royaltunbridgewellsinbloom.org.uk Dunorlan Park South and South East in Bloom Portfolio 2012

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1 royaltunbridgewellsinbloom.org.uk Dunorlan Park South and South East in Bloom Portfolio 2012

2 Introduction and Welcome Index Introduction and welcome Page 3 Friends and Community Page 4 Horticultural Achievements Page 6 We would like to welcome Peter Holeman to Dunorlan Park s entry to this years South and South East in Bloom large park competition. This year has proved to be a busy and challenging yet greatly rewarding year with more than our usual number of events, Jubilee and Olympic, and of course the testing weather conditions that our parks staff have endured. All our Friends, volunteers and staff have worked hard to make sure the Dunorlan Park you see today is kept in top condition for all our visitors to enjoy. We always listen to visitors comments and do our best to make sure we can implement ideas and make improvements that will enhance the enjoyment of Dunorlan Park. Review of last year Page 7 Environmental Responsibility Page 8 Community involvement Page 9 Our key partners Page 11 About Dunorlan Park Dunorlan Park is a picturesque park located on the edge of Tunbridge Wells town with a richly varied Victorian garden, meadows, play area and wildlife and all the facilities that a modern park can provide. The park covers an area of 27 hectares and is little changed since the formal area was laid out by Robert Marnock in the 1870 s. In 2003/4 the park underwent a major restoration costing 2.8 million, following a successful Heritage Lottery Fund award of 2.1 million. As part of the project a diverse range of 15,000 plants and 260 trees was planted. Dunorlan is remarkable in having a variety of features created from Pulhamite, a type of artificial stone manufactured in the 19C by James Pulham and Son. We are fortunate in having impressive Pulhamite and terracotta fountain, a Grecian temple and cascade. The original Dunorlan House commissioned by Henry Reed was sold in 1874 to the Collins family, passing from father to son until the early 1940s. During the war the house was requisitioned; soldiers billeted there are reputed to have destroyed the avenue statues and the original statue within the Grecian temple. The Dunorlan estate was purchased in 1945 by TWBC over the years a number of changes were made to the park to accommodate public use. In 1946 the house was extensively damaged by fire and eventually demolished in

3 The picture above right shows the avenue from the fountain as Marnock intended, during the restoration the decision was made to remove all the trees in what had become a mix of conifers to re-establish the avenue as a line of Cedars Dunorlan in winter Friends and Community Tunbridge Wells Bloom group along with the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council re-entered the Bloom competition after an absence of ten years with Dunorlan entering the large park section. We where delighted to receive the Gold award and joint winner of the best park award. Along with our success in Bloom Dunorlan Park has achieved Green Flag and Green Heritage status since 2006 this is something the Council, our dedicated Parks Staff and of course our Friends and Volunteers are all extremely proud of. We are extremely fortunate in having a very active Friends group (FofDP) who work closely with the Council and our parks staff since their inception in 1996, by 1997 they had become a registered charity. The activities of the Friends are aimed at benefitting the park and its users taking on many different strands. The Friends organise and participate in activities both educational and promotional such as the Dawn chorus walk and bat walk. This Jubilee year saw the Friends organising a successful picnic in the park. I ve been involved with the Friends since day one over 16 years now. The park has changed over these years from being run down and a bit unloved (except by dog walkers), to being restored, and finally to where it is now the Jewel in the Crown of TWBC s parks!! And the Friends have changed too from being very focussed on the restoration at the beginning to where we are now - supporting and protecting Dunorlan Park, loving and enjoying it...and where we can, enhancing it s delights with fund raising, special events and projects and donations of plants, time and energy. We welcome the opportunity of working with the Tunbridge Wells in Bloom to achieve our shared aims. Diana Lamb Chair of FoDP Main Aims of FoDP Promoting and encouraging enjoyment for all in the park helping in the avoidance of conflict between different types of user. Keeping the focus of TWBC on the continuing importance of proper funding for and maintenance and improvement of the restored Park and its facilities Keeping a close watching brief on any development proposals adjacent to the park and taking appropriate action if we see them as having an adverse effect on the park. Encouraging and facilitating wider knowledge and use of the Park and all it has to offer particularly as an education resource for local schools and their pupils. Encouraging the use of Dunorlan Park as a healthy recreational facility for people of all ages, whether local or visiting. Promoting conservation and biodiversity within the park, particularly in the meadows, scrub, lakes and ponds and wetlands Assisting with applications to funding bodies During 2011 the Friends put together a calendar to raise funds to help with the purchase of plants and grain to feed the water fowl in winter. Proving to be a huge success they have chosen to produce another calendar for 2013 by running a competition. 4 5

