Parklife Autumn 2022

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Welcome to the autumn 2022 edition of Parklife! We had another busy summer season in the Park with the hot and dry weather bringing huge numbers of visitors to enjoy activity, play and picnics.

We are looking ahead to the next few months which will see more community events through the YourCommunity Greenspace project and an ice rink arriving in the Park for the first time, towards the end of November for the Christmas period (Find out more on page 13). Don’t forget to take a look at our what’s on guide to find out about all the other events happening, between now and then, including our events over October half term. Look forward to welcoming you to the Park soon! The Nene Park Trust team

Food Fairs and Tasting sessions

Most weekends we welcome particular suppliers of our delicious products in the Visitor Centre, Gift and farm Shop who set up a stand in the shop and invite visitors to try before they buy.

Visitors can receive a 10% discount on any purchases of those products made on the day.

The beginning of September saw the first of our mini food fairs where we welcomed pop up stalls and stands on the grass outside the Visitor Centre to give our visitors a taste and flavour of a range of different foods. We are planning at holding these events at regular intervals throughout the year. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for news of upcoming foodie events.

2 Ham Farm House, Ham Lane,Peterborough PE2 5UU E: visitor.services@neneparktrust.org.uk T: 01733 234193 www.nenepark.org.uk Photo credit: Front cover and right - Carl Radford.

Sculpture Spotlight!

Each Parklife issue we ask a member of staff to talk about one of their favourite sculptures in the Peterborough Sculpture Collection.

In this issue, we asked Vicky, Senior Education and Events Officer, to choose a sculpture from the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail: “I really like the sculpture Quarry by Simon Perry. I work with school groups and children in the Park, supporting them to explore nature and to have fun outdoors. I love animals and wildlife, and this carving of a wolf emerging from a large block of stone represents the freedom that being outdoors gives us and how connecting with nature is good for our health!“

Have you seen this sculpture? Share a photo of your favourite sculpture #NeneParkArt or email art@neneparktrust.org.uk

You can find out more information about the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail and the Peterborough Sculpture Collection on our website at: www.nenepark.org.uk/peterborough-sculpture-collection

Fancy a brew at Thorpe Meadows?

Look out for the Retro 19’ Airstream Kiosk brought to Thorpe Meadows by the award-winning House of Feasts.

The kiosk will be operating on selected days while the sun is still shinning at Thorpe Meadows, on the grassed area near the car park at the top of the rowing lake.

As well as a welcome cuppa, the menu will include their famous pastrami sandwiches, locally sourced beef burgers, in-house prepared sandwiches, fries, desserts and ice cream! They will also offer fish and chips and vegan dishes. Everything is home made from scratch.

Why not grab some welcome refreshments while you’re walking the dog or exploring the sculptures?

Rare wildlife spot!

Early September brought bird watchers flocking to Ferry Meadows as a rare wryneck was spotted on the north side of Gunwade Lake.

A wryneck is a member of the woodpecker family. Four Whinchats have also been spotted in the same area recently and a cattle egret on Heron Meadows.

This photo of the wryneck was taken by local bird watcher Mike Weedon.

We’re a Local Favourite!

Over the summer thousands of you voted for Ferry Meadows in the Fields in Trust UK’s Favourite Park award and as we finished in the top 20% of the public vote, we have been awarded ‘Local Favourite’ status, which we are very proud of. Thank you to everyone who voted for us. Who knows? Perhaps next time we can get even more votes and be the UK’s Favourite!

New visitor survey

Our new Ferry Meadows Visitor Survey is now live and we’d love to hear your feedback!

The survey has been designed to help us listen to our visitors and to make sure our efforts are going towards the things that matter most to you and our wider community.

As a thank you there will be a regular prize draw every quarter to win a luxury hamper full of goodies from our Gift & Farm Shop, worth £100! Your time is greatly appreciated, thank you!

Visit www.nenepark.org.uk/visitor-survey to share your views.

ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPROVEMENTS

Rotary Ditcher back at Nene Park!

The RSPB rotary ditching machine has been back at Nene Park working on the flood meadows at Water Newton and Sutton recently.

This unique machine has the ability to create shallow ditches and scrapes in the ground, more economically and efficiently than any digger. Creating these low lying, wet features across the floodplain provides increased feeding habitat for a variety of wetland species.

The rotary ditching machine was last seen at Nene Park in summer 2018 as part of the ‘Bringing Nature Closer’ project. This project, to restore Heron Meadow to an open wet floodplain, with a network of wet ditches, scrapes and shallow drains has been a huge success. With large numbers of wildfowl regularly overwintering on the meadow and fourteen different species of wader already recorded since the project was completed, Heron Meadow is now booming with life again since this valuable habitat was restored. We are aiming to do something very similar over at Sutton floodplain meadows. So far we have completed some vegetation clearance and ditch improvement work on the existing cross field ditch. With the rotary ditching machine we have just created a number of new shallow drains and scrapes and hope that these features will sit wet this winter, providing an increase in valuable feeding habitat for waders and wildfowl.

The wetland restoration project at Water Newton is still in its early stages but we have tried to make best use of the rotary ditching machine while it is in the area. As this is the only machine of its kind in the country, maximising its use now will enable us to save costs further down the line. This more efficient, economical and environmentally friendly approach means we will not need to transport the machine back to site again when we are at a more advanced stage of the project. Due to this we have created a network of stand-alone features here for now but hope to connect them to the river in the future to make use of excess water during high river flows, inundating the existing low spots in the fields.

Our overarching aim is to restore and continually improve these open floodplain meadows, creating and enhancing valuable wildlife habitat in the process. We hope to see an increase in biodiversity and public interest in these areas and will continue to work with our partners throughout the Nene Valley to support more of these important projects in the future.

Green hay strewing

In July members of the Park Management Team were joined by staff from the wider Trust team and volunteers to do some green hay strewing on the Rural Estate.

Green hay strewing is a tried and tested method for enhancing the botanical diversity of species-poor grassland. It involves taking freshly cut ‘green hay’ from a species-rich donor site and then strewing (spreading) it onto a suitable receptor site. Once the hay has been spread it is left for a few days so that the seed within it can fall onto the receptor site. Once the seed has dropped the remaining hay is then removed and can be used for animal feed over winter. Hopefully then over time and with correct management there should be an increase in the species diversity on the receptor site as the seed from the donor site establishes. We will monitor the receptor site over the next few years and hope to see a gradual increase in botanical diversity. We are aiming to do more green hay strewing over the next few years in other areas of the park, using our most diverse wildflower meadows as donor sites.

Farming news

Catch up on all the latest news from our Share Farming partners Craig and Ryan in this video to mark Farm 24 – a national campaign to celebrate British food and farming. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAwUiiRJUfk&t=21s

Fox Play closed for maintenance

It was an extremely busy summer at Fox Play and we loved seeing so many children and their families enjoying the newest play area in the Park.

We now need a little time to undertake essential maintenance and repairs following the high volume of use, so the playground will be closed until October half term..

Thank you for your patience - we look forward to welcoming you back soon. Visitors to the Park over the summer will have seen the area of Oak Meadow that has been fenced off. This has been due to archaeological investigations in advance of creating a new car park in this area. The archaeology is now in the final stages and should be finished by early October. There have been a few interesting small finds including some dating back to the Iron Age, which aligns with we already know about this part of the Park. These finds will be analysed in laboratories to confirm what they are and their age. Work should be beginning on the car park in November and be ready for use in the spring. Part of the new car park area will be kept for access to construct the activity centre.

Update on the new car park for

YOUR COMMUNITY

GREENSPACE UPDATES

We have had a busy few months of community events. It has been great to promote the Park as a place for community groups to hold celebrations and events, in line with our project aim to: Build bridges with the multi-cultural communities of Peterborough to make Ferry Meadows an inclusive community hub.

