GreenwichVisitor THE
ParkLife £4.8M LOTTERY FUND BID SUCCESS TIMELESS: Cricketers enjoy a match in the wonderful surroundings of Greenwich Park
We scored a century!
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This will allow us to provide a park that millions of visitors can enjoy now – and for the next 100 years
– park manager graham dear GreenwichVisitor THE
February 2017 Page 7
revealed
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By Greenwich Park manager
Graham Dear
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he best Christmas presents don’t need to be unwrapped. Like your children coming home for the holidays. Seeing family and friends. Or your favourite park getting a big injection of cash. y favourite park? That’s Greenwich Park of course. I always say it is London’s most historic park. Where else can you see the remains of a Roman Temple that was occupied for 400 years. Or a Saxon Cemetery, magnificent ancient chestnut trees, the best cityscape view in London, deer, herbaceous borders...not to mention the Royal Observatory and the Meridian Line. he Royal Parks do a great job of managing this fine park but it all takes a considerable effort of dedicated staff and not a little money too. I like to think that the best deserves the best so we are always striving to improve. There are some things that do need a bit of attention. We know the boating lake leaks and the water quality of the Flower Garden Lake, like most urban lakes, is poor. General Wolfe’s Statue commands a terrific view of the city but the millions of visitors that come here do cause erosion on the grassy bank. early 400,000 children a year enjoy a visit to the playground since it was renovated, but there is still one phase to complete. The Friends of Greenwich Park do a brilliant job of running the bandstand concerts each year, but it is a pity there is no electricity supply. If there was
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ParkLife
ou know that daft interview question that sometimes gets asked: If you were an animal, what animal would you be? It’s a simple one for me – a Fallow Deer. Its a beautiful animal. The fawns are the classic Bambi with brown flanks spotted white and the males stately with their distinctive palmate antlers. I grew up watching the Fallow in Hatfield Forrest and developed a lifetime’s affection for the animal so it was a great pleasure to find a herd when I began at Greenwich Park. he earliest written record of deer in the Park is in 1510 when one Eustace Browne was paid £13 6s 8d for deer to stock it. It’s possible that deer were here much earlier but thing that we want to address in the we have no records. A visit to the Greenwich Park Revealed project. Queen’s Ante-chamber in the One suggestion is to install a Ha Ha. magnificently-renovated Queen’s This is a wall and ditch that keeps House is a must for Greenwich Park the deer in but allows us to view lovers as it is hung with paintings of then without the need of a high the park. In many of these Deer fence. The wall behind the can be seen gracing the herbaceous border in the park and they are all Park is a Ha Ha, designed Fallow. to keep deer out of the n the 1960s the Queen’s House. Fallow herd was roblem is, the joined by an Red Deer are introduction of the so large and Follow @theroyalparks much larger Red can jump so high D e e r f r o m that they would and @GreenwichVisitr Richmond Park. The need a huge wall and look for hashtags Red Deer stag, with a n d itch. d ParkReveale Historicallyd the its head of pointed #Greenwich Red Park #Greenwich a n t l e r s , i s has no connection undoubtedly a with the Park and they magnificent beast but for also need more grazing me does not have the charm than the Fallow. If the Red of the Fallow. Even the Latin name were removed we could hold a larger Cervus Elephus of the Red can’t herd of Fallow. They’re much easier to compare with the elegant Dama tame, another bonus if we want to Dama of the Fallow. make the deer more visible for or hundreds of years deer visitors. On the other hand, many roamed free in the Park. As it people love the Red too, so we – and opened up to the public the you – will have to think long and hard deer were progressively about this. restricted, being enclosed am under no disillusion as to my when in calf and finally in the Scottish wife’s feelings on this 1920s restricted permanently matter. Mrs McDear is of the to the small wilderness area opinion that the monarch of the of the Flower Garden where glen is the only deer in town and they are today. Here they poor old Dama Dama doesn’t are protected from dogs get a look in. Unlike the but unfortunately are animal world in the Dear hard for visitors to household it’s the female see. This is somethat wears the antlers.
Help Park make most of its historic herd DID you know Greenwich has a magnificent herd of deer...and that they’ve roamed our Park for centuries?
