Glorious Parkland

By Stuart Craddock, Park Operations Manager

As I gaze out of my office window over looking my glorious parkland it is time to reflect on a winter almost gone and a spring about to explode into life! This is my first blog so please be gentle with me . . .

At the end of a successful year in the Park, my Groundsman Ed and I found ourselves in the unusual position having a lot of grass on the Park that urgently needs eating by Mr Swift’s Sheep! After extensive drainage work in 2008 and spring 2009 last summer’s weather exceeded our expectations for all our large events including the V Festival, Midland Game Fair, Horse Trials and Bonfire, all running in dry conditions.

The Weston Park Foundation announced the next phase of the 25 year Parkland Restoration Project which aims to restore the park to the original vision of Capability Brown. The Park team have been felling trees, under license, in six areas of the Park to reveal mature hardwood trees which are native to this landscape. This will enhance the picturesque views within the Park as would have been the intention and desire of Capability Brown over 240 years previously. I should point out that we also re-plant 60 trees, on average, every winter. Myself and the park team, Rich, Nick and Ed are really pleased with the results.

This week the gardening team along with Ed have finished planting 130 trees in three areas of the Park that will one day have their own impact on the ever changing landscape of Weston Park. Lady Anne’s Walk has been restored with fresh saplings replacing the stumps of former Sweet Chestnut trees and debris from the former Game Keeping operation has been removed. Our Fallow Deer herd is healthy having had a daily dose of fodder beet enhancing the historic herds appearance during the bitter winter frosts. Twelve deer were culled during November and February providing fabulous Venison for the Granary Farm Shop.

Ed has also been busy putting the Park to bed for winter which involves harrowing rough areas, getting grass seed into the land before the frosts and aerating with specialist equipment.

Temple Pool, a 5-acre ornamental pool in Temple Wood, has been in desperate need of de-silting for many years and fortunately we gained a grant from Natural England to help fund the work and this was completed in October by a specialist company. The silt was then spread onto an adjacent field which in time will provide good fertiliser and will have fresh grass seed sown on it in the Spring / Summer.

Soon preparations begin for another packed events season in the Park where we will welcome over 280,000 visitors. Before we know it Ed and I will be sitting down and planning our gameplan for August and the arrival of the V Festival with the headline acts of Kasabian and Kings of Leon