Polish Music Centre Summer Concert

A showcase of the talents of children having musical instrument lessons. The four hour concert took place in Lynch Lake Community Hub and was a fantastic way for our visitors to enjoy live music in the Park. More than 200 people attended the event and it was a great success. This was the first time that we hosted a grand piano in the Park!

Ukrainian Family Picnic

A day out for Ukrainian Refugees who have recently joined us to live and work in Peterborough. The aim of the event was for the families to get to know each other and gain new friendships. We had Ukrainian traditional food, bouncy castles, traditional games and a few performances by the Ukrainian community. It was great to help raise some additional funds to support Ukraine in these hard times.

Guru Nanak’s Lane –official project launch

6 In partnership with PECT and the Peterborough Sikh Community, we held the official launch of this ongoing tree planting project which celebrates Guru Nanak’s 550th birthday. We unveiled the interpretation plaque for the project and gathered to celebrate with community speeches, prayers and food. The trees are being planted along the north side of the River Nene, near Orton Lock.

UPCOMING

EVENTS AND PROJECTS

Dussera celebrations

The Peterborough Hindu community is preparing for their Dussera celebrations, which is a lead-up event to Diwali Festival. An Idol, made especially for the celebrations, is transported from India. The event will take place mostly at The Millennium Centre in Peterborough but we will also see the colourful and joyful celebrations on the 2nd of October next to Lynch Lake Community Hub. Come along and see these celebrations for yourselves.

Mini Rangers – Our first School in Residence

Our School in Residence Programme launches this October, with the aim of connecting with schools that may otherwise have difficulty accessing the Park. We haven’t done anything like this before, so it’s all quite experimental for us. The plan is to invite a school for six visits between October and July, as well as visiting them at their school for three visits. The children will be our ‘Mini Rangers’ and we’ll be running a range of outdoor, Park-based learning sessions.

Paston Ridings Primary School is the first school to take part and will be doing all sorts of exciting things with our rangers and education team. The school has never visited the Park before and is absolutely thrilled to be involved.

Nene Nursery developments

The Nene Nursery space is taking shape with a shed and polytunnel being built. Over the next few months we’ll be putting in raised beds and making the space wheelchair accessible. We’re really excited about the opportunities this space will bring to the Park and to Peterborough. As well as the obvious benefit of growing plants for the Park, this will be a safe and welcoming space for all to access. We will work in partnership with NHS Prescribers to deliver wellbeing sessions, so that more people can enjoy that feel-good serotonin boost that comes from getting your hands in the soil and growing something. And we will be looking at how we can connect with other groups in Peterborough so they too can access the nursery and enjoy those benefits.

NEW VOLUNTEER ROLES

COMING SOON

As part of the YourCommunityGreenspace project we are in the process of creating a range of new volunteer roles that people will be able to get involved with very soon.

Walkie Talkie Rangers

This volunteer role will be situated in key and busy areas of the Park; there to support visitors with any questions or help they may need. Volunteers will have knowledge of walking routes, events, and activities as well as the natural and cultural heritage of the park. The role will be able to share this information with visitors and be a point of contact.

It is a great opportunity for those who would like to gain support and welfare skills, as well as learn more about our local heritage.

Young Rangers

We will be running a monthly weekend session for young people ages 11-16 to carry out conservation tasks across the park. Young rangers will be able to develop and build on landscape management practices such as coppicing, willow weaving and hurdle making as well as learn how the park rangers manage the park for people and wildlife.

This role will begin in January 2023. To join the waiting list or if you have any questions about the role, please email volunteer@neneparktrust.org.uk

Welcome Walk Leader

Volunteers will be offering welcome and orientation walks to community members and groups who may be new to the Park, unsure of what the Park offers or do not have the confidence to access the Park independently. Nene Park will provide a range of training for these volunteers, to fully prepare them to share their joy and knowledge with a group walk around the Park.