By Greenwich Park manaGer
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GRAHAM DEAR
(with an a, not an e)
GET iNVOlVED
REDS ROCK: WHERE, DEER?:Saxifrage Peter Pan They’re hard to see from viewing space
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WHY i lOVE OUR PARK
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POP UP: Tunnel may be used to get close up with the herd
I love going to Greenwich Park. It brings back memories of being small and going with my parents. I’m hoping it’ll snow so I can go sledging down the hills again – Emily Hill
Our Greenwich Park Revealed campaign – where you suggest solutions to make it better for visitors today and future generations – is in its third month now. And one of the top responses so far is that the herd of red and fallow deer are not getting the attention they deserve... Although Richmond is the Royal Park best know for deer, Greenwich’s link goes back further, writes GEORGiNA ROGERsON. In Tudor times Greenwich Palace became Henry VIII’s preferred residence and the Park his favoured recreation ground. He is believed to have introduced deer here in 1510, and the Park was used as a Royal chase for riding and hunting. The Park remained popular with Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I, both born in Greenwich Palace. Elizabeth is believed to have played in the tree known today as Queen Elizabeth’s Oak. Deer roamed freely in the Park until the 1920s, when pressure of increasing visitors and motor traffic led to them being enclosed at weekends. Then they were moved permanently to The Wilderness, an area in the south east corner enclosed by a high fence, as they are capable of jumping up to eight feet. Today six Fallow Deer and 11 Red Deer live in Greenwich Park. It is believed that the herd may be directly descended from Henry VIII’s. Unlike wild deer, ours are fed throughout the year with deer nuts, and, when putting on weight during October and November, enjoy additional root and green vegetables. They can be admired from special viewpoints, but these are limited and tucked away, so very few visitors are aware that the deer are even there. How can we help more people enjoy the deer? Ideas received so far in Greenwich Park Revealed include : Installing trails to the deer. Reducing bedding so the deer can be seen across the Park.
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Come along! some The Festival Eltham Eltham High arts in Eltham. are free – but FestiPassey Place in Many events – and there’s some- to the can read more about the sic and fun in REEVA CHARLES. You special Greenwich town centre, writes stars of Hulviz’s must be booked and interests. organ- val’s events in this which has thing for all ages Crowds met young Festival – pull-out programme, Arts Visitor map and full listings. Last year’s Winter Peter Pan and showcasing the ised by community group Eltham an event Eltham Arts’ webAnd the signs Over 150 events For updates visit and follow being held in venues – was a huge success. be another tricreative spirit are Eltham Palace using the site www.elthamarts.org are that this will and Facebook parks, already Festival organisranging from historical Barn to pubs, private umph. “The vision ofto bring the com- us on Twitter #ElthamWinFest2016. and the Tudor was even ers Eltham Arts through the arts,” says hashtag churches, libraries...and The munity together homes. and musicals at There are plays
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Help us shape future of our historic
treasure
greenwich park:
play your part! the story know Park can tell residents and visitors can improve WE love Greenwich Park...and we play of its fabulous past. How ithow they can you do too. Now is your chance to help their experience now. And your part in its past, present and future. up help prepare it for future challenges. to The Greenwich Visitor has teamed A public meeting takes place this month cy for explain how with The Royals Parks agen for hear ideas. In this edition we Graham Greenwich Park Revealed – a campaign for the you can help, and Park Manager a multi-million pound Lottery grant your Dear tells why the project is so crucial. historic green space. We want to know Past, Present, Future – Pages 4&5 ideas and thoughts on how the 590-year-old
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Improving information boards to tell the herd’s historic story. Installing a glass viewing tunnel through the deer enclosure or high walk over it Allowing the herd to roam freely around the Park again. Share your ideas on the deer – and any other suggestions – at an online suggestion box at www.royalparks.org.uk. Greenwich Park Revealed – launched in November’s Greenwich Visitor – is YOUR chance to come up with solutions to this and other issues. The project has three strands:
PAsT: Better viewing points, uncovering historical features and adding more educational experiences. PREsENT: Improving existing buildings and protecting natural features. FUTURE: Making it more sustainable by using borehole water and planting diseaseresistant trees while making it easier for people, including those with disabilities, to discover and use the Park. Tell us what you love about Greenwich Park and what you would improve. Do you have special memories of the Park? Email Matt@TheGreenwichVisitor.com
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we wouldn‘t have to bring in a generator to amplify the sound when needed. We run a gardening apprenticeship scheme offering one placement a year to train young people for a career in horticulture but it would be great if we could offer more opportunities. Then there is the education programme which is limited by the classroom facilities available. ouldn’t it be great if all these issues could be addressed in one project? That’s why we started the Greenwich Park Revealed initiative, to speak to park users, identify priorities for improvement and seek funding to deliver on them. Well I am absolutely delighted to say that The Royal Parks application to the Heritage Lottery Fund/BIG Lottery Fund Parks for People grant scheme has been successful in achieving a Phase 1 pass. We have been awarded development funding to work up our proposals over the next eighteen months and invited to submit a Phase 2 application for a £4.8million grant. It’s a big hurdle to clear and we are on our way to achieving our aim of a total project budget of £7million. any people have helped make the grant application a success, not least of all the Greenwich Visitor, whose support throughout the campaign has been invaluable. Press cuttings from its coverage even made it into the grant submission. here is a lot of hard work ahead, but I think a lot of fun too. Christmas came early for Greenwich Park this year.
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DELIGHTED: Graham Dear