Hardwick Hall Country Park
About the Site
Hardwick Hall is a popular country park, which has been restored by Durham County Council. Acquired in 1972, the 17 hectares (41 acres) of the Park is now managed as a Country Park for the public to enjoy. It is also part of the Hardwick Park Conservation Area.The marsh and fen-carr area was the original bed of the ornamental lake. This fen-carr shows all the typical features ranging from open water through fen to willow and finally birch carr. Interpretative panels indicate the stages of succession from wetland to woodland.
The lake itself, created in the last century, has a rich flora with greater tussock-sedge and blunt-flowered rush.
A spring fen to the north of the Country Park area is an integral part of the site. Much of this area is dominated by coarse grasses and it is surrounded by conifer plantation. The spring supports soft-rush, hard rush, great willowherb, meadowsweet and wild angelica. Large numbers of small tortoiseshell butterflies have been seen at this site.
This area is considered to be of ornithological importance.
A tree trail has been designed to introduce visitors to the huge variety of trees growing in the Country Park. Many of these were planted during the 18th century by James Paine. The more unusual trees were planted in the early 1970s as part of a programme to develop the arboretum. The trail itself is located in the south western part of the park, around the lakeside and Temple Field areas.
There has been a house on the site since Mediaeval times when the manor of “Herdwyck” first occupied this site. The present hall, now a hotel, was built during the 18th century. The surrounding parkland and gardens were laid out by the celebrated architect James Paine who, in keeping with the fashion of the time, “improved“ the natural landscape with monumental features. These included a banqueting house, temple grotto, bathhouse, Gothic seat and Gothic ruin.
Long before Hardwick Hall was established as a landscaped park and garden, the surrounding area was marshy. The name Sedgefield bears witness to this as sedge is a grass-like plant that grows in wet places. It was fashionable for such landscaped parks to have a Serpentine Lake, and this low-lying wet area provided an ideal site for the construction of a large ornamental lake, devised to give the appearance of a river flowing down a cascade into a lake. The lake was spanned by an elegant two hundred year old bridge, which fell into disrepair over the years. This has been completely rebuilt by Durham County Council using a combination of the original and new stone. The lake itself was drained in the late 19th century.
Hardwick Hall Country Park
Location
The Park lies alongside the A177 Durham - Stockton road on the west side of Sedgefield, 2½ miles from the A1 (M).There is public transport to Sedgefield Green, then a short walk following a signposted footpath through the arch of the Hardwick Arms Hotel (½ mile).
Grid reference: NZ 346290
Facilities
Entry to the Park is free and it is open at all times.Free parking is available at the Hall, as are toilets with wheelchair access. Benches and picnic tables are provided, and the site contains lakeside paths, a nature trail and a resource room (for school parties and similar groups). A Countryside Ranger is available during the day and will be pleased to talk to groups by prior arrangement.
Around the lake edge there are a number of pond dipping areas with basins for holding catches while using the identification panel.
There is an information kiosk on the site.
The site also contains a wildflower meadow, which is an ideal place for picnics and for children to play.
Wheelchair access is available to most of this site.
Please note: Boating and fishing with rod and line are not allowed. Swimming and paddling are not permitted as toxins from naturally occuring algae are present in the lake. This can cause skin irritation, illness and has caused the death of dogs in the U
Enquiries
Durham County CouncilEnvironment
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UQ
Tel: 0191 3833594
