A LAKE that disappeared almost 150 years ago is about to be revealed as part of a multi-million pound parkland restoration.

Excavation work to uncover the lake at Hardwick Park, near Sedgefield, County Durham, is due to start tomorrow.

Children from Sedgefield Primary and Hardwick Primary schools will be on site to launch the work of the large diggers.

The scheme to restore the 17-acre ornamental lake, which was lost in the 1860s, is part of a ten-year project by Durham County Council, which won almost £5m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It aims to restore the Grade II*-listed parkland, which has become hidden under a tangle of undergrowth, to its 1750s splendour.

The project includes the restoration of a number of follies, opening up vistas through undergrowth and woodland so the follies can be seen, and restoring a circuit walk and grand terrace.

The first phase of the work includes a new heritage resource centre, car park and entrance, along with measures to conserve and enhance the park's ecological value.

Work on the lake is expected to be complete in January, with filling complete next June.

Another key job in the restoration project is to correct the tilt on the park's "leaning tower".

Work on the tower is expected to start later this year so the stone structure can be saved and rebuilt to its full height.

The parkland was created in the 1750s for John Burdon, a wealthy South Shields businessman, by acclaimed architect James Paine.

The long-term aim is to improve the quality of the Georgian parkland so it is eligible for Grade I-listing and to attract increasing numbers of visitors from across the region.