The specific name of "The Barnes" evolved from what was described as "The Barnes of the Manor of Hameldon" a former medieval village which existed in the area in reference to the nearby
Humbledon Hill. After the estate was partitioned, the Barnes became the property of the
Bowes Family. The Ettrick family mansion, situated to the north of the modern day park on the hill overlooking the surrounding area, was the centre of the estate. The mansion house fell into disrepair and was demolished in the mid-19th century. Formerly
Little Sisters of The Poor operated a
Catholic care home, built in the late 19th century, on the site; it dominates the area. The Nuns relinquished the very large building in 2013 when the number of inhabitants dropped to twenty; the care home has been taken over by St Cuthbert's Care and continues to operate. The Pemberton family appear to have taken over the estate's ownership in the mid-19th century and lived in a red-brick mansion house called 'The Barnes' situated in what is now the lower bowling green areas of the park; 'The Barnes' house itself survived until 1921 when it was demolished to make way for the bowling greens. It was approached by two avenues of
Dutch Elms; most of the trees have long since died, however the grand avenue remains as the path from the
A690 Durham Road entrance to the park. During
World War II, several houses in Colchester Terrace were destroyed in the
blitzkrieg. No evidence of this damage remains, however it can be seen that the houses change in style from two-storey 1920s-built terrace houses to cottage style houses. ==Gallery==