A park for West Hartlepool's founder
Ward Jackson Park opened in 1883 in memory of Ralph Ward Jackson, the industrialist who founded West Hartlepool. Money raised to help him in old age was used for the park after his sudden death in 1880. The 17-acre site had been farmland called Old Cow Pasture, belonging to Tunstall Hall. The lodge dates from 1883, the bandstand and fountain from 1901 and the brick clock tower at the Grange Road entrance from the early 1920s. The park is Grade II listed in Historic England's register of parks and gardens.
The park is bounded by Park Avenue to the east and Elwick Road to the west and south. Large Victorian and Edwardian villas grew up around it and along Grange Road, and in the 20th century streets of semis such as Clifton Avenue spread south and west towards Catcote Road.
Who lives near the park
Around Clifton Avenue and Elwick Road (LSOA Hartlepool 015G, 650 households), the 2021 Census found:
- 68% of homes were semi-detached and 27% detached, with almost no terraces or flats.
- 95% were owner-occupied.
- 51% of households had two or more cars or vans; 9% had none.
That's a high rate of home ownership even by suburban standards, and it shows in the work people ask for:
- Widening a single drive on a 1930s semi so two cars fit side by side.
- Replacing old concrete or crazy paving laid decades ago.
- Block paving or resin across a deep front garden, often keeping a strip of planting.
- Restoring the frontage of a villa, with new setts, edging and repaired walls.
The Park conservation area
The villas around the park sit in the Park Conservation Area, next to the Grange conservation area to the east. Listed buildings close by include the park's bandstand, fountain, clock tower and lodge, the group of villas called Beechwood, Highnam, Jesmond, Pangbourne, Parkfield, Parkside and Wrenwood, and Greystones, all Grade II.
If your home is in the conservation area:
- talk to Hartlepool Borough Council's planning team before removing front walls, railings or gate piers,
- choose materials that suit the villas, such as clay pavers, setts or a bound gravel, rather than plain concrete,
- remember that listed buildings need consent for changes to their character or setting.
On the semis outside it, a permeable front drive, or one draining to a lawn or border, is permitted development. Impermeable paving over five square metres draining onto the road needs planning permission.
Clay ground and the Burn Valley
The BGS maps this area on Devensian till, a stiff boulder clay, over Roker Formation dolostone, part of the Magnesian Limestone. Water drains through clay slowly, so we plan drainage from the start:
- a deeper open-graded base under permeable surfaces, or a route to a soakaway or border,
- falls and channel drains for block paving or imprinted concrete,
- care near trees, as many streets and gardens near the park have mature trees.
The Environment Agency maps a few Flood Zone 2 and 3 areas within 300 metres, following the Burn Valley watercourse. Most homes are outside them, but check your address.
The crossing permit
The kerb. In Hartlepool the contractor applies for the vehicle crossing permit, which costs £145, paid in advance, and is usually issued within about two working days after a site check. A standard crossing is 2.7 metres wide; widening for a second car needs a new permit. Street trees and parking on Elwick Road and Clifton Avenue are part of the council's check. See our dropped kerbs page.
What shapes a quote near the park
We visit, measure and check the ground before quoting, and the price is fixed for the agreed job. The main factors:
- Breaking out old surfaces, often thick concrete on older drives.
- Widening, including moving walls, hedges and paths.
- Drainage on clay ground.
- Materials for the villas in the conservation area.
- The crossing and any street trees nearby.
Nearby parts of Hartlepool
- West Park driveways: West beyond the park, a suburb of detached houses.
- Rift House driveways: South-east, with terraces and fewer drives.
- Throston driveways: North, estates of semis and detached homes.
Surfaces often chosen near the park: block paving, resin-bound, imprinted concrete.
Every area on our list: All areas.
Questions people ask in the Ward Jackson Park area
Is my house in the Park conservation area?
The conservation area covers the villas around the park. Many of the semis on Clifton Avenue are outside it. Hartlepool Borough Council can confirm an address.
Can I widen my drive for a second car?
Usually, yes, on most semis. The crossing will need widening too, which needs a new permit.
Is the area at risk of flooding?
Small flood zones follow the Burn Valley watercourse. Most streets near the park are outside them.
Which surface suits a Victorian villa?
Clay pavers, setts or bound gravel usually suit the brickwork better than grey concrete.
Sources: ONS Census 2021, LSOA Hartlepool 015G (TS044, TS045, TS054 via Nomis); Wikipedia: Ward Jackson Park; Planning Data: conservation areas and listed buildings; BGS Geology Viewer, 1:50,000; Environment Agency flood map for planning; Hartlepool Borough Council: vehicle crossing policy; GOV.UK: permeable surfacing of front gardens.