Nene Nursery Volunteer

The Nene Nursery will be offering hands-on sessions including nursery maintenance, weeding, planting, propagation, and cultivation, producing flowers, fruit, or vegetables, harvesting, and kitchen & cooking sessions. Volunteers will be supporting sessions with disability groups, healthcare groups, corporate groups, new volunteer groups, CPFT sessions, drop-in self-led sessions and young growers.

If you would like to participate in any of these roles please email volunteer@neneparktrust.org.uk and we will put you on the waitlist for the role and be in contact when the volunteer roles are ready to get going!

As well as new roles, we still have space in our current roles:

 Conservation Group Volunteer (Monday morning and afternoon and Wednesday afternoon) - we only have a small number of spaces in this role. We allocate potential spaces in the order in which we receive completed application forms.

 Conservation Lead Volunteer (Monday afternoon only)this is a new role.



Volunteer Ranger - spaces available in Ferry Meadows at weekends, or at Thorpe Meadows, Orton Mere, and the Rural Estate both during the week and at weekends.

Longthorpe Tower- Guide Leader or Conservation Housekeeper (sessions run April to October)

Education Volunteer

Events Volunteer

Visitor Centre, Gift & Farm Shop Volunteer (Tuesday and Saturday afternoons only)

If you would like to volunteer for any of these roles please contact volunteer@neneparktrust.org.uk. We look forward to having you as part of the Nene Park Trust Volunteer team!

Working with young people for a brighter future

Nene Park Trust and Cross Keys Homes have spent the last two years working in partnership, to provide an exciting bite-sized work experience programme for young people from Peterborough and the surrounding area, who are ‘not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEETS).

Nene Park Trust and Cross Keys Homes both serve the communities of Peterborough, aiming to support young people gain work experience, new skills and confidence to enable them to move into an apprenticeship, further training or full time employment.

Each session of the work experience programme is facilitated by a Cross Keys Homes Support Worker and a Nene Park Trust Ranger. Within the sessions, the young people learn about the diversity of the Park Ranger role.

Sessions include woodland management techniques including coppicing, hedge laying, hazel hurdle making and tree planting. Young people also have a go at creating a bug hotel,

carrying out wildlife surveys and recording the findings.

Towards the end of the course, participants will spend time learning about woodworking techniques and tool use. The skills learnt in these sessions are put in to practice building a bird box and whittling a spoon from a single piece of wood.

After the completion of the course, participants have the option to join Nene Park Trust Conservation volunteer groups, enabling them to build on the skills they have learned to enhance their employability.

The next course starts in November and we are currently recruiting. Call us on 01733 396404 or email community@crosskeyshomes.co.uk to get involved.

Double funding success for Nene Nursery

We are very pleased to have secured two grants that will help move forward our exciting plans for Nene Nursery, our new volunteer-run horticultural nursery at the entrance to Ferry Meadows Country Park.

The Augean Community Fund, using money provided by Augean under the Landfill Communities Fund, have kindly granted £16,000 towards the construction of the nursery as well as tools and equipment including our first cargo e-bike to deliver plants across our estate.

FUNDRAISING

The RHS Flourish Fund is part of an initiative by the Royal Horticultural Society to attract and support a wider range of people to work in horticulture. We have secured £15,000 through this fund, allowing us to offer two six-month work placements and RHS Level 2 training for graduates from our NEETS (young people Not in Education Employment or Training) work experience programme, alongside a two-year Horticulture Apprentice opportunity based at the nursery.

Nene Nursery forms an important part of YourCommunityGreenspace, our overarching National Lottery Heritage Fund project to make Ferry Meadows an inclusive outdoor community hub. The Nursery will create an inclusive, safe and accessible community space that will:

Help our local communities connect with nature, grow understanding and skills and accrue health and wellbeing benefits.

