bairns,
An' sheep an' lambs and calves.

Chorus

So noo ye knaa hoo aall the folks
On byeth sides of the Wear
Lost lots o' sheep an' lots o' sleep
An' lived in mortal feor.
So let's hev one to brave Sir John
That kept the bairns frae harm
Saved coos an' calves by myekin' haalves
O' the famis Lambton Worm

Chorus

Noo lads, Aa'll haad me gob,
That's aall Aa knaa aboot the story
Of Sir John's clivvor job
Wi' the aaful Lambton Worm