Welcome to Hardwick Park Farm

Hardwick Park Farm is situated within the grounds of the great Hardwick Hall Estate, Derbyshire. Hardwick Hall is one of the greatest Elizabethan houses in the country. You can experience dramatic interiors and spectacular architecture; or enjoy woodland walks and trails around the farm and surrounding parkland, where our livestock happily graze all year round.

2010 Shearing Day - Monday 31st May 10am - finished

It will soon be time to shear our sheep with their annual fleece cut.  Why not come and visit the farm and see the Shearers hard at work. 

ENTRY is FREE OF CHARGE this year (donations welcome).  Refreshments will be available with a BBQ cooking our very own on sausages and burgers, also liquid refreshments will be available on the day (Charges apply)

Many Thanks

Clare & Richard Aldis

Another Satisfied Customer

"Just to say, absolutely brilliant - rib eye and sirloin fabulous
taste and I mean taste !! and the sausages just taste like a sausage
should taste.  Please dont go anywhere now we have found you guys !!"
Sue from Worksop, Notts.

Fine Farm Produce Awards 2009

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded the National Trusts Fine Farm Produce Award for the third year running.  This year in 2009 we have won the award for our fantastic Longhorn Beef.  The awards were presented in October 2009, judges comments and details to follow.

Fine Farm Produce Award Winners 2008

Iin 2008 we were awarded the National Trusts Fine Farm Produce award for our Rare Breed Pork and pork pies.   The awards were presented on the 2nd October.

Fine Farm Produce Award Winners 2007

The National Trusts Hardwick Park Farm Share Farmers Richard and Clare Aldis have been awarded the Fine Farm Produce Award 2007 for their lamb and beef.  

Farm Shop Open Every Friday, Saturday & Sunday

We are delighted to announce that as from the 29th May 2009 until the 1st November 2009 , Hardwick Park Farm Shop will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am until 4pm.  Then in (November 7th & 8th and 21st & 22nd and then every wekend in December times as above.

As many of our regular customers will be aware we only sell our own RSPCA Freedom Food Registered Beef, Lamb & Pork in the farm shop, alongside our delicious Hand Baked Pies and Fresh Sausages, so why not come along this weekend and fill your fridge with our very tasty, traceable Farm Produce.

A friendly family welcome will be await your call.

Open Farm Sunday 7th June 2009

Open Farm Sunday is a fantastic opportunity for everyone, young and old to enjoy the living, vibrant countryside.  Take time to listen to the birds, soak up the scenery, experience the smells of the farmyard (an acquired smell) and really get in touch witht he land that sustains us.

Discover at first hand what it means to be a farmber and taste the produce.  So dig out your wellies and come and feed your senses on Open Farm Sunday.

Open Farm Sunday is a national event organised by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming).  It is a fantastic free day out for all the family. 

We have taken part in this National event for the past two years and it has been a fantastic success for both young and old.    We have had meet the farmer with guided walks and talks, various farming demonstrations, machinery and livestock demos, so why not come along in 2009 and see what is new down on the farm at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.

Weather permitting this year we are planning to hold some food demos and a big BBQ so that you can not only see where the animals are born and raised but 'Taste the Hertitage' of some of Hardwick Park Farms rarebreed livestock.

Guided Tractor Rides this year will be a first for us, so that we can show off more of our wonderful parkland. (a small charge will be applicable for this)

2008 farming and countryside displays were on show from the following organisations:

• The National Trust
• National Farmers Union
• Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
• Derbyshire County Wardens
• Pleasley Young Farmers
• Arkwright Spinners
• Chesterfield & District Bee Keepers Asscociation
• Central Wool Growers
• British Wool Marketing Board
• Longhorn Cattle Society
• White Faced Woodland Society
• Nottinghamshire Trading Standards
• Bolsover Council Dog Warden
• RSPCA Freedom Foods
• Plus many more

Each display was in connection with farming and the countryside in their own unique way.

Their will be various craft activities for the children to partake in.

Light refreshments and toilet facilities will be available all day. 

For those of you who wish to bring a picnic well done, why not compliment your picnic with one of our award winning rare breed Pork Pies?  Of  for those who would like something a little warmer why not try one of our delicious Cornish Pasties, then see our next opening time to come back and get some more.

We hope the sun shines and we all have a fantastic time down on the farm.

Clare

The livestock including both rare and traditional breeds

The farm comprises of a large variety of differnet types of livestock, this includes traditional and rare breeds in the form of Longhorn Cattle and Whitefaced Woodland Sheep, along with Pure Hereford Cows and around 500 commercial ewes are currently a feature in the open parkland.

And new for the Autum of 2007 are our rare breed breeding pigs; Sweet & Sour our resident Gloucester Old Spot Sows, along with Peter the Large White Boar.  Both Sweet & Sour are now in pig and we hope to hear the pitter patter of tiny trotters early in 2007.  It is hoped that with careful management, the numbers of traditional and rare breed animals on the farm will increase in the years to come.

Click here to read more information on the different livestock on the farm

Returning the land to its original state

In October 2003 the farm entered a Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreement designed to restore the parkland and create further open access.

Some of the planned restoration includes the restoring of the historic landscape of Hardwick Park through reversion of arable land to grass, extensive grazing and the removal of inappropriate fence lines.

Click here to read more about the plans to re-establish Hardwick Parks historical past

Planning a visit to learn about the Farm

As part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, the Government pays certain farmers to invite groups of the public to visit their farms to learn about the countryside.

Groups can be school parties studying farming as part of the National Curriculum, or groups wishing to learn about food production, farming, wildlife conservation, landscape and historical features.
These visits are free of charge to the group.

Click here to read about the educational opportunities in visiting the farm.