Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Whitworth Park

Whitworth Park

Grid Reference NZ 241352 Date October 2017 Author Fiona Green

Planning Status Identified in Sedgefield Local Plan Not within Conservation Area

Site Designations Whitworth Hall. Grade II. List Entry Number 1160067 Rose Arbour to west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II. List Entry Number 1322859 Ice House c. 50 m west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II. List Entry Number 1160109

History Whitworth was recorded in the Boldon Book (1183). Hatfield’s survey (1377-1382) names John de Whitworth as holding the village of Whitworth. In 1420 Bishop Langley granted a license to Ralph, created Earl of Westmorland in 1397, to ‘impark forty acres of his land in Whitworth, the land in Bires which he had of the gift of Richard del Park on the East of the road from Binchester to Willington and his woods of Whitworth and Tudow’ the estate remained in the possession of the Nevills until the Northern Rebellion in 1569 when it was confiscated by the Crown (Surtees) Whitworth Hall was built on the site of a house owned from 1652 by the Shafto family. The park is of an earlier date having been licensed to the Earl of Westmorland in 1420. Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto (1802-1828) inherited the estate and rebuilt the hall c.1845 on the site of a 17th century house. The house was virtually destroyed by fire in 1876 and rebuilt by Mrs. Rosa Duncombe Shafto in 1891.

Description A map of ye Bishoprick of Durham by Richard Blome and published in 1693 records a large property with a pictogram. This was probably Whitworth Hall but was not labelled as such. Some of the large parks such as the Bishop’s hunting parks at Wolsingham, and Raby Castle Park are shown on this map, however, Whitworth is not shown which is anomalous as it was emparked. This raises the query as to whether it had fallen out of use. Greenwood’s Map of the county palatine of Durham published in 1820 shows a more detailed view of the Whitworth Park but there is no longer evidence of the park enclosure shown by Armstrong in 1768. By this time the entrance to the estate is marked by a lodge from Stanners Lane. The drive crosses the lane between and Tudhoe and approaches the hall which is located to the north, adjacent to a ridge. The kitchen garden lies west of the drive. Whitworth Parish Church (Grade II) and estate houses stand between the hall and Stanners Lane. The boundary of the park is defined on the north side by the , to the west by Stanner’s Lane (see 1861 OS), along the south by the lane between Byer’s Green Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Whitworth Park

and Tudhoe and along the east by the road linking Sunderland Bridge to . The park is divided into compartments by woodland plantations but these are not named. A description by Surtees of Whitworth was published in 1823, The house of Whitworth stands near the river. A handsome deer-park sprinkled with luxuriant oaks, stretches South and East. The view opens only Eastward, over the vale of Wear; the soft upland slopes of the park, and the high grounds towards Merrington, confine the prospect on the South. The house was nearly rebuilt a few years ago on the old site, and is now one of the best family mansions in the county. As a footnote Surtees adds, The last remaining portion of the old building has just been taken down, and a handsome library added towards the West. By this alteration some pleasing home- grounds have been opened out, particularly a small wooded ravine, which skirts the Western side of the Chapel- yard. The c.1856-1865 OS provides a comprehensive view of the park features. The drive from Park Lodge, which is sheltered by a belt of trees, leads north through parkland planted with clumps which would have framed and directed views across the park. The clumps are shown as circular, semicircular and irregular almost oval shapes. Trees mark the remains of field boundaries and there are also scattered single trees in the park. The drive crosses the route of the old lane which connected Byers Green and Tudhoe and passes the kitchen garden to the west. The kitchen garden has a range of glasshouses along the south front of the north wall and orchard trees are shown planted along the central path. The east wall of the kitchen garden is screened from the drive by woodland which extends towards the east, creating a compartment in the park which is dominated by the east front of the hall. The drive curves towards the hall which is hidden by trees scattered through the garden until it bursts into view on the final approach, framed by a pair of circular shrubberies. The hall gardens are separated from the park by a ha-ha which runs from the north boundary of the garden, down the east side and along the south extremity of the garden. A ha-ha also runs north along the west boundary of the garden. There is also a short section of ha-ha between Church Wood and Ice House Wood. A dene between the hall and church is walled on either side. Church Wood is shown north-west of the hall and the newly formed Ice House Wood, with an ice house located on the southern boundary, runs north-east across the park (extant but not listed). Ice House Wood may have been planted to screen views of the railway from the Hall. Views of the railway on the east side of the park were already screened by a strip of woodland sheltering Woodhouse Farm. The West Hartlepool Railway (Page Bank Branch) is shown skirting Black Plantation, Spring Wood and Glaxburn Wood which are planted along a dene formed by a burn running down to the river Wear. Access to the park from Tudhoe is shown via a track (which previously formed the road from Byers Green to Tudhoe) this includes a bridge across the railway. Whitworth Colliery is shown in the south-east corner of the south park. Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Whitworth Park

