The Discoverers webpages will provide information about the Park, and also space to share interests and experiences. Starting this spring, we also plan to offer guided walks – Discovery Trails – exploring our amazing Park, its wildlife and history. These walks will be based on the book Family Trails in Richmond Park, by Susanna Ramsey.

To launch Discoverers we have an exciting competition to win a family wildlife safari by Land Rover in the Park after dark, accompanied by Park Manager Simon Richards. You can download the details and more info about Discoverers below.

To join our mailing list and learn about planned Discoverers family events in the Park, email discoverers@frp.org.uk

January in the Park

Deer feeding The Park’s acreage sustains a breeding population of about 630 deer, of which about 330 are Fallow and 300 are Red deer. During the winter, their food source is usually depleted so Park staff feed the deer nightly. Feeding starts in mid December with maize and deer pellets and usually the deer stop wanting the feed by March when the spring grass grows again. However the mild autumn and exceptional high acorn yield this year is still supporting the deer’s daily diet – so much so that they aren’t interested in the supplementary food with only half the herd feeding on the handout. (It is noticeable that berries and nuts are also plentiful with plenty of food for wild birds). It is also noticeable that one or 2 stags (male red deer) are still bellowing in December – 2 month after the height of the rut. One can only speculate that this may be connected on some way with the exceptionally mild autumn and abundance of high energy food.

Shire horses The Royal Parks has been considering the future of its Shire Horse team based in Richmond Park for some time following the Governments Spending Review and reduction in funding. While the Shire Horse team is a unique and valuable asset for The Royal Parks in terms of heritage and environmental benefits, it is difficult to justify the cost of a full-time, in-house team given the financial pressures.

Therefore a decision was taken at the recent executive committee meeting which will result in a continued presence of working Shire Horses in the parks while making considerable cost savings. The Royal Parks will set up a licence agreement with Hampton Court Shires to mirror the agreement that this company already has with the Historic Royal Palaces. The Hampton Court Shires’ provide carriage rides at Hampton Court.

The Royal Parks Shire horses are eight year old Massey and 18 year old Jed. Massey has moved to Hampton Court and, along with the present Hampton Court Shire horses Roy, Jim and Aragon, will be contracted in to carry out estate management work in the parks (such as grass mowing and bracken rolling) when required.

In addition, we will look to develop hired services within all The Royal Parks to generate income such as tourist carriage rides and transport for weddings. During 2012 Jed will retire to The Horse Trust in Buckinghamshire. It is hoped that if this new partnership agreement is successful it could create more job opportunities and more working horses in London in the future.

Woodcock The winter months are a good time to see Woodcock in the Park if you know where (and when) to look! These curious looking birds have the characteristic long, thin bill of the wading birds that are often are seen on flood plains and river estuaries.

However, Woodcock are associated more with dense woodland where they hide in the undergrowth during the day. At night they fly out to water-logged grassland to probe the soil for worms. So during the day, woodcock are hiding in woodlands where public access is restricted such as Sidmouth Woods and Prince Charles Spinney. At dawn they can be seen flying into these woodland areas and at dusk they can be seen flying out – but not in large numbers. Perhaps there are about 5 or 6 in an area like Sidmouth Woods – an elusive treat for any keen ‘birder’ who endures the winter weather.

The Isabella Plantation in January

Trees and shrubs with coloured and textured bark 
The pollarded willows on the banks of Peg's Pond are forms of Salix alba, with amber and red stems.Yellow-stemmed dogwood, Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea', grows nearby under the weeping willow, and in the Bog Garden.
Red-stemmed dogwood, Cornus alba, is set back behind the heathers. Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ has orange and red stems which show throughout the winter months and can also be found in the Bog Garden.
The “River Birch”, Betula nigra, has papery shredding buff coloured bark. Two of these trees grow on the north side of the Main Stream; one above the Heather Garden and the other towards the top.
Three “Himalayan Birches”, B. jacquemontii, with striking white stems, stand on the lawn above Thomson's Pond.
The “Tibetan Cherry”, Prunus serrula, has gleaming mahogany-red bark beginning to peel into curly shreds. One is set back on the lawn to the north east of Thomson's Pond. Three other good specimens may also be found in Wilson’s Glade.
Acer hersii, at the north end of the Acer Glade path, is one of several 'snake bark' Acers in the garden.

Heather garden 
Erica x darleyensis comes into flower in its pink and white forms. Tawny seed heads of Erica vagans remain decorative all winter.
The tall “Portugal Heath”, Erica lusitanica, bears slightly fragrant tubular white flowers opening from pink buds throughout winter.
Clumps may be found towards the top of the Heather Garden, near the junction of Thomson's Stream and the Main Stream.
The “Sacred Bamboo’, Nandina domestica, planted behind the heather in several places, is truly a plant for all seasons. Decorative evergreen leaves are tinged purple in spring and autumn, panicles of white flowers open in the summer to provide orange red berries throughout winter.

Flowering shrubs 
Hamamelis mollis, the “Witch Hazel”, has fragrant yellow tassel flowers. Two large shrubs stand by the gate to Broomfield Hill. Another hybrid variety, called ‘Jelena’, has ginger coloured flowers and grows in the woodland ride to the west of the garden.
Prunus subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’ grows close to the Top gate and also set back in the glade behind Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’. It produces semi-double, white flowers intermittently throughout the winter months.
Lonicera X purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’, is a shrubby honeysuckle which bears tiny white fragrant flowers throughout winter. A group of these shrubs grows by the Acer Glade path.
Rhododendron dauricum 'Midwinter', also beside the Acer Glade path, has small rose-purple flowers.

