Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Houghton le Spring Penshaw Monument

Penshaw Monument

The nearly 200-year-old folly has a secret spiral staircase hidden in one of its pillars.

Houghton le Spring, England

Added By
Georgia Smithson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The monument.   FTMSuperfly/Public Domain
The walkway at the top.   Paulosbrumbos/CC BY-SA 3.0
The monument.   Kev Murley/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
A view from Penshaw Monument   Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
  Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
  Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Penshaw Monument   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Penshaw Monument   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance to hidden staircase   Juliejoolz / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Penshaw Monument (which is rarely called by its official name, The Earl of Durham's Monument) contains a secret spiral staircase in one of its pillars. Climbing the walkway leads to impressive views from atop the 70-foot-tall folly, which was built in 1844.

The staircase was closed after a 15-year-old boy fell to his death in the 1920s. It remained shuttered for nine decades, though vandals did break the lock in the mid-1960s, leading to a brief period of unrestricted access. The National Trust, which now maintains the monument, reopened the staircase in 2011 to visitors, though it can only be used on designated open days (on those days, there is a ÂŁ5 fee just to climb the stairs).

Penshaw Monument is a replica of a Greek temple. It stands 446 feet above sea level on Penshaw Hill and is a welcome landmark to all residents of Sunderland traveling homeward from the south. The replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens was built in memory of John George Lambton, the 1st Earl of Durham. The folly is one of the United Kingdom’s best preserved models of a Doric Hexastyle temple.

Related Tags

Temples Follies Legends Hidden Stairs Secret Passages Monuments

Know Before You Go

Park at Herrington Country Park (just over the A183, Chester Road) and walk up the hill. Access is free although booking and a charge applies to access the upper walkways (see National Trust website for information).

It's a bit of a hike up the hill to get to the monument, but totally worth it. Also, many people bring their dogs with them. Afterwards, there is a lovely park across the street and a delicious ice cream vendor who sells "monkey blood" ice cream cones! Yum!!

Community Contributors

Added By

georgialk22

Edited By

Greg Jones, CorpseLady84, Dr Alan P Newman, Kerry Wolfe...

  • Greg Jones
  • CorpseLady84
  • Dr Alan P Newman
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Collector of Experiences
  • katielou106
  • Juliejoolz

Published

August 30, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/penshaw-monument-set-open-secret-4423474
  • http://www.rcdhn.org.uk/about_the_diocese/penshaw_monument.php
  • https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penshaw-monument/features/tours-to-the-top-of-penshaw-monument
Penshaw Monument
Chester Road
Houghton le Spring, England
United Kingdom
54.883042, -1.480847
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Worm Hill

Washington, England

miles away

Hylton Castle

Sunderland, England

miles away

Steel Men Of Wearside

Monkwearmouth, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

Nearby Places

Worm Hill

Washington, England

miles away

Hylton Castle

Sunderland, England

miles away

Steel Men Of Wearside

Monkwearmouth, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,219
Stories 145

Related Places

  • The allegedly haunted temple staircase.

    Ichikawa, Japan

    Namida-ishi

    A single block in this stone staircase to the temple is mysteriously always wet.

  • The exterior of the Hall of Records

    Keystone, South Dakota

    Hall of Records in Mount Rushmore

    Hidden behind Lincoln's head is a 70-foot-long chamber containing enamel plates documenting American history, sealed in a teakwood box in a titanium vault.

  • Chhokangparo, Nepal

    Tsum Valley

    A remote area dotted with Buddhist temples and monasteries.

  • Nageshwar (Maharashtra)

    Pune, India

    Replicas of Jyotirlinga Temples

    Twelve model temples sit inside this 900-year old Hindu complex.

  • Courtyard temple only entrance via cave

    Ipoh, Malaysia

    Tasik Cermin (Mirror Lake) Geopark

    Home to secret lakes and hidden temples.

  • Pay your respects at the Thunder Well of Kuwabara.

    Izumi, Japan

    Kuwabara Thunder Well

    Electricians pray for luck at this place where, according to legend, the god of thunder was once trapped.

  • Chonmage-zuka, the grave of man buns.

    Hiratsuka, Japan

    Chonmage-zuka

    The burial site of 16 men’s hair buns, which were lopped off in place of their heads.

  • Thumbs up.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Yubizuka

    This surreal thumbs-up monument commemorates a shiatsu legend.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.