Hardwick Hall Country Park facts for kids

Hardwick Hall Country Park is a super cool park in County Durham, close to Sedgefield. It's not just any park; it's listed as a special historic place. This means it's really important for its history and beautiful design.

Park History and Design

Old Times and New Ideas

A long, long time ago, in medieval times, the land where Hardwick Hall Country Park now stands was next to a manor called Herdwyck.

Then, in the 1700s, big changes happened! A rich businessman from Tyneside named John Burdon bought the land. He built a new hall and started to make the park look amazing. He made the big, 17-acre (about 69,000 square meters) lake even better. He added an artificial river that flowed into it and pathways all around it.

Adding Fun Features

John Burdon added many cool things to the park. He created about 40 acres (about 160,000 square meters) of extra fancy features. These included temples, grottoes (which are like small, decorative caves), and follies. Follies are buildings that look like old ruins but are just for decoration. A famous architect from London, James Paine, helped design these fun additions. Even though the park wasn't always kept perfectly, you can still see Paine's original design today. It's a rare example of how gardens were designed in the 1700s!

Bringing the Park Back to Life

Durham County Council started buying parts of the park a while ago. In 1997, they decided to save the whole park and bring it back to its former glory. A study in 1999 showed how important the park was and how much it would cost to fix it up. This led to the park getting its special historic rating.

With help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the council bought more land in 2001. They then started a big project to restore everything. Now, the park has a visitor centre, a cafe, restrooms, an exhibition, a classroom, and offices. It's a great place for everyone to enjoy!

Music and Festivals

Hardwick Hall was also once home to a one-day music event called Hardwick Live. This festival ran until 2015. In 2016, a bigger, two-day event called Down To The Woods was planned to replace it. Big bands like Catfish and the Bottlemen and Chase and Status were supposed to play. However, the new festival was later cancelled because of the "financial climate," meaning there wasn't enough money to make it happen.

Images for kids

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  A beautiful view of Hardwick Hall Country Park.

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  Another lovely scene from the park.

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  A peaceful spot within Hardwick Hall Country Park.

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  Exploring the grounds of the park.