Herrington Country Park & Penshaw Monument

A reclaimed colliery site turned sprawling council parkland, and the natural launch pad for one of the North East's most recognisable landmarks: Penshaw Monument, the soot-black Greek temple on the hill directly across the A183. The monument itself stands on National Trust land, so don't TOAL up on Penshaw Hill — instead lift off from the open grass of Herrington and shoot across, which conveniently gives you the better composition anyway: the Doric columns on the skyline with the Wear valley behind, best at sunrise or with low winter sun raking the hill. The park itself offers lakes, land sculptures and amphitheatre earthworks that read nicely from above. Sunderland City Council publishes no prohibition on recreational drone flying here and the park is a well-established spot among local pilots; it's big enough that keeping 50m+ from dog walkers and the playground is easy on a weekday. It's exposed, though — the hillside funnels a south-westerly and there's rotor in the lee of Penshaw Hill, so a lightweight drone can get shoved around near the monument. Check the events calendar before travelling: summer festivals close chunks of the park and bring thousands of people, and flying is a non-starter on those weekends.