Memories of Sunderland: The Roker Park Floating Tap

A “Floating tap” is an optical illusion in the form of a public artwork which gives the impression that a tap is being suspended in mid air, spewing a spontaneous and infinite amount of water from seemingly nowhere.

In reality, the tap is made to appear as if it is floating by being perched on a pipe which is then hidden by the gushing outflow of water.

Floating tap artworks are seen in various locations throughout the world, including Spain, Belgium, Canada and the US.

But did you know Sunderland once had its very own?

In the 1980s, a “floating tap” work of art was installed in Roker Park in the lake, which was then a boating lake. It was gold in colour and suspended over 7ft or so into the air.

However in the 1990s, for a reason which is not publicly known, the tap subsequently disappeared.

Its legacy though, has not been forgotten. In recent years, the “floating tap” has been recreated in Roker Park as a display of lights as part of the Sunderland illuminitions.

Do you remember the Roker Park floating tap? Would you have it back?