Sunderland Point

A walk around Sunderland Point today, with Abi, Joe, Jessica and George. Sunderland Point is one side of the estuary of the River Lune, with views on one side back across the Lune towards the Pennine Hills and, on the other out into Morecambe Bay, in which the massive Heysham Power Stations seem dwarfed. The point has a small village which is cut off by rising waters at high tide, twice each day.

After the walk we met Caroline, Mark, Harry and Evie for lunch.  Evie is doing very well, ahead of her next round of treatment - immunotherapy, starting in a few weeks time,

Sunderland Point was once a port - the first ship sailing from there to Jamaica in 1687. It later became part of the Port of Lancaster - the UK's fourth largest port in the 18th century.

Sunderland village was developed as an out-port (a subsidiary port built in deeper water) before Lancaster’s wharf was constructed. Ships set out from here to sail to Africa’s west coast, navigating inland by river and acquiring 29,000 slaves between the years of 1736 and 1807. Some of the goods used for barter in this miserable human trade were iron ore dug from the hills of Furness, beads, mirrors, hats and brass pans. Slaves were rarely brought into the country through Lancaster, though about 40 country houses in the vicinity had black servants.

A grave in a small enclosure commemorates a young African slave boy who was put ashore here in 1736 and abandoned. After 4 days, and with no apparent offers of help, the boy died a very lonely death of some unreported disease. The grave has a life of its own; depending upon the season, there might be flowers, Christmas ephemera, tin boats, toy animals and messages painted on stones all clustered under a low wooden cross.

The boy put to shore here was consigned to history with the patronising sobriquet of ‘Sambo’ or ‘Samboo’ – a word used then to describe people of African heritage.