The Isabella Plantation Team wishes you a Happy New Year.

Isabella Garden Walks 2012

You are invited to join the gardeners for guided walks throughout the year. Walks will take place on:

January Friday 6th & 27th, Sunday 15th
February Friday 3rd & 24th, Sunday 12th

Walks last about one and a half hours and are free of charge. Meet inside the garden by the gate from Broomfield Hill car park at 11am.
 

©The Royal Parks
 

The Guide, £9.99, features a foreword by Sir David Attenborough, chapters on the Park's history, deer, wildlife, trees and flora, plus a useful map and many stunning colour photographs. Dame Jacqueline Wilson's foreword introduces Susanna Ramsey's Family Trails, £6.99, featuring six carefully plotted walks exploring the hidden secrets of the Park, accompanied by detailed maps and dozens of great photos .

You can buy both books at the Visitors' Centre by Pembroke Lodge, independent bookstores in Richmond, Sheen and Kew, and branches of Waterstones. They can also be purchased online through http://www.royalparks.gov.uk/ or on Amazon

Pines and needles This year The Royal Parks have given permission for Christmas trees to be sold from Roehampton Gate car park (SW15 5JR). The outlet will be open every day from December 1 until Christmas Eve from 8am until 3.45pm, selling a selection of UK grown trees and decorations etc, and can even arrange local delivery.

In the news: Fenton the dog Recently a video clip of a dog chasing deer in the Park, posted on You Tube, attracted an exceptionally high volume of views, which in turn attracted the newspapers and television. The interest spread to entertainment programmes on the radio and television and even T-shirts are available to purchase! The Royal Parks have little control on how this incident was portrayed in the media and the ‘hype’ was largely based on its comedy value.

There is constant risk of deer being involved in road traffic accidents in the Park. Since the speed restriction was reduced to 20mph the number of deer fatalities on the road has reduced ten-fold and is now thankfully just one or two per year. However, this clip reminds motorists to keep to the speed limit and dogs must be kept a short lead if there is any doubt about their behaviour. Earlier in 2011 a dog owner was prosecuted and received a fine and costs exceeding £1000 for a similar incident.

Feeding the deer Problems with the health of the deer in the 1970’s led to advice that the Park could sensibly sustain a breeding population of around 650 deer. Whilst the deer browse on trees and grass during the summer they really do rely on seeds such as acorns, chestnuts and conkers to build up fat reserves for the winter.

The available food varies from year to year so to ensure the deer are always in optimum health they are given supplementary feed in the winter – which also ensures they receive all the essential vitamins and minerals. If it has been a good year for browse and seeds they come to the feed less readily than a poor year. They also lose interest in the feed earlier in the spring if it’s mild and grass starts growing earlier. Likewise if we experience heavy snows and food is less available, the feed is increased to ensure their health and welfare.

Winter hoar frosts Sub zero temperatures have been a long time coming this autumn but finally the morning frosts started at the end of November. Clear nights bring good morning light – but also the chance of a hoar frost. When heat is lost into the cloudless skies, exposed objects become colder than air and become deposited with ice crystals. The large tussocks of Tufted Hair Grass and Silver Birch trees look particularly picturesque on winter mornings especially when a mist also rises from the Pen Ponds.

December in Isabella Plantation

Winter flowers
Hamamelis mollis, the “Witch Hazel”, has very fragrant yellow tassel flowers. Two large shrubs stand by the gate to Broomfield Hill.
Mahonia bealii, whose racemes of yellow flowers smell like “Lily-of the Valley”, can be found set back in woodland to the south of the Acer Glade
Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ can be found by the Bluebell Walk on the east of the Acer Glade, at this time of year it bears fragrant cream-coloured flowers.
Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’, the “Autumn Cherry”, can be found growing set back from the path leading to Wilson’s Glade from the top gate. Following autumn tints to the leaves, this small tree produces semi-double, white flowers from November to March.
Garrya eliptica grows alongside the Main Stream path, this evergreen shrub bears long greyish green catkins at this time of year.
Sarcococca confusa, a small evergreen shrub grows alongside the Main Stream and produces very fragrant white flowers this month.
A single stand of Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’ grows in a glade just off the Main Stream. This upright shrub bears densely packed clusters of sweetly scented, rose-tinted flowers throughout the cold winter months.

Trees and shrubs with coloured and textured bark
Salix alba 'Chermesina' ('Britzensis'), the pollarded willows by Peg's Pond, have amber and red stems.
Cornus sericea var.'Flaviramea' nearby under the weeping willow, and also adjacent to the Bog Garden, has smooth greenish yellow stems.
Cornus alba ‘Siberica’ has bright red stems. Two groups are set back behind the Heather Garden, others in the Bog Garden along with Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ with its brilliant flame red, orange and yellow stems.
Betula nigra, the “River Birch”, has papery shredding buff coloured bark. One may be found by the path above the Heather Garden, and the other towards the top of the Main Stream.
Betula jacquemontii, three young birches with striking white bark stand on the lawn above Thomson's Pond. Several multi-stemmed forms of this tree can be found in the woodland area near the wild stream in the northern part of the Garden.
Prunus serrula, set back on the lawn east of Thomson's Pond, has gleaming mahogany-red bark peeling into curly shreds.
Several 'snake-bark' acers may be found throughout the Garden as well as other species of birch, all with interesting bark.
Acer griseum, the “Paperbark Maple”, grows in the wet lawn area by the top gate and also in Wilson’s Glade, as well as other areas of the garden. This beautiful tree not only has good autumn colour but also a great colour to its trunk, which is particularly obvious in the winter months, as the old bark peels off to expose the cinnamon coloured underbark.