The park and woodland is shown to contain numerous rides. Some of the rides may have originated from the hunting park which would have had routes for riding on horseback. The 1894 -1899 OS shows changes to the park landscape which may have coincided with some of the improvements to the hall which was extended from c.1891-1900. A large conservatory is shown south west of the house. The two circular clumps of trees in the gardens east of the hall had gone by this time and some of the single trees were removed. New plantations at Charhill Wood extended south from Ice House Wood and the fire- houses are no longer shown against the west wall of the kitchen garden. The Parkland north east of the hall is labeled Deer Park and includes a pair of connecting lakes. Deer Park Lodge is shown to the west, adjacent to Stanners Lane with a new drive entering the estate at the lodge. The rose arbour (Grade II and relocated to hall) is believed to date from this period having been incorporated in the Rosa Shafto Walk which ran alongside the walled garden The 1919 -1926 OS shows little change to the estate apart from an area of the south park which is designated as a Golf Course with Old Shafts marked east of Upper Burtons wood. The 1938 -1950 OS shows no changes on the estate. . By the time of the 1951-1959 OS Whitworth Park Colliery is located at the north east corner of the Deer Park, Keeper’s Cottage is marked at the south west corner of Ice House Wood and the golf course in the south park is no longer shown . Opencast workings shown on the 1960 -1969 OS have eradicated the deer park, lakes and colliery . A new entrance came into the estate from Stanners Lane leading north east to Whitworth Gardens before striking north to the hall. North Park Lodge Farm is also shown at the south end of the southern parkland. Why it should be called ‘north park’ is a mystery as land to the south appears to have belonged to Old Park. The 1970 -1979 OS shows no alterations to the estate and neither does the 1980-1994 OS . The estate remained in the Shafto family until 1981 when it was sold to Mr. Parnaby It is not until the 2008 OS that the major alterations made by him are shown . These include a large lake located north west of the walled garden. A large channel leads from the lake to the stream in the woodland garden between the Hall, now a hotel, and the church.

Recommendation Add to List of Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest

Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Whitworth Park

Significance Factor Commentary Interest Local Regional National International Age Medieval 1066 - 1540 Y

Aesthetic Value High Y

Landscape or Horticultural Deer park, 18th landscaped century park and ornamental Y Interest gardens, 19th-century deer park

Designer Although the park has all the characteristics of an 18th century Y landscape designed in the ‘English landscape style’ there is no documentary evidence which sheds light on who may have designed it.

Group Value Whitworth Hall. Grade II. Y Rose Arbour to west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II. Ice House c. 50 m west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II.

Rarity High status landscaped estate Y

Historic Interest 18th-century landscaped park, 19th, 20th- century additions Y

Historical Association Shafto family. Beamish Park Y

Social and Communal Value High Local Value Y

Evidential Value Moderate Y

Overall significance The setting to Whitworth Park includes an ice house, park wall, Y gates and piers, kitchen gardens and glasshouses, parkland trees, lodge and carriage drives and show deer herd. The site is fragmented by the annexes and car parks of the Whitworth Park Hotel which occupies the site therefore the park and gardens are of local historic interest rather than national.

Durham County Council Review of Historic Parks, Gardens and Designed Landscapes of Local Interest Whitworth Park

Background Information

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform, Setting

Entrances and approaches Entrances from Stanner's Lane and Whitworth Road. Entrance Gates and Piers

Whitworth Hall. Grade II. Rose Arbour to west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II. Ice House c. 50 m west of Whitworth Hall. Grade II. Gardens & Pleasure Grounds Pleasure grounds

Park Parkland including deer park

Kitchen Garden Ornamental walled garden

Other Land N/A

References Archives and Special Collections - Durham University Shafto (Beamish Papers) Published sources Fordyce, W (1857) The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Green F (1998) Historical and Current Record of Beamish Hall Gardens & Park Greenwell, W (1857) Bishop Hatfield’s Survey A Record of the Possessions of the See of Durham Catholic Church Diocese of Durham () Hutchinson, W (1794) The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Mckenzie, E (1834) The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham Shirely E.P (1867) Some Account of English Deer Parks: With Notes on the Management of Deer Evelyn Philip Shirley Published by J. Murray, Surtees, R. (1823) The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham V3 Historic Landscape Part: Country house (manor/estate); Designed parkland Characterisation

Future Research Not required as part of this review