High Tide

While on an unsuccessful hunt for dolphins at Roker Pier recently, I wandered along Marine Walk and had a quick stop at these sculptures on Roker Beach. At first glance they look like huge concrete brutalist seats, however, after looking into their history I found they represent the seven main phases of the moon.

The sculpture was created in 2001, by artists Karl Fisher and Colin Wilbourn; blacksmith Craig Knowles, and author Chaz Brenchley. Some of these artists have worked together on other projects, and you may have seen more of their works along Sunderland Riverside including Passing Through and Paddle Gate. 'High Tide' is part of the St Peters Riverside Art Trail too and marks the end of the trail and the end of the C2C cycle route.

The seven stages of the moon the concrete bowls represent are:

Crescent (Waxing) - First Quarter - Gibbous (Waxing) - Full Moon - Gibbous (Waning) - Last Quarter -Crescent (Waning).

Each concrete bowl has a different level of concrete inside mirroring the moon stages, and prose from Chaz Brenchley is written around the rim of each of the hemispheres. As you very likely know, the moon controls the Earth's tides through gravitational forces, which is why the location of these sculptures next to the coast is ideal.

(Fact fans might be interested to know that the seven stages of the moon takes 29.5 days to complete and is known as a synodic month or lunation!)

This is a strange little corner of the beach and I couldn't help thinking it felt a bit neglected and out of the way. Still, it had lovely views over to Roker Pier and if you go you might be luckier than me and catch the dolphins who had been jumping and performing for the fisherman just hours earlier!