Party in the park

PICTURE the scene. It is a glorious August day and the “beautiful and romantic” grounds of Hardwick Park, in Sedgefield, County Durham, are thronged with people.

Three thousand, to be precise, most of whom have travelled by train from Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle and beyond.

Many are enjoying guided walks around the park, taking in the beautiful scenery and buildings packed full of artwork.

Others are dancing and picnicking by the lake, as the 16th Queen’s Lancers perform two military concerts. And then there are the athletics competitions. Sack races, bell races, pony races , pole leaping, foot steeplechase, and running high leap, to name a few.

The date is Tuesday, August 11, 1863, and the Sedgefield Grand Gala is in full swing. Aimed at raising funds for Sedgefield Mechanics Institute, the event certainly put the estate on the map. The highlight was a hot-air balloon ascent – a rare sight for the Victorian audience.

This year, on August 11, it is the 150th anniversary of the gala and, to mark the occasion, the Friends of Hardwick Park are organising a re-enactment.

Plans are still being finalised, but already Sedgefield Harriers has stepped in to recreate the athletics competitions, Victorian tour guide costumes are being sourced, Fishburn Brass Band has been booked and a ceilidh is being organised.

T HE Friends of Hardwick Park was formed in 1999 ahead of major plans to restore the neglected park to its former glory. Since then, the committed volunteers have played a vital role in transforming the park into the much-loved visitor attraction it is today.

Staffing the visitor centre, leading guided tours, producing information material and securing grants for equipment and improvements – no job is too big or too small. And it was while the friends were conducting research for information boards that the idea for the gala celebration was raised. Friends chairman Michael Rudd said: “We found a description of the event in the Darlington and Stockton Times and realised that the 150th anniversary was approaching.

“We thought it deserved more than just a mention on an information board, so we decided to stage a celebration and re-enactment.

“As a charity, we can apply for grants to improve and maintain the park, but our main aim is education and promotion.

“Hopefully, the event will attract even more people to Hardwick.”

Mr Rudd, 71, and a small team of friends, including John and Lesley Fitzpatrick, from Sedgefield, are on a mission to discover as much as possible about the gala. The article published in the Darlington & Stockton Times on August 15 1863 provided an excellent starting point.

“The gates were opened at 12.30,” the reporter writes.

“About two o’clock the slope in front of the banqueting house presented a thronged and gay appearance, the fair sex having turned out in best summer attire in great numbers.”

The author goes on to describe the park’s many charms, outlines the activities on offer and records the weather and the travel arrangements.

“Dancing on the green commenced at half past five and continued for some time; being kept up by some 250 who joined in the pastime.

The Darlington and Stockton Times report on the gala

“The day’s proceedings terminated with a pony race for a silver mounted whip. By seven o’clock the road to the station was thronged by persons walking and driving in the direction of home.”

HARDWICK Park, as it appears today, dates from the mid-18th Century, when the parkland was bought by John Burdon, who turned it into a pleasure garden.

At the time of the gala, the park belonged to the Right Honourable Lord Boyne, who let event organisers use it for the fundraiser. The aim was to raise money to build Sedgefield Mechanical Institute – an education and social facility built on the site of the current parish hall.

“It was very much the centre of village life,”

said Mrs Fitzpatrick. “There was a library there and various classes, teaching reading, writing and other skills.

“It would have been set up for working men to improve their education, and most communities would have one.”

Mr Rudd and the team had hoped to hire a hot-air balloon for the event, but say they would struggle to afford the £3,000 cost. Instead, they plan to commission a large painting depicting the ascent.

The friends are also appealing to the public for information about the gala. They would particularly like to discover more about the silver mounted whip that was given to the winner of the pony race, the costumes the athletes would have worn and the mechanical institute itself.

Anyone who can help is asked to call Mr Fitzpatrick on 01740-621431 or email friendsof hardwick@gmail.com