Lydiard Park

Lydiard Park collage

Horses in field next to Lydiard Park

Lydiard Park is a 260-acre (1.1 km²) country park at Lydiard Tregoze, 7 km (4.3 mi) west of central Swindon, Wiltshire, UK near Junction 16 of the M4 .

The park contains Lydiard House, the former residence of the St John family, the Viscounts Bolingbroke. The house was built in the Elizabethan style in the early 17th century, but was later updated by its owner Sir John St John during the English Civil War.

It remained in the ownership of the St John family for over 500 years, but it was empty by 1943. It became a hospital for German prisoners of war, being allocated the number 160 as a p.o.w. camp. It still housed German soldiers as late as March, 1946.

Swindon Corporation was shamed by a schoolboy campaign into buying the property. They opened it to the public in 1955, and it remains open all year round. The house underwent a major restoration project, and was brought back to its original Palladian splendour. The house and grounds, though picturesque, are somewhat smaller than most English stately homes.

Recently, the estate has invested in a new playpark for children, replacing the old, nature-trail styled original. In 2005, the park received £3m from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards a restoration project.

The park hosted Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2009.

External links

• Lydiard Park — Swindon Council's guide to Lydiard House & Park and the Lydiard Park restoration project.