Hackworth Park
| Hackworth Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Park |
| Location | Shildon, County Durham |
| Coordinates | 54°37′50″N 1°38′50″W / 54.63056°N 1.64722°W |
| Operated by | Shildon Town Council |
| Open | All year |
Hackworth Park (alternately the Recreation Ground) is a park in Shildon, County Durham, England. It was named after Timothy Hackworth, a railway pioneer from the town.
History[edit]
The park was opened on Saturday 28 September 1912. To celebrate the opening there was a procession which included horses, cyclists, the fire brigade, miners lodges and two brass bands. On 30 August 1913 the bandstand was opened. There are two drinking fountains in the park; the first was given by the committee of the old Shildon Working Men's Club and has an ornate canopy with a centre column and herons surrounding the drinking tube. The second is octagonal, it has 8 roundels between dragon's heads depicting a railway locomotive designed by Timothy Hackworth and is Grade II listed with Historic England.[1] The park was named after Timothy Hackworth, a railway pioneer who came from Shildon, there is a statue of him in the park, the original statue was vandalised and moved to the nearby National Railway Museum Shildon with a modern replacement put in its place.[2][3] The Surtees Rail Trail passes through the park, it is now a footpath that follows the former Surtees Railway Branch Line, which was a private railway created by the Surtees family to link their collieries to the main line.[4]
Facilities[edit]
Shildon Town Council and Shildon Civic Hall are at the park. There are also playing fields, tennis courts and football pitches.
References[edit]
- ^ Historic England. "DRINKING FOUNTAIN, 30 METRES SOUTH-EAST OF ENTRANCE TO RECREATION GROUND, Shildon (1121497)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "Shildon Town Council - Tourism & Heritage". www.shildon.gov.uk.
- ^ http://www.sdr1825.co.uk/Downloads/SDR%20Booklet%203%20Shildon%20Circular%202018-18-05.pdf p.23
- ^ http://durhamcc-consult.limehouse.co.uk/file/2909738 p.15