Penshaw Monument

Managed to get myself lost today when I was out for a drive... not an unusual occurrence to be honest as I have almost no sense of direction! Anyway I found myself passing the Penshaw Monument so decided that the fates clearly wanted me to stop and take a picture!

The monument is a folly built in the 1840's to commemorate the First Earl of Durham. It is a half scale replica of an ancient Greek temple and is perched atop Penshaw Hill, making it a prominent local landmark (thank-you wikipedia!).

I'm sure it looked very grand and imposing in it's day but is now looking a bit shabby with it's thick coat of soot and grime. Then again, how would any of us look at the age of 170!