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Introduction to the Park

In March, 1992, the Committee decided to give a name to different areas of the park. We chose either historic or descriptive names and we have found it a great help when referring for example, to jobs that need doing or areas where birds had been seen. But we need reminding of these names and many of you will not even have heard of them.

Bachelors Lane was marked on the 1842 Tithe map and some parts of the ancient hedgerow still remain alongside the cycleway from Daniell Way to Bachelors Bridge. Caldy Meadow by Caldy Valley Road was seen to be a good area for wild flowers and this has proved to be true. To encourage wildflowers Caldy Meadow together with Long Meadow, opposite Celandine Close, are both cut once a year after the flowers have set seed. Chester City Council cuts a metre strip by all the footpaths and strims round the seats.

The original black and white house on Wellfield was about 100 years old when the Burningham's moved into it in about 1918. The water for the household came from a natural spring and there was an oak timbered well which has been filled in.

Friends Bank was named in appreciation of all the hard work that groups of 'Friends', supervised by then Ranger, Mike O'Kell, put into the planting of about 3000 trees and shrubs along this bank and around the edge of Caldy Meadow. Thirteen years later the whips have matured into woodland areas of oak, ash, rowan, larch, field maple, birch wild cherry, hazel, elder, blackthorn, hawthorn, blackthorn and dog rose.

By contrast much of the rest of the park is covered with willow, mostly crack, which spreads naturally and grows very fast. Crack willows do not last more than about 40 years, so as you may have noticd they lean in all directions and often fall over, usually when they are weighted down with wet leaves.

On the other side of Caly Valley Road, Wellfield is quite a well kept secret. There was a black and white house there which was about 100 years old when the Burninghams moved in in about 1918. The water for the household came from a natural spring and there was an oak timbered well which has been filled in. We are very careful to only plant native species of trees in the valley but Wellfield is an exception. Mr Burningham planted it with a wide variety of trees which have matured well. This is the best area for watching birds and the grass area is cut once a year to encourage a good selection of wildflowers.

A Mr Moorcraft owned land in this area and had always wanted to build a house on it. His plans were finally dashed in 1993 when the City Council bought the land. The wooded area behind by the leat was called Everglades by Les and the name has stuck.

The names Pool Meadow and Long Meadow explain themselves; Sweet Meadow celebrates the abundance of Meadowsweet in the area. Bachefield refers to Butterbache Farm; the farm building still exists and Rail's Marsh is a wet area where the Water Rail, our logo at the top of the newsletter, can occasionally be seen.

The sluices have been simply numbered 1 to 6; other names that we have acquired over the years are more romantic.

The wooden bridge, now replaced, was just about the first thing to be built in the park to provide a path between Huntington and Bishops High School (then known as Dee High School). The plate on the original bridge used tosays it was put up in 1976 by the Manpower Services. We now have four more wooden bridges but the original is the best for playing Pooh sticks.

Malcolm Leigh dug his scrape many years ago. It has since been enlarged by a digger and it receives more light now that some of the crack willows have come down. Bluebell Wood is a name for the future. Realistically it is more like Nettle Wood, but perhaps one day...

The blue Millennium Bridge was unveiled on 2nd July, 2000 and is now called by its original name, Bachelors Bridge. A lot of thought went into designing the pattersn in metal which reflect the local neighbouthood and the wildlife and activities in the park. You probably walk past without looking at it at all. Next time, see if you can fid these shapes:

• three ducks swimming down the brook
• kingfisher
• dog's footprints
• hunting horn from the logo of Huntington School (this is difficult)
• skeleton

The 4 letters 'S' on the map mark the four entrances to the park where our artists made the signs that were unveiled on 30th November, 2001. The shapes in the metal represent the wildlife of the valley, the events we hold and organisations in Huntington and Boughton Heath.

We have four sculptures in the park. They are not obtrusive so you have to look out for them. Paul Noon's Heron was put up in the Bluebell Wood in November 2000, and Beth Barlow's Mother and Child is nearby between the footpath and the brook. A year later we had three more: Door to the Park by Paul Noon is near the car park; Poplar Trees by Robin Chorley is by Bramble Close and Snail, now sadly decayed, by Celandine Close. Also sadly two of Sarah Gallagher's willow sculptures were vandalised. Do you remember the Mushroom and the Horse?

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