Allow us to propagate plants and trees for use in the Park and elsewhere, providing a sustainable route to support the parks natural heritage and biodiversity.

Strengthen the volunteering offer and capacity at Nene Park.

In time, and with expert help, pilot a therapeutic horticulture / social prescribing service bringing real benefits to local people with health issues.

Our heartfelt thanks to all the funders and supporters of this impactful project. Watch this space for further updates in the coming months as Nene Nursery begins to take shape.

Our London Marathon runners

Amy and Anne are running the TCS London Marathon for Nene Park Trust on the 2nd October 2022 and have so far raised an amazing £2,697 for Nene Park Trust, very nearly reaching their target of £3,000!

Help them achieve their target by donating on our appeals page on the website: www.nenepark.org.uk/Appeal/tcs-london-marathon

Amy is holding a fundraising event in her local community and Anne has teamed up with local Artist Ben Goymour to give you the chance to win this beautiful seascape picture. All money raised will go to Nene Park Trust. You can take part in the competition by visiting Ben’s facebook page – Ben Goymour – Artist.

Amy and Anne are frequent visitors of the Park and are looking forward to being part of a big event, the atmosphere and raising money for the Park they love.

Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail

You may have noticed the scaffolding that has appeared around the Peterborough Arch sculpture which stands in Thorpe Meadows next to Longthorpe Parkway.

Thanks to funding from Arts Council England, as part of our project Collection Conversations, we are carrying out some urgent works to Peterborough Arch and other sculptures in the Thorpe Meadows Sculpture Trail. Also through this project we are working on a new visitor leaflet and video that explain a bit more about the different sculptures on the Trail. Keep an eye out for these appearing during the autumn.

Nene Park Art Club

Over the summer we held a number of taster sessions for the new Nene Park Art Club. Young artists can now sign up for our monthly sessions.

Are you aged 14-19 and interested in creating and learning about art? Do you enjoy being outdoors? Our new Nene Park Art Club sessions are a chance to get creative in the Park, work with local artists and meet new people.

To book, visit www.nenepark.org.uk/events or for more information email art@neneparktrust.org.uk

Longthorpe Tower – Living History re-enactment weekends

Keep an eye on our website and social media for news of a re-enactment weekend coming to Longthorpe Tower.

The Medieval Sokemen Living History Group will be bringing their costumes, props and expert knowledge of this historical period to the Tower to delight and inspire our visitors.

As well as experiencing the stunning medieval wall paintings in the Tower, you will get a flavour of life as it would have been in the 15th century, when the manor house was occupied by the Whittlebury Family. Our experienced costumed interpreters will share the remarkable story of the house and its décor and explain about daily life in the 1400s. Find out about the food, costume, medicine, arms and armour. Meet the Lady of the Manor, a soldier, a barber, a surgeon, a cook and other costumed characters.

New activities at Nene Outdoors

This summer saw the introduction of mini dolphin pedalo boats for children aged 7-10 which proved very popular! There’s still time to have a go on these while pay and play activities are still running until the end of October.

This autumn we will be able to offer some indoor activities for the first time. You may see a new large shed being constructed at the back of the boat yard. Once completed, we hope to be able to offer indoor archery sessions from this space – ideal for corporate groups wishing to try an activity.

Lost World soft play centre closed down at the end of August which we were very sad about but we have stored all the play equipment in the hope this can be repurposed at some point in the future. In the meantime, Nene Outdoors will install the very popular interactive climbing wall in the classroom, next to Gunwade Lake. This will be available for school groups, corporate groups and parties – a fun, competitive activity which we know will be very popular.

Keep your eye on our website and social media for when these new activities will be available.

Getting On Ya Bike!

Over the summer, we worked with PECT on the On Ya Bike project –encouraging people in Peterborough to get out exploring on their bikes - to keep fit and healthy, both physically and mentally, and to lower their carbon footprint.

