After learning about the lack of sunlight hours during the start to 2026, it is fingers crossed for some sunnier days ahead as we head into the month of March.
This fleeting glimpse of some February sunshine was captured at Sunderland's Herrington Country Park in NE England.
This is one of the commissioned art installations situated around the popular open space, with Penshaw Monument, one of the region's best-known landmarks dominating the surrounding landscape.
Still vividly recall standing around about here taking photographs when the site was just a huge opencast coal mine – what a transformation since then!
The park today attracts many visitors with its safe cycling and walking paths, lakes and a café.
In just a few weeks Herrington Country Park will also be the venue for the BBC's Radio 1 Big Weekend.

#england #sunderland #bbc #radioonebigweekend #landscape #photography

After learning about the lack of sunlight hours during the start to 2026, it is fingers crossed for some sunnier days ahead as we head into the month of March.
This fleeting glimpse of some February sunshine was captured at Sunderland's Herrington Country Park in NE England.
This is one of the commissioned art installations situated around the popular open space, with Penshaw Monument, one of the region's best-known landmarks dominating the surrounding landscape.
Still vividly recall standing around about here taking photographs when the site was just a huge opencast coal mine – what a transformation since then!
The park today attracts many visitors with its safe cycling and walking paths, lakes and a café.
In just a few weeks Herrington Country Park will also be the venue for the BBC's Radio 1 Big Weekend.

#england #sunderland #bbc #radioonebigweekend #landscape #photography

Late February and the view from the southern end of Hendon Promenade/Seawall on the ramp that leads down onto the beach.
I'm sure the seawall was constructed in the 1970's to halt erosion (there is a railway line into the Port of Sunderland just a short distance from the beach).
South from this point there are no coastal defences until Seaham on the Durham Heritage Coast.
The promontory in the distance is Salterfen Rocks, after which is Ryhope Nook.
Just around that corner is a feature known as 'Jane Jiveson's Rock' (it is marked on OS maps) and it serves as a marker for the rate of coastal erosion.
A century ago, this rocky outcrop was actually connected to the cliffs.

#england #sunderland #coast #sunrise #february #seascape #photography

Late February and the view from the southern end of Hendon Promenade/Seawall on the ramp that leads down onto the beach.
I'm sure the seawall was constructed in the 1970's to halt erosion (there is a railway line into the Port of Sunderland just a short distance from the beach).
South from this point there are no coastal defences until Seaham on the Durham Heritage Coast.
The promontory in the distance is Salterfen Rocks, after which is Ryhope Nook.
Just around that corner is a feature known as 'Jane Jiveson's Rock' (it is marked on OS maps) and it serves as a marker for the rate of coastal erosion.
A century ago, this rocky outcrop was actually connected to the cliffs.

#england #sunderland #coast #sunrise #february #seascape #photography