Visitors to a Sunderland Park are set to be inspired by the words of Lewis Carroll to celebrate the 150th anniversary of one of his most famous books.

To mark the major milestone since Alice Through the Looking-Glass was published 150 years ago the city is honouring its link with Carroll.

The author spent most of his holidays in Whitburn and the Jabberwocky is said to have been inspired by the legend of the Lambton Worm.

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Sunderland City Council and the University of Sunderland have worked together to replace missing brass plaques on branches throughout Mowbray Park with new ones featuring quotes from Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass.

The Northern Echo: Professor Angela Smith with Michael Dixon, Vice Chair of the East Sunderland Area CommitteeProfessor Angela Smith with Michael Dixon, Vice Chair of the East Sunderland Area Committee (Image: PR)

Angela Smith, Professor of Language and Culture at Sunderland University,  said: “Whilst Oxford lays claim to the Alice books, by virtue of Lewis Carroll/Charles Dodgson and Alice Liddell living there, the links between the Liddell family and the Dodgsons can be most clearly seen in Sunderland.

“Lewis Carroll spent most of his holidays in Whitburn, staying with the wider Liddell family. It was during some of these holidays that he started to write what would become Through the Looking-Glass, with the legend of the Lambton Worm forming the basis for The Jabberwocky, and the poem The Walrus and the Carpenter being set on Seaburn Beach.”

The city-centre park already has features linking with Alice, including a playground based on the chessboard central to Looking-Glass and the large sculpture of the walrus by the duck pond.

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The new plaques were funded by Sunderland City Council’s Community Chest, supported by councillors from Hendon, St Michael’s and Millfield wards.

The Northern Echo: Professor Angela Smith with Michael Dixon, Vice Chair of the East Sunderland Area CommitteeProfessor Angela Smith with Michael Dixon, Vice Chair of the East Sunderland Area Committee (Image: PR)

Michael Dixon, Vice Chair of the East Sunderland Area Committee, said: “It was a great pleasure for myself and colleagues in Hendon, Millfield and St Michael’s wards to join together to assist with community chest funding for this wonderful project.

“It is a great and very original idea and will be a really interesting, added attraction for both children and adults when they visit Mowbray Park. With enough coverage it also should put help put Sunderland on the literary map.”

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