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FABULOUS FOLLIES
...and Landscape Curiosities

Durham

BISHOP AUCKLAND                                             NZ 214 301

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Bishop's Palace Screen Wall

The Gothick style screen wall was designed by James Wyatt for Bishop Shute Barrington in about 1795.

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Date taken: 29/06/2008

BISHOP AUCKLAND                                           NZ 215 304

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Deer Shelter

The Gothick style building in Auckland Castle Park was built in 1767 for Bishop Trevor as a shelter for his deer and a place in which he could entertain his hunting guests.

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Date taken: 29/06/2008

BISHOP AUCKLAND

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   Wishing Temple

   
​The Wishing Temple that was in Aukland Castle Park is     no longer there. 

BISHOP AUCKLAND                                             NZ 213 301

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Gatehouse

Both Sir Thomas Robinson and Richard Bentley submitted designs for the gatehouse at the Bishop's Palace which was built in 1760 for Bishop William Trevor. Robinson, of Rokeby, was the designer.

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29/06/2008

BISHOP AUCKLAND                                            NZ 217 306

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Pyramid

The 12 feet high pyramid in Auckland Castle Park is built above a reservoir that once supplied the castle with water.








​Date taken: 29/06/2008

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CHESTER-LE-STREET

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Sun Temple

The Sun Temple in Riverside Park was funded by the National Lottery Fund in 1997.









Date taken: 25/11/2006

COATHAM MUNDEVILLE                                   NZ 290 203

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Hall Garth Deer House

The small Gothick deer house is now on a golf course. The towers originally had embattled parapets.

Hall Green was once the home of architectural historian Sir John Summerson (1904-92).






Date taken: 02/08/2015

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DARLINGTON

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  North Lodge Park Boat House

 The boathouse dates back to the 1820s and was an   attraction during the early years of the 20th century. It   was demolished in January 1955 when the park was in   decline.





 Postcard: posted 1908

DURHAM                                                                  NZ 287 419

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Old Durham Gardens Gazebo

The gardens at Old Durham were probably laid out in the mid 17th century and perhaps the arched alcove halfway along the terrace wall was made at this time so that Durham Cathedral could be viewed a mile away. The pavilion above the arch would appear to date from the 1720s.

By the mid 20th century, the pavilion was in ruins and was restored after the City of Durham Council purchased Old Durham in 1985.

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DURHAM                                                                   NZ 269 427

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The Battery

The Battery is a belvedere with two battlemented parapets linked with a walkway which was given to the city by W.R.Wharton in 1858.

DURHAM                                                                 NZ 272 417

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The Count's House

'Count' Joseph Boruwlaski was a 39'' tall Polish nobleman who, after visiting royalty in Europe, settled in Durham. He lived in a purpose built residence donated by the prebendary of Durham. A temple was built nearby in about 1830, thought to be by the Durham architect Joseph Bonomi. The 'Count' died in 1837 in his late 90s.


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DURHAM

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Needle's Eye























Date taken: 07/09/2012


DURHAM                                                                NZ 267 430

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Obelisk

William Lloyd Wharton erected the 30 metre high obelisk in 1850 on his estate at Dryburn Hall. It was a gift to the Observatory at the University of Durham and was used as a northern meridian marker to assist surveillance of the cosmos. It was almost a mile from the Observatory that was built in 1830.















Date taken: 25/09/2009

DURHAM                                                                 NZ 273 418

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  The Upper Room (Now gone)

  When Colin Wilbourn was artist-in-residence at Durham   Cathedral in 1986/7, he carved thirteen elm trunks that   had been felled because of Dutch elm disease. The last   supper could be viewed through an aperture at the back   of a trunk that formed a seat. The installation was sited   near to The Count's House. 

  In 2001, when the timbers were deemed unsafe   because of suspected rot, they had to be removed.

  Other tree sculptures by Colin Wilbourn are at:

  Suffolk, LONG MELFORD, The Tower of Babel
  North Riding, EAST AYTON, The Magicians Coat (Gone)
  West Riding, HUDDERSFIELD, Greenhead Park
  West Riding, KNARESBOROUGH, Henshaws

EGGLESTON                                                          NZ 999 233

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  Low Lodge Gates

  
Although the gate piers and walls are probably designed   by Ignatius Bonomi in about 1827, the gates are said to   be from the Great Exhibition of 1851. The lock has the   founder's mark Bayliss, Jones and Bayliss,   Wolverhampton. 

EGGLESTON                                                          NZ 999 233

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Low Lodge

Low Lodge is one of the lodges to Eggleston Hall and was probably designed in about 1827 by Ignatius Bonomi. It is in a Greek style with paired double columns that support pedimented architecture with a triglyph frieze.







​Date taken: 20/04/2013


ETHERLEY                                                            NZ 204 249

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 Brusselton Tower

Brusselton Tower was probably built in the mid 18th century by George Longstaff of West Auckland for the Carr family of Old Hall, St Helens Auckland.
It is said that between WWI and WWII, it was used as a dance hall. The farmer at Brusselton Farm told me that the tower was demolished during WWII, because it was interfering with RADAR signals. However, locals remember it after the last war as a place where Easter eggs were rolled down the hill. There has been opencast coal mining in the area and now the footpath is closed and trees have been planted on the site.