Heather Garden
Erica X darleyensis comes into flower this month in its pink and white forms.
Erica vagans, the Cornish Heath, has tawny seed heads which remain decorative all winter.
Erica lusitanica, the tall Portugal Heath, bears slightly fragrant tubular white flowers opening from pink buds throughout the winter.
Nandina domestica, the “Sacred Bamboo”, provides a stunning backdrop to the heathers in this area, its leaves tinge red in autumn and winter and it also bears a profusion of spherical red fruits.

A bird feeder has been placed on Bluebell Walk to feed over wintering garden residents and visitors. In addition to this, the waterfowl on the ponds are fed on corn throughout the winter months.
The gardeners are busy preparing beds and planting out trees and shrubs within the Garden.

© Richmond Park
 

A brown and burnished conker, deer tracks among the ferns, a child lost in the park and a kingfisher with a “harpoon kiss” are the subjects of the four winning poems in the inaugural Poems in the Park competition. (If you would like to read the winning and shortlisted poems now, just go straight to the bottom of this page.)

At an awards and prize presentation organised by the Friends and hosted by the Royal Ballet School on 6 November, 22 finalists’ poems were recited by three LAMDA-trained actors. The shortlisted poems had been carefully selected from 650 entries received across the three categories: 12 years and under, 13-18 years and 19 years plus.

About Poems in the Park Poems in the Park attracted entries from children attending 35 schools in the Park’s three neighbouring boroughs as well over 120 individual entries from both young people and adults.

Partners in Poems in the Park were The Richmond and Kingston Magazines (Sheengate Publishing Ltd), which publicised and processed entries for the competition, and which together with Russell-Cooke Solicitors sponsored the awards presentation at the Royal Ballet School.

The judges of the finalists’ poems were the celebrated children’s author Dame Jacqueline Wilson; broadcaster and journalist Sir Trevor McDonald; Fiona Adams, Editor of Elmbridge and Kingston magazine; Richard Nye, Editor of The Richmond Magazine; and Paddy Hughes, known as the ‘Bard of Richmond Park’ for his published collections.

The judging process The judges met in September to review a ‘long-list’ of 53 poems painstakingly pre-selected by FRP members and volunteers Kate Chisholm, Miriam Harrison, Angela and Chris Rallings and Amelia van Praagh.

The five finals’ judges had an extremely difficult task, carefully reading, re-reading and reviewing the 53 poems and selecting the shortlist of 22. The quality was “quite amazing”, said Sir Trevor, who has published poetry anthologies.

The awards event Guests at the awards event on 6 November included Dame Monica Mason, Director of the Royal Ballet; Baroness Susan Kramer, an FRP Patron; the Mayors of Wandsworth Council (Councillor Jane Cooper) and Richmond Council (Councillor Clare Head); the Deputy Mayor of Kingston (Councillor Geoff Austin); Councillor Pamela Fleming, Richmond Council’s Strategic Cabinet member for Community, Business & Culture; Simon Richards, the Richmond Park Manager; Pat Ealey and Joan Braune from the Holly Lodge Centre; and Wendy Macaulay, one of the founders of the Friends.

But the real VIPs of the day were the 22 finalists. Young people brought parents and family. People travelled from far and wide to make it to White Lodge and one adult poet, Peter Woan, journeyed all the way from Chicago, where he works, especially to attend the event. Peter didn’t go away empty handed as he picked up the runners-up prize in the adult’s category.

The short-listed entrants were awarded certificates signed by the five judges. There were prizes too: the Kingston branch of Waterstones contributed book vouchers and Macmillan, the publishers, donated a selection of poetry books for winners and runners-up. The Friends contributed copies of The Guide to Richmond Park and Family Trails in Richmond Park and Paddy Hughes kindly donated copies of his Richmond Park poetry collection.

Displaying the poems All the winners and, we hope, the runners-up, will have their poems displayed in Poet’s Corner, Pembroke Lodge Gardens, and the management of Richmond Park have agreed to feature a number of the poems in notice boards around the Park.

Photographs of the awards event Pictured above are the shortlisted poets with Ron Crompton and Richard Gray of the Friends; Richard Nye, editor of The Richmond Magazine; Paddy Hughes; Dame Jacqueline Wilson; and Dame Monica Mason, the Director of the Royal Ballet. Photo by Liz Coleman. To see more of Liz Coleman's photographs of the awards event, click on this link.

The winning poems

12 years and under

Winner: Lost in the Park by Edward Pearson, 8, individual entry.
Runner up: Wonders of the Park by Emilia Bryant, 11, individual entry.
Special commendation: The Tree by Kate Davies, 11, Coombe Girls School.
Special commendation for age: Richmond Park by Maya Mortensen-Ramlill, 9, East Sheen Primary School.
Shortlisted poems:
Richmond Park Poem by Zoe Dutton, 12, Graveney School.
Isabella by Caroline Ball, 12, Coombe Girls School.
Richmond Park by Shameni Paraparan, 8, Burlington Junior School.
The Last Acorn by Iris Pearson, 12, individual entry.

