Haddon Medieval Park: The Trees of Haddon Medieval Park
Schedule
Sun Jul 30 2023 at 09:30 am
Location
Haddon Hall | Bakewell, EN
The Medieval Park at Haddon Hall is a rare treasure, comprising 187 hectares of organic ancient pasture, woodlands, water meadows and river banks. Largely untouched for over 900 years with a diverse range of habitats, it is home to an incredible variety of wildlife.The trees are the heart of the parkland landscape, and in medieval times would have been essential to the Hall to provide timber for building and firewood for heating and cooking. More than 40 different species were recorded during a recent survey within the Medieval Park, including Alder, Willow, Hawthorn, Oak, Ash, Hornbeam, Sycamore, Beech, Holly, Cherry, Copper Beech, Red Oak, Norway Maple and Walnut. Many of the trees are veteran examples, having provided a continuity of habitat for centuries. Each one provides a home for a myriad of birds, small animals and insects, as well as fungi and lichen.
In this exclusive event our resident tree expert, Ruth Ross, will take you behind the scenes into the private parkland that surrounds Haddon Hall. Ruth Ross MPhil is a qualified dendrochronologist who spent a number of years working with the Forestry Commission. She now works at Haddon Hall as a Duty Warden and Parkland Guide. She is passionate about sharing her love of the natural world and her knowledge of trees with others.
For 2-3 hours, walking at a gentle pace with plenty of opportunities for observation and photography, Ruth will escort you around the different woodland areas within the Medieval Park to discover and appreciate Haddon’s trees and their associated wildlife.
Your ticket for this Wildlife Walk entitles you to visit Haddon Hall and its beautiful gardens for £11.50 per person (usually £23.90) on the same day. This can be booked online at the same time as booking your walk, or purchased on the day at the Ticket Office after your walk – please simply show your booking reference to our staff.
Please note, dogs are not permitted on this walk.