A FORMER local authority-owned site has been transformed from disused eyesore into a tranquil fishing paradise after a three-year labour of love by a North-East couple.

Eden Grange Fishery, in Shildon, County Durham, has been described as “a hidden gem” by many who have visited the facility since it opened last month.

Owners Stuart and Joanne Hackett initially bought the plot in 2013 to build a family home which would accommodate their six grown-up children, some of whom still live with the couple, and their eight grandchildren.

It is thought the 12-acre site used to belong to the local authority in Shildon and was used to run a youth training scheme, but had become overgrown and fallen into disrepair after it was closed.

The Northern Echo:
BEFORE: The Eden Grange Fishery site when Joanne and Stuart Hackett first bought it in 2013

Mr and Mrs Hackett and their family lived on site in two static caravans for the first year of the project and had no electricity for two years after vandals damaged electric cables at the plot.

As well as renovating a rundown building onsite into a five-bedroom home, they have also created three ponds – the 7ft deep Traditional pond stocked with carp, tench, bream, chub and Crucian carp, the 6ft deep Runs Water with 5lb to 7lb carp, 15lb to 18lb carp, 25lb carp and ghost carp, and the 5ft deep Horseshoe pond, with carp and chub.

Mrs Hackett, who works full-time with adults who have learning disabilities, remembers getting ready for work using the light on her mobile phone, and says she can turn her hand to any tools or machinery.

She said: “The site is just amazing and the best thing is, we have done it all ourselves.

“Stuart and I have been here in hail and snow and just cracked on with it.

“We didn’t really think about the ponds at first, we just wanted a family home.”

Mr Hackett, who also works part-time as well as running the fishery, said: “The amount of people who were showing an interest in the ponds, we wondered ‘are we missing something here’.

“Looking back, it was a big job.

“It seems to have been received very well and someone told us at the weekend that his was the best kept secret in County Durham.”

  • All anglers must hold a valid Environment Agency license.
  • Fishing prices range from £8 to £15.
  • To book online, visit edengrangefishery.co.uk or call 07809-125205.
  • Search for Eden Grange Fisheries on Facebook.