13-18 years

Winner: The Fern by Louis Sutcliffe, 13, Tiffin School.
Runner up: Witchmond Park by Mustafa Majeed, 14, Tiffin School.
Shortlisted poems:
Seasons in the Park by Daniel Myers, 13, Royal Ballet Lower School.
A Tree by Flossie Brown, 13, Graveney School.
Park Poem by Rosie Hall, 15, Waldegrave School.
Richmond Park Poem by Adam Mirsky, 14, Tiffin School.

18 years +

Joint winner: Kingfisher, Beverley Brook by Chris Rice
Joint winner: September by Patricia Moore
Joint runner up: Richmond Park Stories by Peter Woan 
Joint runner up: Common Ground by Alan Franks
Shortlisted poems:
Isabella Syncopation by Susanna Hart
The Art of Not Falling by Graham Pugh
The Isabella by Valerie Purcell
By Sidmouth Wood by Michael Watts

Return of the cows The grazing trial continues for its fifth year with the return of two cows. They are held in a 4 hectare (10 acre) paddock near Holly Lodge. Cattle eat grass in a different manner to deer and are used on many nature reserves to subtly change the grassland and benefit wildflowers.

Deer cull This year’s deer cull will start as always on Monday 1 November. Last year a number of deer were transferred to Windsor Great Park to enhance the genetic diversity of their herds. This means fewer animals will be culled and all being well, the night time pedestrian gates re-opened sooner than normal.

Pen Ponds spillway Contractors have now completed the spillway works on both the upper and lower Pen Ponds. The fence around the bare soil will be left in place until it has become vegetated with grass. The soil that has arisen from the works has been stock piled in the nearby bracken but will be used elsewhere on other projects when needed.

Sand martin nest bank Within the enclosure of Upper Pen Ponds, separate contractors are building a Sand Martin Nest Bank on the lake edge. It can be seen from the opposite side of the lake, and resembles an artificial wall with over 50 access holes to small nesting chambers behind. During construction the building blocks are quite visible and detract from the unspoilt view. However, before completion it will be covered with a coloured render, helping to visually blend it into the landscape.

Sidmouth Woods Forestry contractors made good progress with the Rhododendron clearance in Sidmouth Woods. Helped by the light soil and dry weather this autumn they are due to complete the work by mid-November.

St Paul’s Tercentenary Gates During November the sub-ground concrete foundations will be installed at the Vista entrance looking toward St Paul’s Cathedral. Later this year a pair of new ornamental gates will be installed to celebrate the tercentenary of St Paul’s Cathedral. The gates will be flanked either side by new fencing backed with a Holly hedge. The view to St Paul’s from King Henry’s Mound will be much improved, but equally the gates have been designed such that the detail can be appreciated when walking around Sidmouth Woods.

The Isabella Plantation in November

Shrubs that flower this month Camellia sasanqua ‘Rubra’ has small single red fragrant flowers and grows in the ‘V’ shaped section of the Garden formed by the convergence of the Main Stream and the Small Stream which derives from the Still Pond. Growing next to this shrub is Camellia sasanqua ‘Maidens Blush’ which bears similar flowers that are pale pink in colour. Look out for more C.sasanqua’s growing in other areas of the Plantation.

Autumn colour this month Acers throughout the gardens assume a variety of autumn tints.
Nyssa sylvatica, the “Tupelo tree”, growing on the bank of Thomson’s Pond, turns to shades of rich scarlet, orange and red in the autumn.
Liquidamber styraciflua stands set back from Thomson’s Lawn; this tree was selected for its reliable autumn colour. At this time of year leaves take on shades of rich black, crimson and red.
Taxodium distichum, the “Swamp Cypress” grows by the side of Peg’s Pond and also on the bank of Thomson’s Pond. This deciduous conifer colours bronze in the autumn. When grown by water, larger specimens produce ‘knee-like’ growths called pneumatophores. These growths come from the roots and project above ground to enable the uptake of vital gasses in waterlogged, anaerobic soils.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the “Dawn Redwood”, is another deciduous conifer and can be seen growing on Thomson’s Lawn. Its leaves colour russet before dropping.
Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ grows along the Small Stream from the Still Pond. This shrub bears striking purple berries on bare stems.
Euonymus myrianthus can be found growing in Wilson’s Glade. This evergreen shrub bears stunning orange-yellow fruits that split to reveal orange-scarlet seeds.
Arbutus unedo, the “Strawberry Tree”, can be found growing above Thomson’s Pond as well as other locations around the gardens. Red strawberry-like fruits are produced at the same time as white small bell-shaped flowers.

The heather garden
Forms of Erica x darleyensis and Erica carnea flower throughout the winter. Also look out for Erica lusitanica, the “Portugese Heath”, a type of tree heath whose stems are crowded with white tubular fragrant flowers that are pink in bud.
Nandina domestica, the “Sacred Bamboo”, is planted at the top end of this garden. This evergreen shrub has purplish-red tint to the young leaves and a bears a profusion of red spherical berries at this time of year.

The bog garden
The leaves on two stands of Gunnera manicata, the “Giant Rhubarb”, have been cut down and placed over a layer of cut bracken covering the plants crown to protect the plant from the elements during the cold winter months.

The Gardeners and The Friends of Richmond Park Garden volunteers have been busy removing Rhododendron ponticum from the Plantation in an effort to slow the spread of scale insect and sooty mould.