Through our team at Nene Outdoors we ran FREE guided cycle rides around the wider Nene Park estate and offered cyclists of all ages the chance to come and try out our cycle skills track. There has also been the chance to get out around Peterborough ticking off hidden treasures such as Flag Fen. Perhaps you have never thought of reaching these places by bike before.

Find out more about the project at www.nenepark.org.uk/on-ya-bike

This project has been made possible with funding from LNER Customer and Community Investment Fund.

Getting our skates on for Christmas!

We are excited to be bringing a festive ‘Christmas at Ferry Meadows’ experience to the Park this winter.

For the first time, the Park will host an ice rink, mini Christmas market, vintage fun fair and children’s Christmas crafts from 25 November – 2 January

We invite you to come along and enjoy the lights, Christmas food, music and festive atmosphere.

The ice rink will be a synthetic ice rink, chosen for its sustainable credentials and will be placed in the heart of Ferry Meadows on Centrepoint.

Ice skating sessions will be held every evening in term time Monday-Friday and all day at the weekends and in the Christmas holidays. Booking will be open very soon so keep an eye on our website and social media for news on that.

A few top ice rink facts:

Skating Penguins will be available to hire for children

A quiet skating session with reduced capacity will be available every Sunday morning at 9am.

We will have an accessible ice skating wheelchair available to hire

We welcome school groups coming for an end of term treat

More details will be announced on our website and social media

EventsAutumn

There is no shortage of events and activities to keep the whole family entertained over the autumn months at Nene Park. From our regular boat trips, paddle sports and cycle hire to our autumn nature walks. Please see our full events listing for October and November at Nene Park.

NENE PARK AUTUMN EVENTS

Passenger Boat Trips

At weekends in October and daily during October half term. Boat trips will stop at the end of October, returning again in the spring.

Enjoy a tranquil trip around Overton Lake and onto the River Nene on our electrically-powered passenger boat.

Suitable for all ages, it’s £8 per person and free for under 3s. Book online.

Pay and Play Watersports Hire

Daily 11am–5pm until the end of October

Make a splash with our ‘Pay and Play’ watersports, available daily during the half term break from 11am-6.30pm (10am at weekends). Activities include swan pedalos and row boats, stand up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes, dinghies and windsurfing.

Book online to avoid the queues on busy days!

Visit Longthorpe Tower

Weekends

10am–4.30pm until the end of October

Visit Longthorpe Tower, the surviving tower of a 14th century fortified Manor House. It contains the finest set of medieval wall paintings in a domestic setting in Western Europe, giving a rare insight into the medieval mind.

Book your 1-hour tour with our knowledgeable volunteers between 10am – 4.30pm at weekends. Booking essential.

Cycle Hire

Daily 10am–5pm until the end of October

Hire a bike from Nene Outdoors and discover miles of trafficfree cycling paths, lakeside trails and woodland routes in the Park. Cycle hire is available daily during the half term break from 10am to 5pm.

Book your cycle hire online.

Go Camping

Upgrade your day out at Ferry Meadows to an overnight adventure before the campsites close for the season at the end of October. Book one of our bell tents on ‘Lakeview Campsite’ or book a camping pitch at ‘The Glade’. Located in the heart of Ferry Meadows, both campsites have access to a number of facilities and are ideally situated to take advantage of all the exciting activities on offer at Nene Outdoors.

Ride the Ferry Meadows Railway

All aboard the Ferry Meadows miniature railway! Sit back and enjoy the ride as you pass through meadows while taking in views of Overton and Lynch Lakes. The carriages include a wheelchair coach which allows people to ride the train while remaining in their wheelchairs.