I am grateful to Alan Ellwood of the Shildon History Recall Society for the following information.

It was demolished in about 1961 by Syd and Maurice Park on the orders of the MOD during the cold war (both brothers confirmed this before they died) and close by stood the Royal Observer Corps. bunker which was filled in about 2001 and the whole area was opencast mined in 2004. 












 
Postcard: posted c.1913

GAINFORD                                                              NZ 168 168

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Dovecote

Gainford dovecote is one of a group of 14th or 15th century dovecotes including;
​CALDWELL, North Riding
BARFORTH, North Riding
CLOUGHTON, North Riding (17th century replacement) 
Headlam  
​Houghton-le-Dale.




​Date taken: 12/08/2008

GAINFORD                                                            NZ 168 166

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Column

The 40 feet high column in the garden of Edlestone House was originally erected to commemorate the Peace of Aechen. It was purchased from Stanwick Park in about 1920 by Robert Edlestone.

















​Date taken: 12/08/2008

GAINFORD                                                             NZ 168 166

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Garden room











Date taken: 12/08/2008

GATESHEAD                                                               NZ 223 609

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Saltwell Belvedere 

Around the terrace garden of Saltwood Towers is a wall with battlements and an octagonal belvedere, 

The Gothic mansion was built in 1871 for William Wailes, a stained-glass manufacturer. 

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GIBSIDE                                                                   NZ 182 586

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Banqueting House

The Gothic styled Banqueting House at Gibside was designed by Daniel Garrett for George Bowes. It was started in 1741 and completed in 1745. The Great Room was used for eating and drinking and George Bowes also held concerts there. From the roof, there were views of the estate.





Date taken: 13/07/2010

GIBSIDE                                                                   NZ 171 582

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Gibside Chapel

Gibside Chapel was designed by James Paine for George Bowes M.P. and was built between 1760-68. It was completed in 1812 and consecrated for worship. It is one of the finest Palladian buildings of its kind in Britain.







Date taken: 13/07/2010

GIBSIDE                                                                  NZ 179 591

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The Column to Liberty

The Column to Liberty is a statement of George Bowes' support for the Whig Party and is over 150 feet high. It was designed by Daniel Garrett in 1750 and was completed by James Paine in 1757 at a cost of £2000. The statue of Liberty was carved by Christopher Richardson of Doncaster.















​Date taken: 13/07/2010

GIBSIDE                                                                   NZ 172 586

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Orangery

The greenhouse at Gibside was built between 1772 and 1775 for Mary Eleanor Bowes, who was described as 'the most intelligent female botanist' of her time. The designer may have been James Paine.

It was converted into a conservatory in 1855 by John Bowes.




​Date taken: 13/07/2010

GIBSIDE                                                                    NZ 174 587

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Icehouse

The icehouse at Gibside is late 18th century.










Date taken: 27/05/2007

GREENCROFT

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  Greencroft Tower

  Greencroft Tower was an 18th century Gothic style   lodge at the eastern entrance to the Greencroft estate.   The Hall was redundant by the 1930s and demolished in   1954. Greencroft Tower was demolished in 1955 as it   was said to have been in danger of collapsing.

  Greencroft is north of Lanchester.


​  Postcard: posted 1907

GRINDON                                                                NZ 416 259

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Wynyard Park Greek Temple

The tetrastyle Greek Temple at Wynyard Park is thought to have been designed by Benjamin Wyatt (1709-1772).









​Date taken: 02/08/2015

GRINDON                                                                NZ 414 259

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Wynyard Park Roman Temple

The circular Roman Temple at Wynyard Park, said to have been designed by Benjamin Wyatt, has four Roman Doric fluted columns and a saucer-shaped dome with a pine cone finial.







​Date taken: 02/08/2015

GRINDON                                                                NZ 423 253

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Wynyard Park Wellington's Obelisk

The 127 feet high Wellington's Obelisk at Wynyard Park was erected for Charles William Vane-Stewart, the third Marquess of Londonderry, to honour the visit of the Duke of Wellington in 1827. It was originally inscribed:
                                  WELLINGTON
                        FRIEND OF LONDONDERRY
In 1828, after Londonderry was not given a place in the cabinet, the inscription was altered to:
                                   WELLINGTON


​Date taken: 02/08/2015

HEIGHINGTON                                                     NZ 248 223

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The Pump House

The village water pump was erected in the 18th century and the acorn finial was added in 1887.









​Date taken: 02/08/2015

HEIGHINGTON                                                      NZ 238 232

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Redworth Hall Summerhouse

Redworth Hall was built for George Crosier in 1693. In 1744, the historian Robert Surtees carried out extensive rebuilding work and it may have be at this time that the summerhouse in the grounds was built.







Date taken: 02/08/2015

HIGH CONISCLIFFE                                              NZ 238 169

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Thornton Hall folly

A small folly has been recently built in the garden of Thornton Hall.









Date taken: 06/07/2013

Durham (contd...)

Copyright Ray Blyth 2018