Earl of Durham's Monument is a Grade I listed building in the Sunderland local planning authority area, England. First listed on 26 April 1950. A Victorian Monument, temple. 4 related planning applications.
Earl of Durham's Monument
- WRENN ID
- eternal-soffit-sorrel
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- Sunderland
- Constituency
- Houghton and Sunderland South MP: Bridget Phillipson (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 26 April 1950
- Type
- Monument, temple
- Period
- Victorian
- Address
- Earl of Durham's Monument, Hill Lane, Penshaw
- OS grid reference
- NZ 334 543
- Coordinates
- 54.88305, -1.48092
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Earl of Durham's Monument is a Grade I listed structure designed in the form of a Greek temple, built to honor John George Lambton, the first Earl of Durham, who served as Governor-General of Canada and was Grand Master of the Order of Freemasons. Erected in 1844 through private funding, it was designed by John and Benjamin Green from Newcastle and constructed by Thomas Pratt from Sunderland.
The monument features ashlar stonework and consists of four rows of seven Doric columns set on a stylobate. It has end pediments but lacks a roof. This structure is a significant example of the Greek revival style in the area and serves as a prominent landmark visible from many miles away.
Historical accounts suggest that the design is inspired by the Temple of Theseus, although it is twice the size of the original. The Theseion in Athens has six columns by thirteen, and while the columns of the Earl of Durham's Monument are double the size, the overall proportions appear taller.
Local climate
Earl of Durham's Monument receives an average of 740 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 73% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 96% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 30 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 64% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 4 applications
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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