Removal of this invasive evergreen shrub will improve airflow and reduce humidity creating healthier conditions within the Plantation. It is hoped that this will not only stop the spread of sooty mould (seen on the upper surface of the leaf) but also reduce the risk of infection by other plant pathogens, most importantly Phytophera.

Isabella Plantation Garden Walks 2011

You are invited to join the gardeners for guided walks throughout the year. Walks will take place on:
November Friday 4 and 25, Sunday 13
December Friday 2, Sunday 11

Walks last about one and a half hours and are free of charge. Meet inside the Garden by the gate from Broomfield Hill car park at 11am.

© The Royal Parks
 

The advice includes such points as not leaving litter (it is eaten by the deer and kills a number of them each year) and being careful to pick up dog waste (the nutrients in it damage the acid grassland for which the Park is famous).

The leaflet can be downloaded below or obtained from the Visitor Centre in the Park.

Now we’re delighted to reveal the shortlisted poets – after two rounds of rigorous assessment by a panel of judges which includes a best-selling author, one of TV’s most respected presenters, a published poet and RAF pilot, two magazine editors, and teachers and writers who are members of the Friends of Richmond Park. (Pictured right: Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Sir Trevor McDonald and Paddy Hughes, three of the judges for Poems in the Park.)

The shortlist comprises 22 brilliant poems from young and adult poets in the three categories: 12 years and under, 13-18 years and 18 years plus. The poems, described as “quite amazing” by judge Sir Trevor McDonald, feature a wide range of styles and subject matter.

The competition brief invited poets to write about an aspect of Richmond Park that had inspired them. We wanted to encourage people to forge their personal creative links with the wonders, wildlife and environment of London’s favourite park.

Ancient trees, deer, acorns, the Isabella Plantation, a kingfisher, the democratisation of the Park, royalty and history, the weather and even the Park’s darker aspects came under the poets’ scrutiny and most poetic styles were represented.

Although winners, runners-up and commendations won’t be announced until early November (at an invited event in the Royal Ballet Lower School), we do know that the judges had a very difficult task in drawing up their shortlists. It’s therefore not surprising that the judging process took so long!

There are some 630 poets who sadly have not made the shortlist and we thank them for their efforts. The standard of entries was extremely high.

Below are the full shortlists for the 22 entries across the three age categories:

12 years and under

Caroline Ball, 12, Coombe Girls School.

Emilia Bryant, 11, individual entry.

Kate Davies, 11, Coombe Girls School.

Zoe Dutton, 12, Graveney School.

Maya Mortensen- Ramlill, 9, East Sheen Primary School.

Shameni Paraparan, 8, Burlington Junior School.

Edward Pearson, 8, individual entry, Colet Court.

Iris Pearson, 11, Lady Eleanor Holles.

13-18 years

Flossie Brown, 13, Graveney School.

Rosie Hall, 15, Waldegrave School.

Mustafa Majeed, 14, Tiffin School.

Adam Mirsky, 14, Tiffin School.

Daniel Myers, 13, Royal Ballet Lower School.

Louis Sutcliffe, 13, Tiffin School.

18 years +

Alan Franks

Susanna Hart

Patricia Moore

Graham Pugh

Valerie Purcell

Chris Rice

Michael Watts

Peter Woan
 

The Royal Parks has produced a leaflet on ticks and Lyme disease which you can download below.

The new Board will have 12 members, of which one will be from the Royal Household, three from local councils, six independent Board members and two members of the Royal Parks management. Four of the six independents will be the existing Board members, which is good for continuity.

The announcement came just before the GLA Environment Committee met to question The Royal Parks management.

The Richmond and Bushy Parks Forum met on the following Monday, October 17. It decided on three actions:

• To press for one or more of the Board appointees to have ecology and natural environment experience and for one of the council positions to be from Richmond (see the letter below)
• To lobby for local mandatory consultative commitees for all the Parks
• To press for Bushy park to be made a SSSI in the very near future.

Previous post: On October 12, the GLA Environment Committee questioned The Royal Parks management on its policies and performance.

The Friends of Bushy and Home Parks, along with the Friends of the other Royal Parks, were asked by the Committeee to give their comments to the questions that are to be on the agenda for the meeting.
The two Friends bodies amalgamated their responses as they are broadly similar parks and many of our concerns are the same.

In the submission we also referred to the Richmond and Bushy Parks Forum (RBPF), set up last year with 38 other local groups.

Below is the submission we sent; the committee's questions are in italics and our responses follow. There is also a reminder of the 7-point plan which the FBPF issued in December last year and a list of the members of RBPF, together with the Ministerial statement on the future management of the Royal Parks and a report of an earlier debate in Parliament. 

We all know what a great companion to the Park it is – and the media think so too.

The Surrey Comet and the Richmond and Twickenham Times have recently published June Sampson's glowing review of Susanna Ramsey's book. Read the review by clicking on the link below.

The judge-volunteers were: Kate Chisholm, Miriam Harrison, Angela Ralling, Chris Ralling and Amelia van Praagh. Together with Richard Nye, Editor of the Richmond magazine, and Fiona Adams, Editor of Kingston magazine, these initial round judges arrived at 'long' lists in each of the three age categories; 12 and under, 13- 18 years and 18 years plus.

On 27 September the final judging took place at Pembroke Lodge. The panel who reviewed the 'long' lists were: Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Sir Trevor McDonald, Paddy Hughes and the two Editors, Fiona Adams and Richard Nye. After a full day of discussion and passionate debate, they managed to put together shortlists for each of the three categories.

