Dean Castle Country Park Landscape Improvements EAST AYRSHIRE S HIDDEN GEM JUST WAITING TO BE ENJOYED

Transcription

1 Dean Castle Country Park Landscape Improvements EAST AYRSHIRE S HIDDEN GEM JUST WAITING TO BE ENJOYED 1

2 Introduction Dean Castle Country Park was designated as a Country Park in It is made up of 80 hectares of formal gardens, amenity planted woodland, semi natural and ancient forest, rivers and ponds and farmland, all nestled in the northern edge of Kilmarnock. In 2015, East Ayrshire Council working with East Ayrshire Leisure were successful in a funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration and development of the Country Park. The proposal is to create a five-star visitor attraction which will maximise the opportunities that the site has to encourage visitors to participate in, appreciate and value the local heritage. 2

3 Working with landscape architects and woodland experts, a series of proposals has been developed for the buildings and the landscape.these aim to enhance and conserve the historic setting of the Castle and designed landscape features, improve the natural environment to encourage a greater diversity of wildlife and provide a more attractive, enjoyable and safer place for local communities and visitors to explore. 3

4 Visitor Centre Landscape MAKING OUR VISITOR CENTRE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL The existing Visitor Centre within the Country Park will become the new Visitor and Education Centre. It will have a lovely new café at the front of the building which will give views over the formal gardens. It will also provide the main information point, a small retail space and much improved toilet facilities. As well as this, an extension will be added to the back of the Centre to provide residential accommodation for volunteers working in the Country Park and education groups taking part in experiential learning. As part of the improvements to the visitor centre, it is important that the accessibility issues are addressed. With this in mind, the steep ramp and steps, which currently deter visitors, will be replaced with a more meandering path and the conifer trees in front of the building will be removed. These trees currently hide the building from view and provide too much shade for our lawns, plants and parkland trees to flourish. By carrying out these actions, the approach to the visitor centre will be far more welcoming, it will have more opportunities for picnics and will be more accessible for all visitors to enjoy. Tilia Cordata Galanthus nivalis Narcissus pseudonarcissus 4

5 KEY Tree planting Bulb planting Woodland understorey Existing grass to be retained Meadow Mown grass Exisitng trees to be retained and protected Existing trees to be removed for design reasons Existing trees to be removed to allow regrading of the landscape for better accessibility 5 VISITOR CENTRE

6 Edwardian Landscape REVEALING A HIDDEN LANDSCAPE As former owners of the Dean Castle Estate, the De Walden Family created a formal garden where they could explore the landscape around the Castle and enjoy the tranquillity of the setting. To create this garden, they worked with eminent gardeners and plant hunters of the day. One of these plant hunters was George Forrest. George was a former student of Kilmarnock Academy who became one of the first explorers of southwestern China, which is generally regarded as the most biodiverse region in the Country. Liriodendron tulipifera George Forrest Sequoia gigantea The De Walden family worked with these horticultural experts to assemble a magnificent collection of conifers and plants from around the world. The proposal for Dean Castle Country Park is to restore aspects of this Edwardian landscape by removing years of growth that has hidden it from view, replant with trees and shrubs which are inkeeping with the designs of the period, provide areas for quiet walks and contemplation and create a more sympathetic setting for the Castle, the Dower House and the family Graveyard. Cyclamen hederifolium 6

7 Hyacynthoides non scripts Taxus baccata KEY Shrub planting Conifer planting Tree planting Bulb planting Woodland floor planting Woodland understorey Existing grass to be retained Meadow Mown grass Exisitng trees to be retained and protected Existing trees to be removed for improved woodland sustainability, diversity or to restore the designed landscape Existing trees to be removed to restore the designed7 landscape EDWARDIAN LANDSCAPE

8 Rural Centre Landscape A PLACE TO EXPLORE, LEARN AND PLAY Our much loved Urban Farm will get a long overdue makeover to become the Rural Life Centre which celebrates everything that is special about rural life in Ayrshire. The existing centre will be upgraded to included better toilet facilities, an exciting new discovery room with interactive exhibitions and workshop units for local crafters and producers. The building has also been designed to reduce our impact on the environment and will include super insulation, solar panels, renewable heating and rainwater harvesting. As well as better facilities, the setting for the centre will be transformed into an area which will provide lots of opportunities for playing, picnics, watching wildlife, volunteering and meeting many of our farm animals. This transformation will include purpose built animal enclosures, upgraded paths, a play trail and a new adventure playground. The most significant part of these proposals is to remove some plantation trees and replace them with a pond which is in keeping with the De Walden landscape, the creation of a community woodland with over 2000 native trees and the development of a community orchard and foraging garden. Betula pendula Corylus avellana Sorbus aucuparia 8

9 KEY Exisitng trees to be retained and protected Existing trees to be removed for improved woodland sustainability, diversity or to restore the designed landscape Existing trees to be removed for health and safety reasons 9 RURAL LIFE CENTRE

10 Woodland Management A WOODLAND WHERE PEOPLE MEET NATURE In partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland and the Central Scotland Green Network Trust, we are preparing a management plan specifically for the semi natural and ancient woodlands throughout the Country Park. This wilder area of the Country Park makes up more than 45 hectares and is home to a range of flora and fauna including the rare Leisler s bat, the elusive badgers and the noisy greater spotted woodpecker. 10

11 beautiful woodland which is rich in wildlife However, with a woodland of this size we would expect to see a much better variety of wildlife. Therefore, over the 10 years of the management plan, we aim to gradually remove the invasive and plantation trees and replace them with thousands of native trees such as oak, birch and rowan, which are more appropriate for the setting. This will be complemented by other biodiversity enhancements, new and upgraded paths and bridges, interpretation, signage and seating. This approach will eventually lead to a beautiful woodland which is rich in wildlife for all to explore. 11

12 Supported by: EAST AYRSHIRE Renewable Energy Fund Designed and produced by East Ayrshire Council Design Section 2016