4 Horticultural Achievement Along the terrace you will see the formal bedding display reflecting the formal nature of this part of the park continuing our aim to provide an attractive yet sustainable environment. With this in mind this year we have selected plants that will tolerate dry conditions. Review of last year In 2011 we opened a new natural play area in response to requests from our visitors, the play area was funded purely from Section 106 money, the challenge was to construct a exciting and challenging play area for younger children on the site of an old putting green while keeping the rural feel to the park. We achieved this with some innovative thinking and consulting the local visitors to find out what they wanted. During the restoration project the majority of the shrub and conifer planting was restored with new planting added in Marnock s Gardenesque style. Staff and volunteers maintain the beds to ensure views are preserved across the park. All the timber for the play area came from trees felled in the park and with the skills of a chainsaw sculptor the seating and the dragon are as you see it today. Earlier in the year we undertook to de-silt the top pond to improve the pond for wildlife and in particular pond invertebrates and inspects. The outcome of the project was to construct two dipping platforms which have now been completed. 6 7

5 A dipping kit is now available for schools or organised groups to use free of charge. The kit includes: 1 x Net 1 x large white tray and 1x small tray 2 x sampling pots 1 x Spoon 1 x Freshwater name trail leaflet Water conservation Each year all the shrub beds are mulched with mushroom compost to help retain moisture in the soil and to add organic matter. Watering of newly planted shrubs and bedding is carried out either early morning or late afternoon using water from a borehole located a short distance away at North Farm Depot. Community Involvement We actively promote volunteer opportunities and providing skills, environmental understanding and a great way to socialise and make new friends. This has achieved an excellent response with very high levels of community projects and volunteer activities. Our volunteers include members from Oakley School who carry out a variety of projects under the guidance of Head Gardener Tony Ewins. The work they carry out includes thinning saplings, bramble control, pruning ornamental shrubs, bedding plants and planting shrubs and planting wildflower and habitat areas. In addition we planted 222 New shrubs 7 New trees many donated 5500 wild flower plug plants. The Oakley boys benefit from the volunteering in the park by being in a real working environment and working in a small team. Working in a public open space helps to build their confidence and manage working independently. It is hoped that the experience will encourage them to seek a career in horticulture. 8 9

6 Kent High Weald Partnership Community Projects. Kent High Weald Partnership are a partner organisation who carry out projects around the park with volunteers including KHWP Volunteers, Friends of Dunorlan, AXA PPP and Hadlow College Students. Projects this year Bat walks led by the Kent Bat group. Pond Island restoration work Planting of pond marginal and aquatic plants Toad survey led by Kent Reptile & Amphibian Group Hedge laying to restore mature hedges in the park. Construction of dipping platforms. Monday Volunteer Group. A group of volunteers who regularly meet at Dunorlan Park and carry out a variety of projects under the guidance of Head Gardener Tony Ewins. Work includes planting, pruning, bramble clearance, weeding, thinning self sown tree saplings. As well as benefiting the park many of our volunteers have life problems which are helped by regular exercise involved in the work, all benefit from working outside and meeting new people. Many volunteers have been helping in the park over a number of years showing how much they enjoy it. Number of Volunteers 229. Hours completed 905. Dunorlan Park Cafe 10 11

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