All the judges agreed it had been an extremely difficult job as the quality was, according to Sir Trevor, "quite amazing". He is a true poetry lover and has published two anthologies of his favourite poems and Dame Jacqueline published her own collection of poems for girls, Green Glass Beads, in early September. Dame Jacqueline was hugely impressed by the quality of children's writing: "I really think that there is some major talent among the entries we read", she said.

Shortlist and awards

The shortlists of entries will be published later this month in the Richmond and Kingston magazines, on the FRP website and in other FRP communications.

On 6 November an awards presentation will be held at the Royal Ballet Lower School in White Lodge in front of an invited audience with all the judges in attendance, although Sir Trevor's schedule means he may not be able to attend. The event will announce the winners, runners-up and commendations. Many of the poems will be displayed later in the year and into 2012.

 

The Royal Parks' team in Richmond Park produces a monthly diary (October issue below) which is displayed on the Park's public noticeboards. If you are a member of the Friends and would like to receive these monthly diaries by email, please send your name and email address to cottonbarbara@yahoo.co.uk

Sidmouth woods rhododendron clearance and burning The restoration of Sidmouth woods is well underway and will continue throughout October. Rhododendron ponticum is a non-native plant that forms dense cover throughout the woodland, preventing other trees from growing. It can reduce wildlife, change the soil profile and humidity of woodlands making our native oak trees more likely to catch disease such as Sudden Oak Death (Phytophthora ramorum).

Contractors based on site 24 hours a day are cutting and burning. You may see smoke from outside the fence line; the local Fire Brigade is aware of this work.

Sand martin nest bank During October contractors are due to start building an artificial sand martin nest bank at the southern end of Pen Ponds. These migratory birds would normally nest in sandy walls found alongside natural river systems – a habitat that is now scarce.

The artificial bank will look like a simple wall with several nesting holes and hopefully attract a colony of birds within a year or two. The project is being managed by the Thames Landscape Strategy under the London Species Action Plan. It is being financed by the Friends of Richmond Park and an Enriching Nature grant from the SITA Trust.

Fungi Once the summer weather breaks the soil and air becomes damp with autumn rain allowing fungi to emerge without drying out. Some species can be seen all year round but the abundance and variety are displaying now and last only until the first hard frost.

Fungi are neither plants nor animals – they are decomposers of organic matter, surviving underground or within plants all year but emerging as mushrooms or toadstools in order to reproduce. Some of these fruiting bodies are palatable to humans, whilst most are not and a few are poisonous. Collecting mushrooms is forbidden in the Park as doing so will diminish the population within the ecosystem. Despite what celebrity chefs say - if you do want to forage mushrooms, you will need the landowner’s permission and avoid protected areas such as Richmond Park.

The deer rut The mating season reaches its climax in mid-October. Male deer prepare for this sexual extravaganza by urinating in their wallows, coating themselves in mud and thrashing their antlers in vegetation to embellish them with bracken. Roars and bellows sound across the Park as red stags establish territories and challenge rivals.

Dominant stags are usually between 10 and 12 years of age. Each gathers a harem of hinds which must be constantly prevented from wandering, defended from rivals, tested for readiness to mate and finally mated. During the rut, stags become territorial and it is particularly dangerous to approach the deer too closely. Please keep far back from rutting deer and provide them with the space (at least 50 m) they need to behave as naturally as possible.

The Isabella Plantation in October

Early autumn colour, flowers and fruit

Near Thompson’s Pond Nyssa sylvatica, the "Tupelo Tree", growing on the bank of the Pond assumes brilliant colours from gold to flame this month.

Parrotia persica, the "Persian Ironwood", grows on Thompson’s Lawn; this tree has a wide spreading habit and colours richly in Autumn.
Liquidambar styraciflua, the "Sweet Gum", grows on a boundary lawn set back from the path; it has lobed leaves similar to those of an Acer but can be distinguished by the alternate rather than opposite arrangement on the shoot.
Another “Sweet Gum”, Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’, grows on Thompson’s Lawn. It is pyramidal in shape. Unlike most, this cultivar often bears fruit in Britain. Both these trees are transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour with leaves ranging from pale yellow to dark crimson hues.
The native “Spindle Bush”, Euonymus europaeus, can be seen growing at the top of Thompson’s Lawn in the shelter belt area. Its mid green leaves redden in the autumn as its red fruits open to reveal orange seed. Euonymus alatus also grows on the southern boundary of the Thompson’s Pond area and is one of the finest deciduous shrubs for autumn colour, with leaves turning a rich rosy scarlet before falling.

Last but not least seek out Stewartia monodelpha standing below Thompson’s Pond; its leaves bear rich autumn tints. 

Elsewhere: Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ bears dense clusters of violet fruit. A group of these shrubs may be seen on the banks of the small stream flowing from the Still Pond. A common streamside plant within the garden is Osmunda regalis, the “Royal Fern.” At this time of year the fronds turn an attractive golden yellow colour before dying back in the winter months.
Acers throughout the garden show autumn tints and bear ‘propeller driven’ seeds. The red foliage of the large Acer palmatum above the Still Pond reflects in its dark waters. Hamamelis mollis, the”Chinese Witch Hazel”, near the gate from Broomfield Hill, turns a rich butter yellow.
Look out for Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ which has spectacular foliage in autumn with long lasting colours of rich metallic-red and orange. It can be found growing in a number of places within the garden, including the glade behind the toilet block just off Camellia Walk.
The large rounded leaves of Vitus cognetiae, the climbing vine, shows stunning crimson and scarlet autumn tints. It can be found scrambling up an oak tree near a bench on the Main Stream. In Wilson’s Glade Viburnum betulifolium grows alongside the main path at this time of year; its long swaying branches are laden with red-currant like fruits.

