Hardwick Hall Country Park is a park located in

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

near

Sedgefield Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 5,211 as at the 2011 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham. History Roman A Roman 'ladder settlement' was discovered by C ...

. It is registered with the

Register of Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...

as a II* site, which indicates that a park is "of exceptional historic interest."

History

In medieval times, the lands which now comprise the park abutted the manor of Herdwyck. The 18th century saw dramatic change: a new hall was built, and a new owner—a wealthy businessman from Tyneside named John Burdon—began to develop the grounds. Burdon enhanced the ornamental lake on the south side of the hall by adding an artificial river leading to it and encircling it with a walkway. In all, he laid out of additional ornamental features, including

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

es and

follies ''Follies'' is a Musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on t ...

designed primarily by London architect James Paine. Although the grounds and buildings were not subsequently well maintained, the garden retains Pain's basic structure and is an unusual example of authentic 18th century landscape design. Durham County Council had already begun to acquire parts of the grounds when in 1997 it determined to undertake the preservation of the whole park. A study commissioned in 1999 provided a detailed estimate of the expenses of restoration and also indicated the property's significance, leading the Register of Parks and Gardens to give it a II* rating. With assistance from the

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

, the County purchased more of the grounds in 2001 and launched a restoration scheme to bring it all back to its former condition. The park now includes a visitor centre, cafe, toilets, exhibition, classroom and office. Hardwick Hall was also the site of a one-day music event, ''Hardwick Live'', until 2015. ''Hardwick Live'' was replaced by a larger two-day event, ''Down To The Woods'', in 2016. The new festival, which had been set to feature headline sets from

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and Chase and Status, was later cancelled due to the "financial climate".

Gallery

File:Hardwick Hall Country Park P3240040.JPG File:Hardwick Hall Country Park P3290116.JPG File:Hardwick Hall Country Park P3290121.JPG File:Hardwick Hall Country Park P3290124.JPG

References

External links

Hardwick Park
Durham County Council. {{Coord, 54.6559, -1.4677, display=title, type:landmark_region:GB Country parks in County Durham Sedgefield