As well as a stunningly pretty National Trust property, this site offers an insight into the region’s past too. Wendy Moore’s Wedlock tells of the true story of the the Bowes family – a notable family in the North East and Mary Eleanor Bowes in particular.
Her story is so beyond belief that it almost defies it. In 1760, at the age of only 11 years, Mary ‘s rich businessman father died, leaving her his sole heiress with an estimated net worth of millions and millions. When her first husband died she was expected to marry again – enter Andrew Robinson Stoney – a charming and psychopathic man.
The start of this walk has shops, toilets and a cafe so you can pick up your lunch here first. Head through the walled garden, one of Gibside’s beautiful historic features. All the fruit and veg that was grown here was grown for the Bowes-Lyon family …