Bog garden: The three clumps of tall grass bearing elegant silky flower plumes and showing reddish brown are those of Miscanthus sinensis Malepartus. A form of “Sacred Bamboo” Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ grows within the Island bed and the marginal bed adjacent to the pontoon decking. This compact shrub has yellow-green foliage in Summer which turns orange-red in the autumn and winter months.
Nyssa sinensis is planted in the main Bog Garden bed and also by the stream, look out for its narrow pointed leaves that are purplish when young and then mature to a brilliant scarlet in the autumn months. The gardeners protect Gunnera manicata from hard winter frosts by cutting and laying the giant rhubarb like leaves over the crown of plants. As autumn moves into winter and the leaves rot a layer of bracken fronds harvested from the Park will be added to the leaves to further protect these plants.

Isabella Plantation Garden Walks 2011

You are invited to join the gardeners for guided walks throughout the year. Walks will take place on:

October Friday 7th and 28th, Sunday 16th
November Friday 4th and 25th, Sunday 13th

Walks last about 1.5 hours and are free of charge. Meet inside the Garden by the gate from Broomfield Hill car park at 11am.

If you are a member of the Friends and would like to receive these monthly diaries by email, please send your name and email address to cottonbarbara@yahoo.co.uk

September in the Park

The London Duathlon  The Park roads will be closed to all vehicles on Sunday 11th September for this annual cycling and running event. Pedestrian gates will be open and the Park is usually a little quieter on duathlon day – so if you travel by means other than car, a visit to the Park can be particularly relaxing.

Willow pollards The Beverley Brook is lined with about 130 trees, most of which are Crack Willows. As their name suggests, they have brittle twigs and branches which are prone to breaking, inevitably ending up in the river, and requiring a tedious removal job. To reduce this happening we ‘pollard’ about 10 trees each year. This involves cutting the branches back to a height above the level at which the deer browse. New shoots quickly appear the following spring, creating an ever-changing cycle of different tree sizes and density of canopy along the Brook.

End of the summer September starts to feel more autumnal but when does summer actually end? The equinox for 2011 occurs at exactly 10.04 hrs on Friday 23rd September, marking the exact time when the earth neither tilts towards nor away from the sun and therefore the hours of day and night are equal.

Alternatively the feast of St Michael or Michaelmas Day occurs on 29th September and was traditionally used by farmers to mark the change of agricultural years. Crops should be harvested by this day and any work on the land thereafter would be in preparation for the following year. Harvest festival celebrations occur at this time and Michaelmas daisies which can be seen flowering in some of the Parks ornamental areas are named accordingly.

Finally, it is said that summer continues whilst the foxglove remains in flower. This biannual plant seen frequently in the Park displays a sequence of pink flowers that move further up the stem as the summer moves on – by late September the last flowers at the top of the stem should finally pass.

Deer The stags and bucks now sport fully-grown antlers. They may be seen thrashing them about in the vegetation to build up their neck muscles, for towards the end of the month they will start establishing territories for the rut.

The deer also indulge in dust wallows to assists the shedding of their summer coats as their winter ones grow through. They are vulnerable to disturbance during the rut and the large number of spectators can affect them. Please keep well back from the rutting deer and show them the respect they need to behave normally.

Pen ponds spillway This month, work is due to start at Pen Ponds to build a spillway on both lakes. Engineers will construct a reinforced spillway that will allow exceptionally heavy flood water to flow over the dams without damaging the rest of the bank. Expect machinery to be operating in this area and once completed an area will be fenced off until the soil has re-vegetated.

Sidmouth Woods rhododendron clearance Now that the fence has been replaced around the northern half of Sidmouth Wood, work will start to remove rhododendron from within. Contractors using forestry machinery will clear and burn this dense shrub; funded by grants from the Forestry Commission. Rhododendron Ponticum is a none-native shrub that supports very little wildlife and dominates the understory of woodlands. It changes the soil and microclimate of woodlands that can adversely affect other tree species.

The Isabella Plantation in September 

Heather Garden The summer flowering Ericas and Callunas continue to bloom.

Late-flowering trees and shrubs Magnolia grandiflora, situated on the secluded lawn to the south of Thomson's Pond, has a few last buds opening into large, fragrant, cream coloured flowers, while its decorative fruits form.

Look out for Heptacodium miconioides growing below Thompson’s Pond and also the Birthday Mound; it is a vigorous shrub which bears lightly scented clusters of white flowers throughout the summer and early autumn. Clerodendron trichotomum has white and maroon fragrant flowers which are followed by bright blue berries, it can be found growing in the glade behind the toilets.

Autumn fruits Set back from Thomson's Pond are two stands of Viburnum. Viburnum opulus, the Guelder Rose, bears clusters of glossy red berries at this time of year and differs slightly from the nearby Vibunum sargentii, which has bright red translucent berries.

Viburnum betulifolium near the northern entrance to Wilson’s Glade, has pendant bunches of bright red-current-like fruit. In the wild fringes of the Garden, fruits of native trees and shrubs, such as the Rowan and Spindle; Blackthorn and Hawthorn; Wild Rose, Dogwood and Blackberry, all provide food for wildlife at this time of the year.

