SPION KOP

Named after the hill in South Africa which was the site of a battle in the Boer War, this is about half the cemetery which sits on top of a cliff at the Headland. It's now a local nature reserve and full of nesting skylarks and meadow pipits, wildflowers and (soon) butterflies and moths. In about a month it will change to a sea of pink as the thrift, bloody cranesbill, several varieties of wild orchid and knapweed take over for the summer. Out of photo on the right is the clifftop looking down to the beach, Steetley Pier and up the coast to Sunderland and beyond on a clear day.
It has also featured in a couple of episodes of Vera when it was looking much more bleak and wintry.
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