Cash boost for 'proud' mining heritage memorial

The Miner's Memorial at Herrington Country Park is to be restored

Thousands of pounds are being set aside to improve a memorial garden which honours a city's coal mining heritage.

The site at Herrington Country Park in Sunderland is where a colliery once stood.

The pit opened in 1874 and by the time it closed in 1985, more than 100 workers had lost their lives.

Councillor Mel Speding, who is chair of Sunderland City Council's Coalfield Area Committee, said it was important to "pay tribute to an industry that shaped our communities and, indeed, shaped Herrington Country Park itself".

The memorial was built 25 years ago and now, councillors have earmarked £20,000 for a project which could include restoring the memorial's pit wheels and black granite boulders.

The final proposal will be put forward in three months, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"It is difficult to overstate the legacy, influence and impact that coal mining has had on all of our city and its communities over the years," Speding said.

December marks the 40th anniversary of the colliery closure.

The councillor explained that while the garden was a fitting memorial, "it is in need of refurbishment to ensure a lasting legacy to the arduous and dangerous job that powered industries across the world".

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