Hardwick Hall
Grid
Ref: SK460640
List of Species
Common Name
 |
| Azure Damselfly |
| Blue-tailed Damselfly |
| Brown Hawker |
| Common Blue Damselfly |
| Common Darter |
| Migrant Hawker |
| Red-eyed Damselfly |
Owner:The National Trust
Habitat: Parkland, Veteran Trees with ancient woodland, and a selection of ponds and lakes. For the non Naturalist: Hardwick Hall, a superb Elizabethan House (stuffed with period tapestries & perhaps the odd Clothes Moth for the keen entomologist!) with gardens to explore including the nationally renowned herb garden and the old House (mostly a shell) owned by English Heritage.
Access:Free to members of the National Trust. A car parking
charge is payable at the visitor centre by Great Pond. This is best location to park up and explore the main lakes and pools at SK454634. Don't let the drone of the M1 put you off. It is amazing how soon you become used to it and forget it is there. There are toilet facilities here.
For organised groups wishing to visit the Estate please contact the Head Warden on 01246 851787 or at The Warden's Office, The Stable Yard Hardwick Hall Doe Lea Chesterfield Derbyshire.
Specialities:A good colony of Red - eyed damselfly, Erythromma najas can be found on the water lilies on Great Pond and the Row Ponds just north of Great Pond. The Great Pond is also worth a scan for Red -eyed Damselfly. The Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta can be seen around the large ponds in August & September.
Other Natural history interest in the summer: The woodlands are well worth a wander through. The surrounding oak woodland holds all three woodpeckers plus a good selection of warblers. Keep your eyes peeled for Hobby feeding on Dragonflies in July and August!
The common woodland butterflies are to be found with Speckled Wood in good numbers and Purple Hairstreak well worth straining your necks for.
Grub Stop:'Emperor Class' The Hardwick Inn (SK 457634), an excellent 'family friendly' pub, though busy in the summer, it is well worth dropping in at the end of your visit to celebrate a good session watching Dragons (or not, if the weather turned lousy then drown your sorrows!). A free house with a great array of ''wickets'' on the bar, Theaskstons, XB, Old Peculiar, Moorlands Old Speckled Hen and Courage Directors and more Malt Whiskey than you can shake a stick at. Well over 150 labels at the last count including Linkwood & Glenfarclas. Good Bar meals, carvery too. I could go on but this is a Dragonfly site not a good beer Guide!
Associated sites: The Rowthorne and Pleasley Trails Network and Pleasley Colliery.