Winter Garden
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During the 1930s the Winter
Gardens at the rear of the museum and library became one of Sunderland's most popular
buildings, the tropical climate created within it's glass frames held a host of exotic
trees and plants. A parachute mine in 1941 however severely damaged the Winter
Garden and it had to be demolished. In 1960 an extension was built on the site of
the demolished Winter Garden and in 1964 it was opened by the Queen Mother. The
central museum and library became increasingly overcrowded and to give the museum more
room for it's exhibits, in 1995 the library moved to a new building in Fawcett Street.
Mowbray Park and the Sunderland museum at the turn of the 21st Century are to
become known as Mowbray Gardens. It was on the 7th May 2002 that Queen Elizabeth II
visited Sunderland, the first time since 1993 when Sunderland became a city. This visit
was to officially open the new museum and Winter Gardens, with it's 1500 exotic plants.
The Winter Garden is the centre piece of the £30 million development of Mowbray Gardens. |
