THE owners of a historic home and garden hope to preserve a corner of the city for years to come by buying four acres of new land.
Keith and Maggie Bell, from Durham, have purchased two fields adjacent to their home at Crook Hall to extend the grounds of the historic building.
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The Bells, who have lived at the property in Frankland Lane for about 20 years, hope the purchase will safeguard Crook Hall, parts of which are medieval, and the setting of its extensive gardens from future development.
Mrs Bell said: “This feels like the best Christmas present ever. We now have more space for our visitors to enjoy – the views of the cathedral from the fields are fabulous.”
Paul Brown, business development manager at Crook Hall, said: “Although the development of Milburngate and the Riverside Walk has been fantastic we have always been concerned that the land around us would eventually be sold to developers and that any new construction so close to us would ruin the magical feel of the gardens.
Keith Bell, who owns Crook Hall with his wife Maggie, has bought four acres of land next to the property
“Thankfully, we can now rest easy knowing that we have secured our future and that tourists, local residents and would-be wedding couples can still visit and enjoy the gardens for many years to come.”
The team that runs the hall and gardens is now looking for ideas for how it should use the land and has asked visitors for their suggestions.
So far, popular suggestions have included branching out into bee keeping or having chickens on the site.
Mr Brown said: “Our visitors have been great in coming forward with suggestions. Popular ideas include keeping bees and chickens.
“This is a major development in the history of the hall and we are all very excited to have such a wonderful addition to the property.”
The venue has become a popular tourist attraction in recent years and has opened several new developments, including a cafe.
It has been developed as a wedding venue and runs family events throughout the year, including a Santa's grotto in the run up to Christmas.
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