To see if trains are running on the day of your visit please go to www.ferrymeadowsrailway.co.uk

NATURE WALKS AND TALKS

Social Walking Group

3 & 26 October, 7 & 30 November and 5 & 21 December 10.30am-12pm

Not sure where to go for a walk, or not keen on walking on your own? Join one of our Visitor Rangers for a social walk around Ferry Meadows and the wider Nene Park and meet like-minded people. The location and routes of the walks will be different each month with two opportunities to come along and see a different area of Nene Park.

Suitable for: 14 yrs+ Cost: Free

Meeting point October: Visitor Centre

Meeting point November: Visitor Centre Meeting point December: Visitor Centre Bat Walks

Tuesday 4 October 6-8pm and Friday 14 October 6-8pm

Join our park rangers for an informative presentation on bats. Follow this with a walk in the park and using bat detectors, try to spot and identify the bats that call Ferry Meadows home.

Suitable for: 10yrs+ Cost: £8

Meeting point: Discovery Den

WATERSPORTS COURSES

Adult RYA Powerboat Level 2

Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 November 9am–5pm

Power boat training is a key skill needed to operate a powered craft safely and appropriately. To do this you can attend a course with us to achieve an RYA Level 2 Power Boat Certificate. During this 2 day course at Nene Outdoors, you will be trained to drive and manoeuvre the craft in a safe and controlled way.

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £274 per person

Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

Youth RYA Sailing - Stage 3

Wednesday 26 October and Thursday 27 October 9am-5pm

This 2-day course  promotes a safe and fun learning environment. The beginner courses  take you through the basics of dinghy sailing, getting you to a standard where you are able to enjoy the freedom of sailing.

Suitable for: 8-15yrs Cost: £166 per person Meeting point: Nene Outdoors

ARTS, CRAFT & SCULPTURE

Nene Park Art Club

Saturday 1 October 10am–12pm, Saturday 5 November 10am–12pm and Saturday 3 December 10am–12pm

Are you aged 14-19? Do you enjoy being outdoors? Do you like art? As a member of Nene Park Art Club you can take part in art workshops, learn about the sculptures in the Park, meet local artists, develop art events, and help take care of the sculptures in the Park.

Monthly sessions begin in September for the autumn term:

September: Block printing & painting on fabric with artist Madhu Manipatruni

October: Drawing & making inspired by artworks by Antony Caro & John Maine

November: Photo walk and drawing activities December: Drawing and printing from nature For more information contact art@neneparktrust.org. uk or call/text Louise 07423 032176

Meeting point: Discovery Den, Ferry Meadows Cost: £20 for all 4 sessions, (no part refund if you are unable to make a session). Booking essential Suitable for: 14–19yrs

Christmas Glass Making Workshop

Saturday 26 November 10.30am–12pm & 1.30–3pm and Sunday 27 November 10.30am–12pm & 1.30–3pm

Enjoy using your creative skills to design and make unique fused glass Christmas decorations; they will definitely be a talking point for your Christmas visitors! The sessions will be led by June Massey, Member of the Creative Glass Guild. No previous experience required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Your glass will be fired in June’s kiln and will be ready to collect before Christmas.

Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £20 Suitable for: 12yrs+ under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Christmas Willow Weaving Workshop

Sunday 11 December 10am–12pm and 1.30–3.30pm

This is a beginner workshop to introduce you to the wonderful world of willow. Join Martin from Rutland Willows as he takes you through the techniques you need to create three unique pieces of work. You will make three small items from star, angel, small reindeer and a wreath ring

Suitable for: 16yrs+ Cost: £22

Meeting point: Discovery Den

EventsAutumn

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Nature Tots

10 & 24 October, 14 & 28 November and 12 December 10–11.30am

A fun twice-monthly outdoor parent and toddler group. Each session has a nature theme and will include a messy craft activity, time to explore the beautiful outdoors, story and song time. Note that the two sessions each month follow the same theme so please only book onto one session each month.

Suitable for: 2yrs+ Cost: £4

Meeting point: Outside the Discovery Den

Wild Home Educator Sessions

10 & 24 October, 14 & 28 November and 12 December 1.15–3.15pm

We run a twice-monthly session for home educated children. Each month has a different theme linked to nature and the curriculum. Note that both sessions each month have the same theme so please only book onto one session each month.

