Parks in Sunderland

Sunderland is blessed with a large number of high quality public parks. On this page , you will find that the City Council has a range of excellent parks and facilities, providing a wide variety of services for both residents and visitors to the City of all ages.  Over the years Sunderland parks have won many awards.  We promote the use of parks and recreation and have a programme of events that take place throughout the year.  There are many different sporting activities available in our parks - many of them are free!  Did you know you can hire land for your own event or purchase a memorial seat for your favourite park?

Parks in the City
City of Sunderland Parks provide opportunities for all sections of the community to enjoy outdoor recreational and leisure pursuits, in many cases on their doorstep. The City has a wide range of Parks, Amenity Open Spaces and Outdoor Facilities that provide opportunities for passive and active enjoyment or urban or rural parkland areas.

Events. Each year the events in parks programme has activities at various locations i.e. Barnes Park, Roker Park etc. The events range from traditional brass band entertainment to rock bands, teddy bears picnics and model boat displays. contact us for more information.

Sport in Parks. For people wishing to take part in more active pursuits in the Parks there are a number of options available including

Tennis, Bowling, Watersports, Multi Use Games Areas, Dual Use Games Areas, Orienteering and Fitness, rails, Basketball, Cycling, Angling.

Awards. Roker Park and Mowbray Park currently hold a green flag award. Previous awards obtained by the Parks Section include Northumbria in Bloom Large City Class, Britain in Bloom Large City Class 2000, Entente Florale European Gold Award 2001. The City hosts its own Civic Awards competition each year which gives the opportunity for local residents to compete for various classes within their geographical area.

Memorial Seats. If you would like to purchase a memorial seat please contact Community Development Section on:
T: 0191 219 3941

We maintain Grounds, Recreational Sites, Hedges, Trees & Woodland, Open Spaces and Play Areas.  View our horticultural works programme.

We are also responsible for:
Allotments | Parks in the City | Bloom Groups & Friends of Parks

The City of Sunderland recognises the need for a strategic focus for parks to give clearer direction to the delivery of a quality Parks Management Service. A park strategy document for Sunderland ' Vision for the Future' was originally introduced in 1996 and a recent review of the progress has shown that whilst there have been considerable improvements over the past seven years, the quality of the infra-structure and public perceptions of most people visiting parks has continued to decline.

Sunderland Parks - Management Strategy ( pdf 3153kb)

You may find these links to external websites useful.

National Society for allotment and Leisure Gardeners
Henry Doubleday Research Association 
Britain in Bloom
The Royal Horticultural Society

Gardens in the North