.jpg)
The lifestyle
Meandering through 1,000 acres of historic park and woodland, 15km of footpaths provide an oasis of calm and tranquility. Our buyers will have the benefit of being able to enjoy dawn til dusk access with private access to the estate in daylight hours between 0600-0900 and 1800-2100.
Adjacent to open parkland and enjoying panoramic views across to Lambton Castle, the Ridge Walk leads down to Black Drive which heads along the bank of the River Wear from Lamb Bridge to the New Bridge.
The peace and seclusion offered by Lambton Park contrasts with its exceptional convenience. These superb homes are just 2 miles from junction 63 of the A1(M) and around 20 minutes’ drive from Durham, Tyneside and the beautiful northeast coast. The towns of Chester le Street,
Houghton le Spring and Washington are all within approximately 3 miles and trains from Chester le Street serve Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester, as well as the Metrocentre in Gateshead. The local Connections4 bus service, running every ten minutes between Houghton le Spring and Heworth Metro station, stops a few yards from Lambton Park.
.jpg)
The bespoke design
The formation and character of these new homes is of upmost importance in providing a unique and thoughtfully designed space for a new community to grow. Entirely bespoke, the design on phase one included features such as red brick detailing, sash windows and decorative ridge tiles all inspired by existing residential properties on the Estate.
Phase two is a selection of one, three, four and five bedroom properties inspired by the Victorian Arts and Crafts Movement. The movement, developed in the late 19th began to place high importance on the decorative arts with artists, sculptors, designers and craftspeople looking to nature – and a romantic interpretation of rural life - for their inspiration and we have taken those core values to develop these homes.
Among its features are wide streets with a circular ‘village green’ and all parking spaces and garages are at the rear of the properties to ensure views from homes are not interrupted by cars and other vehicles.
The homes themselves have a wealth of traditional features such as multi-paned sash and bay windows, elaborate wood detailing on porches and the combination of grey bricks and red terracotta roof tiles favoured by the Arts and Crafts Movement.
A vibrant community and retail space
Bowes Gate is a key component in the development at Lambton Park. It will be owned and controlled by the Estate, with a complementary mix of businesses, whose occupation on site will make a fantastic contribution to the vibrant community which is being built at Lambton Park.
Anticipated as being the beating heart of the development at Lambton, Bowes Gate will be a thriving community hub with the facilities needed to service the housing, businesses and visitors to the Park.
The Vision for Bowes Gate is to provide a traditional high street of around 8 independent businesses which are expected to include; a baker, delicatessen, butcher, grocer, Estate farm shop, florist, pharmacy, convenience store and a hairdresser/beauty salon.
The upper floors could accommodate conventional offices; serviced office space/meeting rooms; healthcare users; wellness centre such as Yoga/Pilates, or a gym.
The history
Lambton Park, the ancestral seat of the Earls of Durham, is one of the most intriguing historic places in the County capturing as it does, the changing story of the Region. The landscape, buildings and archaeology of Lambton Park capture the story of the county. The beginnings of the Estate as it is seen today lie with the first Earl of Durham, who designed the Park in the then popular Picturesque style. Buildings, from the Castle to the many cottages, were carefully conceived within this landscape led design. Until the 18th Century, Lambton Park, was in fact three, individually owned, smaller estates, Lambton, Harraton and Biddick, each with origins dating back to the 11th Century.
Lambton Park is still evolving and although the park has remained relatively private over the years, there will be many in the region who associate it with fun filled family days out at ‘Lambton Lion Park’. For just over a decade from 1972 thousands in the region would take advantage of the opportunity to see lions, zebras, camels, elephants, ostriches and baboons living in conditions as near as possible to their natural habitat.
The investment
The new development will fund the conservation works across Lambton Park and will include the restoration of Lambton Castle and its stables as well as the iconic Lamb Bridge.
The restoration of Lamb Bridge is a significant heritage project at Lambton Park. Originally the Bridge had a flat parapet wall, but inward movement of the river banks has forced it up into the arch that is visible today.
As part of the next phase of redevelopment, sustainable new uses are being explored for the historic buildings around the Estate including Lambton Castle, Stables and Byre. It is hoped that the Castle could become a wedding and events venue, meanwhile its impressive gates have now been installed. The wider redevelopment of the Estate has already enabled the refurbishment of the Stables at The Stud to accommodate the Northumbria Police Mounted Section, which is part of an overall £1m investment to refurbish the whole of The Stud. The Grade II Listed Shepherds Cottages have been fully refurbished externally, including essential repairs and re-roofing.