Suitable for: 5-11yrs Cost: £6

Meeting point: Outside the Discovery Den

OCTOBER HALF TERM EVENTS

Autumn Holiday Trail

Saturday 22 and Sunday 30 October 9am–4pm

Collect a trail sheet from the Visitor Centre and then hunt for questions as you walk around Ferry Meadows. Return to the Visitor Centre to claim your prize to grow at home. No need to book; just pop into the Visitor Centre to find out more.

Suitable for: All ages Cost: £1 per sheet

Meeting point: Pop into the Visitor Centre, Ferry Meadows

Come and Make a Scarecrow

Sunday 23 October 10am–1pm

Come along to make a scarecrow! The scarecrows will be used to decorate the Park for half term.

Maximum of 6 people per group. All materials: straw, newspapers and a sack head are provided. We have limited old clothes so please do bring some old clothes you no longer want or need to dress your scarecrow.

The scarecrows will be left in place for the whole of half term to decorate the Park.

Members of the public will be invited to vote for their favourite scarecrow and there will be a prize for the scarecrow (makers) with the most votes.

Suitable for: All ages Cost: £8 per scarecrow

Meeting point: Discovery Den

Events information

 All events can be booked online using our booking system: www.nenepark.org.uk/events

Unless stated, all events must be booked in advance, some of which have multiple time slots.

 Event details are correct here at the time of going to press. Please check the website for up to date information.

 If you book onto an event and are unable to come, let us know.



Archery

Tuesday 25 October 11am–4pm

Pay and Play Archery sessions will run throughout the day. Why not come down and have a go? You will find us on Oak Meadow close to Nene Outdoors.

Suitable for: Adults/Children 8yrs+ Cost: £10. Booking Essential. Meeting point: Oak Meadow

Tree Hunt and Broomsticks

Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26 October and Friday 28 October 10am–2pm

The witch has lost her items in the trees. Find the trees, find the items and she’ll reward you with your very own broomstick to fly away home on. Children will make their broom stick from the Park’s wood resources.

Each group will start the event at a separate time. Maximum of 4 people per group, one must be an adult. Each group can make up to 2 broomsticks.

Suitable for: 5yrs+ Cost: £10 per group

Meeting point: Different for each date: 25 October - Milton Ferry Bridge, Ferry Meadows. 26 October - Thorpe Meadows Car Park. 28 October - Badger Play Area, Ferry Meadows.

Wildlife Eco Boat Trip

Wednesday 26 October 9.30am–11am

Wyndham’s near silent-motor means that she is the ideal craft for wildlife watching. Join us on a trip around Overton Lake and along the River Nene where swans, geese and other water fowl will glide alongside the boat with you. We cannot guarantee what you will see but wildlife highlights may include Herons, Kingfishers and the elusive Otter!

Minimum age: 8yrs, children must be able to sit quietly and patiently Cost: £14

Meeting point: Boat Jetty, opposite Otter Play area

Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult, up to a maximum of three children per adult.

Christmas at Ferry Meadows

Saturday 25 November – Monday 2 January

Ice rink, mini Christmas market, crafts and vintage fun fair. Mon-Fri (term time) 4-8pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-8pm

School holidays – everyday 10am-8pm.

Book your ice skating sessions online – booking opening soon on the Nene Park website

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Many of our events are either free or on a cost recovery basis. If you enjoyed an event and would like to donate towards the £50,000 spent annually on delivering these events, the suggested donation is £2. Thank you.

Accessibility

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We offer a range of services at events such as hearing assistance equipment, accessible maps, mobility scooters and assistance dogs are welcome.

If you have any special requirements or queries, please get in touch or visit the accessibility page on our website.

Please call us to find out more information about the accessibility of individual events.