Euonymus planipes, below Peg’s Pond, displays its red seed capsules, while the purple cones of Abies koreana, nearby in the heather garden, are encrusted with white resin. Look out for the Euonymus latifolius set back in the lawn to the left of the path leading from the Top Gate towards Acer Glade. This shrub has long slender leaves that turn red or purple in autumn. At the same time abundant pink clusters of ripe reddish pink, four lobed fruits appear which open to reveal white and orange seeds.

The bog garden Nandina domestica ‘Fire Power’grows in the Island bed in the lawn area looks particularly stunning, with its broad leaves that colour scarlet at this time of year. Ornamental grasses look very attractive at this time of year; look out for Stipa gigantea in the large bed on the lawn side of the middle pond, with its tall golden panicles that last into winter.

Growing nearby is Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’ which has narrow erect leaves which are red tipped and become blood red at this time of year. The feathery flower panicles of Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldshlier’ catch the wind in the streamside bed above the top pond. The tall purple-brown feathery panicles of the grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’ show in the Garden’s central and island beds.

Ponds and streamsides The last flowering spikes of Purple Loosestrife, Joe Pye Weed and Pickerel Weed provide a late source of nectar for insects.

Please help to support The Isabella Plantation Access Project by dropping your donations into the box by the gate (Information about the Project and donation boxes at the Broomfield Hill and Bottom Gate entrances to the Plantation).

 

In a previous posting on our website, we explained the Friends' opposition to the planned cinema screenings in the Park. We have now heard the good news that the screenings have been cancelled. The official reason is poor advanced booking levels.

However, we also received an e-mail from Nomad Cinema, the organisers, which said “As you are aware we have significantly adjusted our operational plans in the light of input from relevant parties, in particular the Friends of Richmond Park, however we are always sensitive to the views of those near our screening venues and to the local environment; therefore we felt we had no option but to cancel these events.”

This suggests that the opposition, not just from the Friends but from the Richmond Park Wildlife Group and many others, has had an effect. We want to thank all of you who expressed your opposition though letters and e-mails to Nomad, TRP, MPs and DCMS.

On August 1 the FRP met with the various bodies involved in organising the Test Run of the Olympics cycling road race (the trial is being called the “London-Surrey Cycle Classic”) to discuss their detailed plans.

In summary, there will be considerable protection of the sensitive ecology of the Park. The route (Roehampton to Richmond Gate on the outward leg, Kingston to Richmond and then Roehampton Gate on the return leg) will have crowd control barriers on either side of the road to separate the riders from the crowds and much of it will have a second barrier set back from the road to protect the acid grassland and veteran trees from the crowds (creating a corridor for spectators which they get into from a few locations).

There will also be fencing stretching back from the road around very sensitive areas (Barn Wood, Sheen Cross Wood and the area of acid grassland and ant hills on the slopes of Saw Pit Plantation and at the top of Sawyer’s Hill); all veteran trees along the route will have barriers around them.

There will be professional stewards along the route (people who are used to stewarding events) and at the gates. We are told they had a day’s training, including a briefing on the sensitive areas and park regulations; those at the gates will in theory be telling people entering the park to treat it properly, including keeping dogs on a lead. There will also be signs on the fencing at the sensitive areas. Extra litter bins are being provided at crossing points and the Park’s normal litter pickers will be working overtime.

All the wildlife officers (and some experienced landscape maintenance contractors who know the deer herds) will be monitoring the deer. Both Park management and staff from Natural England will be there at various points to monitor things.

At least 40 Friends’ volunteers will also be monitoring things at pre-assigned points, with a notepad and camera, and we will be feeding back our work to TRP and LOCOG, the race organisers.

The Friends will also be staffing an information stall at Richmond Gate, to explain to visitors about the Park. We would like to thank all of you who have volunteered. It should be an interesting day! 

However, it is to establish a new Board which will give the Mayor and local councils a lot more influence over the Royal Parks. The government announcement was followed by a debate in the House of Commons. Press coverage mentioned the Friends of Richmond Park and the Friends of other Royal Parks.

We include the government statement below. The record of the House of Commons debate and an article in the Evening Standard are also available below as downloads.

Written Ministerial Statement on the Royal Parks Agency

Monday 18 July 2011
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport (John Penrose):

I am publishing today a statement regarding the future governance of the eight Royal Parks and the Royal Parks Agency.

In my Ministerial Written Statement to both Houses on the 18 January 2011, I outlined how the Government was committed to transferring more responsibility for the management of the eight Royal Parks to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and to ensuring that Londoners had a voice in how the Parks are managed.

I have now considered a range of options for how best to achieve our objective of greater accountability to the GLA and to Park users and local residents. I do not believe that primary legislation is necessary to transfer responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Parks. Instead, I believe that it is possible to achieve an outcome that allows the Mayor and local interests to have a significant say in how the Royal Parks are managed which is also cost effective.

Our intention is that Crown ownership of the Royal Parks will be maintained. The Royal Parks will remain an Executive Agency of DCMS and the responsibility of the Secretary of State but we will create a new Royal Parks Board to provide a voice for the Mayor and for London in how the Parks are managed. The Chair and Board will be appointed by the Mayor, with Board members including representatives of the London boroughs and the Royal Household. At the same time, we will task the Board to develop and recommend new consultation processes that will give local communities and users of the Parks a role in decision-making.

The details of these new governance arrangements will be announced in due course. Board arrangements will be kept under review by the Secretary of State.