January’s Park diaries

The Royal Parks' team in Richmond Park produces a monthly diary (January 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

January in the Park

Let in snow, let in snow, let in snow! The difficult weather conditions in December saw some disruption to the Park again this year. The Park staff concentrated their snow clearing and gritting to open the routes from Kingston Gate to Richmond Gate and through to Sheen and Roehampton Gate as soon as possible.

The road on the south east of the Park was left closed for longer to conserve salt and allow staff to prioritize their efforts. Many people enjoyed tobogganing and skiing on the hills which can be great fun but not without its risks. A few people left the Park in an ambulance with broken bones. Some water pipes froze resulting in toilet blocks being closed for short periods as well.

Good news for the Isabella Plantation Access Project The Royal Parks has successfully secured £164k from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to work up plans to carry out a number of improvements to the Isabella Plantation.

The HLF/BIG first-round funding means that The Royal Parks can now progress to the second stage of the application process. More detailed plans will then be submitted within two years in order to apply for the £1.6m of HLF/BIG support that The Royal Parks is seeking for the £1.8m project.

The improvements to the Isabella Plantation are designed to make it accessible to all visitors and could include: upgrades to the existing path network, improved entrance gates and signage; visitor facilities such as shelter, seating and new toilets; environmental and ecological projects, including de-silting ponds and a new water irrigation system; and community activities such as walks, talks and volunteer schemes.

Daylight hours and Park opening times  The Park's vehicle gates are closed from dusk to dawn, essentially to reduce the high number of road traffic accidents involving deer that escalate in darkness. The times of gate closure change with the seasons and are displayed at the vehicle gates and on the Royal Parks website for the entire year. In the winter the gates close at 16.00 but in the height of summer the gates are open until 21.00. The earliest the sun sets is approximately 15.51 on the 13th December. The latest the sun rises is approximately 08.06 on the 30th December. However the day when we have the least total hours of daylight is the winter solstice which is usually 21 or 22nd December.

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 and an elusive treat for any keen ‘birder’ that 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 sanguine ‘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.

Good news for the Isabella Plantation Access Project: The Royal Parks has successfully secured £164k from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to work up plans to carry out a number of improvements to the Isabella Plantation.

The HLF/BIG first round pass* means that The Royal Parks can now progress to the second stage of the application process. More detailed plans will then be submitted within two years in order to apply for the £1.6m of HLF/BIG support that The Royal Parks is seeking for the £1.8m project.

The improvements to the Isabella Plantation are designed to make it accessible to all visitors and could include: upgrades to the existing path network, improved entrance gates and signage; visitor facilities such as shelter, seating and new toilets; environmental and ecological projects, including de-silting ponds and a new water irrigation system; and community activities such as walks, talks and volunteer schemes.

Isabella Garden Walks 2011

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

January Friday 7th and 28th, Sunday 16th

February Friday 4th and 25th, Sunday 13th

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