Deer Park Walk.

Today walk will take us through our local Deer park at Attingham Park Near ShrewsBury in Shropshire. The walk through the park is mostly on good woodland parkways which had been build by staff at Attingham park with help from The National Trust.

Attingham Park is west of Telford on the old A5 (Roman Road called whiting street) in the small village of Atchum. Nearby there is the Town of shrewsbury with its museums, Theatres, Abbey, shops. Shrewsbury is The birth place of Charles Darwin.

Also nearby the the village of Wroxeter where there is an vineyard growing and producing wine as well as a old Roman village which is well worth visiting.

The cost of entry into the hall and grounds of Attingham Park is £3.80 with family tickets around £4-5 .

The park opens at 10am and closed at 5pm although there is planned longer opening hours in the summer months.

Our walk today starts in the courtyard of this House build for lord Berwick who's ashes are buried in the Deer park.

Walking though the archway we follow a tarmac path right as it swings around the walled garden of the great hall until we are at the front of the house under the arches of the front door theses arches are a grand example of stone work as indeed is the hall itself.

While from here you will have grandstand views over the parkland with the Wrekin in the distance and the River Steven not far way. Going on to our left we move down hill towards the deer park and the River Tern on the sides of the path there is a few very old trees planted by lord Berwick theses are Atlas Pines, Beech and oak with under planting of Snowdrops and other spring flowers Primrose, Bluebell.

Passing the tree we cross over the River Tern and walk toward the gate leading into the deer park ( please if you got dogs put them on leads while in the deer park) There is a good size herd of fellow deer in the park and you all have a good chance of see them. the best time to visit at the weekends and during school holidays when they feed the deer in the park at 2pm every day.

Walking up hill over grassland we are now walking in the deer park, if we go forwards we meet another path running right to left we turn left and walk along the top with an wood area on our right ( we could have gone right but its only gos so far then we would have had to turn back) While walking along here we get a smashing view of the hall and ground from the deer park while over head we could see buzzards swirling on the warm air as they eye the countryside looking for a meal. To the left there is a small pool, here you can find the deer drinking during the late summer evening while during the day dragonflies and Damselfly's can be seen including some rare ones.

Passing the pool we meet a path going off to the right, although we could carry on straight ahead we turn here a take a short walk though some woodland with chestnut, oak,sliver birch, fir,beech being the main trees seen. Here during the autumn you can find many fungi growing in the woodland and if you wanted you could join one of the many fungi walks that take place at Attingham during October early November.

Walking through the woods we circle around and meet the same path we were on earlier passing at the same time the last resting place of lord Berwick which is to our right under the fir trees in a little clearing. Turning right onto the path again we walk until we meet the gate (we are now leaving the deer enclose) passing through the gate we enter woodland again (Here dogs can be let off the leads) we now follow the woodland path as it cuts through the woods which in spring is covered with millions of Snowdrops, following theses we get Bluebells and other woodland plants but its during late February and early March when you really see the beauty in theses woods

We follow the path until its turn left at the wooden carving and walk under the trees in the shade of beech, oak, chestnut, and ash while listening to the sounds of wood warblers and other woodland animals during the summer soon the path turns a corner while in front of us is the rope bridge across the River Tern crossing this we follow the pathway as it swings right and left through the trees along side the garden here we find hazelnut trees and sliver birch mixed with the beech,oak,chestnut and ash along with others shrubs as we find oursefts following the path around the meadow were longhorn cattle can be seen until we pass the house and are back at the Hall.

The walk is about 3/4 mile over fairly even ground and would take about 1-1.5 hours.